WALTON - On a brisk Sunday during Maple Weekend, members of Walton’s 4-H group, the Crafty Explorers, stepped inside the workings of a local sugarhouse, where sap becomes syrup and a seasonal ritual unfolds in steel tanks and rising steam.
At Brookside Maple and Farm, Micha and Matt Scobie guided the group through their operation, explaining how sap from roughly 5,000 tapped trees is filtered and boiled into syrup. The students were shown the equipment used in each stage of production, including the reverse osmosis system that removes excess water and impurities before the sap reaches the evaporator.
The visit offered a close look at both the scale and precision of modern maple production, where tradition meets technology in the span of a few rooms.
After the tour, the lesson gave way to something more immediate: fresh waffles topped with strawberries and cinnamon apples, finished with warm maple syrup produced on-site. The group also sampled maple milk, a sweet variation on a familiar staple.
For the young participants, the afternoon connected the region’s agricultural heritage to the food on their plates - a seasonal experience rooted as much in community as in craft.
