Check out this article from MDAR, who visited the Maple Corner Farm, owned and operated by HHCD Chair, Leon Ripley, and HHCD board member Joyce Ripley –
To celebrate the dawn of a new agricultural season in Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey is declaring March to be Massachusetts Maple Month in the Commonwealth. To celebrate, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner John Lebeaux, state and local officials, and representatives from the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association today visited Maple Corner Farm in Granville to raise awareness of the Commonwealth’s maple sugar industry and to encourage residents to purchase locally produced maple products.
“Our Administration stands in support of our maple sugar producers who, for generations, have contributed to the bounty of Massachusetts agriculture by providing jobs to over a thousand workers, contributing over $15 million to the local economy, and maybe most importantly, producing the freshest tasting maple syrup and other maple products,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We encourage everyone to visit a local sugar house this month to learn more about the process of making maple syrup, enjoy a hearty breakfast complete with Massachusetts maple syrup, and purchase some bottles to take home.”
“The production of maple sugar products in the Commonwealth yields enormous benefit to the maintenance and preservation of open space,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Aside from the delicious products that they make, maple sugar farms protect over 15,000 acres of woodland. In addition, thanks to MDAR grants, maple sugar farmers have installed updated and environmentally friendly equipment to lower their energy usage and production costs, making them more energy efficient and sustainable.”
The visit to Maple Corner Farm included a tour of their facility along with a ceremonial tapping of a maple tree to commemorate the official start of the sugaring season. Owners Leon K. Ripley and Joyce M. Ripley and their sons have been running the farm since 1982. The Ripley family has been farming the land for eight generations going back to 1812. Once a beef and dairy operation, the farm now produces hay, pure maple syrup, and maple products, as well as pick-your-own blueberries. From mid-February through mid-April, their sugar house is open to the public where visitors can watch maple sap being boiled into maple syrup. On weekends during the maple sugaring season, they serve breakfast from 8:00AM to 2:00PM. Maple syrup, maple candy, maple cream, and homemade jam, jelly, and fruit butters are available for sale year-round. For the current fiscal year, Maple Corner Farm received a total of $40,500 in Climate Smart Agriculture Program grants for the installation of updated energy-efficient equipment.