March 7-8th is recognized by the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association as Maple Weekend, making it the time when many sugarhouses start producing their first batches of syrup for the season. It is only fitting, then, that this week’s farmer spotlight is on North Hadley Sugar Shack. Operated by the Boisvert family, the North Hadley Sugar Shack has been producing maple syrup for nearly 30 years. While Joe Boisvert handles the production side of the business, his wife Shelly takes care of the restaurant side. The family produces, packs, and ships everything on location in Hadley, MA. In addition to selling out of their market and local stores, North Hadley Sugar Shack sells their syrup wholesale across New England and beyond. The farm has become an agri-destination, offering educational demos, tours, and tastings primarily during the maple sugar season.
The sugaring season in western Massachusetts begins around mid-February and continues into April. Tapping starts when the daytime temperatures start to rise above freezing and the nights continue to freeze. At this time, the Boisverts head to the woods with drills, buckets, and a pipeline to gather sap from the sugar maple trees. By March, there is a constant flow of sap from the 5000 taps, supplying a daily average of 2,500 gallons of raw sap. A 24/7 wood-fired evaporator boils down the raw sap into pure maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of pure maple syrup. When the sap reaches 219 and a half degrees and measures to 68% sugar content, it’s officially maple syrup. It is then graded and ready for eating. UMass purchases maple syrup year-round from North Hadley Sugar Shack!
