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This is our second fulltime job!
We’re a family of 6 who have discovered this as a great new way to enjoy and explore the wonders of nature. Kathy’s from suburban Chicago, so this is all new and fascinating for her. Paul is from New Hampshire, and his love for maple sugaring began many years ago when this was an experiment that he did in his mom’s kitchen…with nearly fatal results! We don’t recommend doing this indoors due to the impact it will have not only on the kitchen, it’s appliances and wallpaper, but on other parts of the house as well…talk to Paul’s mom for more details on that!
We have four kids: Siobhan, Meaghan & Kara Murphy and Kaleigh Boulanger. They started us in this hobby over a decade ago when Paul suggesed a trip to New Hampshire for Maple weekend. We visited several sugar houses, and the girls begged us to try this at home. So, we tapped the red maples we had on our property and boiled sap on the barbecue grill in our backyard. This has grown over the years to a more formal operation, complete with a professional evaporator and a sugar house.
We invest our time, money and passion to teach our children and now the greater Boston community, more about agriculture and some of the wonders of nature. Although 250 years ago life revolved around farming, today people rarely think beyond the grocery store. This hobby gives us the opportunity to get in touch with where our food comes from and to gain a greater appreciation for the wonders of nature. You will see us about town as we hang lines, tap trees and collect sap on a daily basis.
We would love to share this hobby with you, your family or a group you belong to. We run tours every weekend during season (typically the month of March) from 9am – 4pm. We’re located at 25 Turtle Lane in North Andover – second house on the right. When we boil we put a sign out at the intersection of Salem Street and Turtle Lane. We welcome visitors, so feel free to stop by if you’d like to see our operation. When you arrive, just park in the street and walk around the house to the backyard where you’ll see the sugar house. C’mon in and check it out!