Spring in New England starts with a sweet burst of flavor only to be found in the local woods. Deep underground, tree roots have been storing up sugars to make their first leaves. As the sap travels upwards to send out newly formed buds, New Englanders get to tap into a time-honored tradition of making maple syrup.
From the small wonder of this mapley goodness, New England has developed a huge agricultural and tourism industry. With forests replete with sugar maples, which have the highest sugar ratio in their sap, New Hampshire and Vermont are the sweetest places to find sugar shacks in operation.
Get in on the Action
The art of crafting different grades of syrup, wood fire boiling, and making maple products by hand all make this mesmerizing process interesting for tours and farm visits. With billows of steam blowing out the cupula, local sugar shacks make March maple tours a delicious destination for one and all.
We’re all a bit tired of shoveling snow and chipping away at ice as we round out the winter and get through mud season. If you’re finding your team’s morale waning, liven up your crew with a fun excursion to one of these exciting farms. It’s fascinating to get out of the office and spend some quality time experiencing this tasty treat. It’s also a great opportunity for your staff to learn something about one another and better connect.
So without further adieu, let’s get our local on and check out twelve of the top nearby maple syrup tours.
Where to Go
You can swing by Babel’s Sugar Shack in Mason, NH and see WMUR’s Viewers Choice for Best Sugarhouse in 2021! Established in 2006, this 375 tap, family-run sugarhouse is full of charm. With a Seal of Quality from the State of New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, they invite the public to visit during Maple Weekend on Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20th from 10-3.
Up the road in Temple, NH you’ll find Ben’s Sugar Shack offering free, fun, and educational maple events every weekend throughout the month of March. Find out why maple syrup is called “liquid gold”, learn how reverse osmosis works to collect sap, and watch the syrup boiling. It’s mesmerizing! Don’t forget to stop by the big heated tent for sweet samples of maple flavored donuts, nuts, cotton candy, fudge, BBQ sauce, soda, ice cream!
Nearby in Harrisville, NH, Goosebrook Meadows Sugarhouse operates a family-owned, wood-fire evaporator in the shadow of Mount Monadnock. This quaint set up is a labor of love and pure passion for all things maple. Get your employees inspired in the kitchen with their recipe list!
For an authentic sugar operation, Maple Row Sugaring shows you how it’s done without all the bells and whistles. Call ahead and see if they’re boiling. They love talking about their craft and showing off the sugar shack. Stop by and your staff can stock their pantries with nature’s sweetest treat.
Also in Rindge, NH, Abe the Buffalo will be welcoming visitors to Fieldstone Farm Sugar House over Maple Weekend from 10-4 both days. Using an old fashioned wood fired arch as well as modern technology, they produce high caliber syrup for you to enjoy. With a NH Seal of Quality, you know your staff will love it!
Over in Antrim, NH, Old Pound Road Sugar House operates an old fashioned wood fired evaporator in a cozy, child friendly sugar shack. They welcome appointments anytime but will be open all of Maple Weekend from 10-4pm. Their crew invites your crew to enjoy the free hot coffee, syrup and sugar samples, but to please wear your mask within their COVID safe protocol.
For a truly memorable day, your staff can plan a family-friendly outing to Keene, NH’s Stonewall Farm’s Maple Madness event. The sugar house and sugar bush will be open for tours. Mill Hollow Works will be demonstrating woodworking skills. With hands-on activities for kids, hayrides, maple products, games and more, there’ll be lots to do for everyone! Entry is $5, and children under 4 get free entry.
Across the Connecticut River in West Brattleboro, the traditional wood-fired arch at Robb Family Farm is fired up every spring to slowly boil sap into syrup. Established in1906, six generations of farmers and 8,500 taps, maple sugaring here is a way of life. The gift shop is bursting with maple candy, cream, sugar, and syrup as well as their own farm raised beef.
Treat your team to breakfast at Stuart and John’s Sugar House. In Walpole, NH it’s well known for their pancake restaurant and ice cream parlor featuring their own Certified Organic maple syrup. They boast 10,000 taps producing over 2,500 gallons of maple syrup annually. If you see steam blowing from their sugarhouse, stop by and enjoy a tour!
Grand Monadnock Maple Farm, LLC is your quintessential New England experience with rustic charm overlooking stunning Mount Monadnock from Chesham, NH. With three decades of maple production under their belt, you’ll learn a ton on their tours! They offer educational visits Saturdays and Sundays in March, 10-4. Be sure to test your crew to see who was listening!
If your staff would enjoy a bit of extra cuteness, consider the sweet Crescendo Acres Farm. They raise alpacas for fiber as well as make their own maple products and grow christmas trees. They love having visitors to see their lovely alpacas, mini horses, chickens and pets. Stop by the farm shoppe to find all sorts of unique homemade, handcrafted local goodies. Your staff will be charmed by this adorable farm right here in Surry, NH.
Last but never least, Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm in Temple, NH raises a beautiful herd of dairy cows along with producing golden syrup to use in their homemade ice cream, as well as for sale. Your staff can celebrate NH Maple Weekend, see how syrup is made and stop by the dairy barn for some udder fun 10-4pm, Saturday and Sunday!
Have Fun!
At Masiello, we encourage you and your crew to get mad for maple this spring and take a tour of the best nearby sugar houses. Support local farms with an off-campus outing. Your staff can connect, relax, laugh and taste all the special flavors only found here. Ideas, collaboration and teamwork will flow like sap when your staff have a chance to blow off some steam, stick together, and enjoy a little sugar rush.