It’s that time of year: freezing nights and warmer days. This is when the maple sap starts to flow and a young person’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of syrup. Come join us for a maple syruping workshop on March 3 in Cooksville, Wisconsin. We’ll be tapping the maple trees on the commons of this historic (and well-preserved) village. This is a kid-friendly workshop, if accompanied by an adult.
You’ll learn how to identify maple trees with and without leaves and how, when, and where to set a tap. We’ll discuss the traditional methods, from Native American practices, early European methods, and even modern tube taps. We’ll talk about doing this at home on the small-scale, too. You’ll get a chance to see just how much sap is needed to make a quart of syrup (spoiler alert: 15 gal). We’ll gather the sap and spend the rest of the class gathered around the syrup evaporator, sharing warm beverages and snacks. You’ll head home with a pint of syrup!
Workshop Details
This course will cover all aspects of basic maple sugaring. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing. We will be outside and the temperatures should be in the 30°Fs. The ground may be muddy. If you’re willing, you may be carrying buckets weighing up to 20–25 lb. Otherwise, we’ll provide the tools, equipment, beverages, and snacks.
The workshop will take place at the Low Technology Institute and Cooksville Commons on Mar. 3, 2018, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. We will keep the fires burning, though, and if you’d like to stay for dinner, we may end up having a potluck. You can reserve your spot by paying the workshop fee of $30 ($20 for members, memberships start at $35/year) or $10 for children 16 or under with an adult at our online store. If the course is sold out, please check out with the $0 “Waitlist” option to be added to the queue.
Scott Johnson is leading this course. A Bemidji, Minnesota native, his first experience with tapping maple trees was in a seventh grade Native American arts and language class. He has degrees in anthropology and archaeology and is equipped to discuss the history of maple sugaring. He is also the director of the Low Technology Institute and lives in Cooksville.
Please email us at lowtechinstitute@gmail.com with any questions about the workshop or logistics.
Sounds like a great event, love that you’re continuing to teach new generations about this craft. There’s nothing better than collecting sap out in the woods this time of year, we are grateful for it each year.