Kettle Ridge Farm Driving Tour
WHAT’S THE HISTORY OF KETTLE RIDGE FARM?
This beautiful 11-acre property was purchased in 2014 to become our maple and honey farm. The farm’s owner (Joe) first learned to make maple syrup at his home five years earlier, after a 30-year career as an accountant. His son (Chris) came on board in 2015 as full-time farm manager, after his own stint in advertising and marketing. Two more employees (Justin and Jarred) have joined the staff, and we’re also fortunate to have a large number of wonderful volunteers helping out at various events.
WHY THE NAME “KETTLE RIDGE”?
Just look around. You will see some of the steep wooded “ridges” that characterize this area. The “kettles” are the ponds and swamps that were formed by the retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago. Ice chunks were left behind and eventually melted to form these kettles. The swamp just beyond the edge of the parking area is a spectacular example, and is home to many snapping turtles, peeper frogs, birds and dragonflies.
I CAN SEE BLUE TUBING ON SOME OF THE TREES. WHAT’S THAT FOR?
We collect sap from nearly 2,000 maple trees for 6 to 8 weeks each year beginning in January. The blue plastic tubing carries the sap by gravity from the trees to our collection tanks. From there the sap is pumped to our sugarhouse to be processed into pure maple syrup. Every year we replace the spouts and sanitize the tubing to maintain the quality of the sap.
WHAT ARE THOSE FUNNY-LOOKING GEOMETRIC WHITE THINGS ON THE LEFT?
We have four “igloos” that are utilized in January through March for our “Sugarmaker’s Igloo Brunches”. A table for six is placed in each igloo and a five-course brunch is served. We’ve removed the clear plastic covers from the igloos for the rest of this year, but during the winter when they are on they will heat up the igloo just like a greenhouse. Lots of fun, especially when there is snow on the ground!
IS THE LAWN AREA USED FOR ANYTHING?
Absolutely. “Dinner(s) Under the Moon” are farm-to-table dinner events with delicious locally sourced foods. One hundred guests sit at a long table set up on the lawn, enjoying each other’s company, the food and drink, and live music. The lawn area is also where our artisan and food vendors set up each September for KettleFest. KettleFest is a day-long affair that also features live music, chicken races, and demonstrations of cooking and woodcarving.
WHAT’S THE STORY WITH THAT LARGE, OLD, METAL SHED ON THE RIGHT?
Several decades ago, this property housed a sawmill as well as a horse and dog breeding business. The shed was utilized in the sawmill operation. We now use it for equipment storage , but some day may renovate it as part of our meadery. However, we are not all in agreement: some of us think the shed is rather ugly and should be torn down, while others feel it is beautiful, albeit rustic, and should be preserved. What do you think?
WHAT IS THAT BIG NEW BARN GOING TO BE USED FOR?
We are excited about this newest project of ours – the Sugarhouse—to be completed by summer. It will be used for the production of maple syrup and processing of honey, but just as importantly will house a fully-equipped production kitchen for maple candy and various other confections and sauces. We will also use the Sugarhouse as a visitor center and tasting room, complete with bathrooms. Group tours, brunches, and other events will be accommodated here. The smaller pole barn just ahead of you will become our wood shop where we will craft our farm tables, beehive boxes, and other items.
WHERE ARE YOUR BEEHIVES?
Look to the left as you pass the food truck and you will see some of our honey bee hives. Each hive grows from just a few thousand honey bees in the winter to over 50,000 in the summer. We collect honey from the hives three times during the summer and fall, with each batch having its own distinctive flavor depending on which wildflowers and trees the bees are collecting nectar from. Unlike wasps and yellow jackets, honey bees are not aggressive when they are away from their hives, and won’t try to sting unless they feel threatened as their boxes are being opened up. The hive boxes were all painted by kids during KettleFest (empty of bees, of course!).
I WANT TO SEE THE RACING CHICKENS!
Well here they are on your left: the famous KettleFest racing chickens! They are really just a bunch of normal, friendly hens that we get to race through the wire chicken tunnel (or “chunnel”) during KettleFest. Kids pick out their favorite chicken and win a prize if their chicken wins the race. Hundreds of people will line the race course with a lot of laughing and shouting.
WAS LOG CABIN ROAD NAMED AFTER THE LOG CABIN I SEE ON THE LEFT?
Most definitely not. There was at least one other well-known log cabin on this road many years before ours was built in the 1970s. But ours may be the only remaining log cabin on Log Cabin Road, so we appreciate the name! Chris lives here now with his wife and young daughter.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING YOUR MAPLE SYRUP?
Our current sugarhouse is the converted garage to your left as you drive down around the bend. From the front of the building you can peek back and view the large evaporator where sap is boiled down. With our modern equipment we are able to process one thousand gallons of sap (producing around 20 gallons of maple syrup) in a four or five-hour session. After the maple syrup comes off the evaporator we pump it through the filter press on the table to remove all sediment. Before bottling, maple syrup is graded as either golden, amber, dark, or very dark. Each grade of syrup goes through the exact same process and has the exact same sugar content, but the taste is very different!