My darlin’ neighbors down the road have lived in their home for forty years. Now retired, Ken and Karen Mackenzie are known about town for the amazing maple syrup they bottle. Each year, we can’t wait to see smoke coming out of the top of the “Mackenzie Sugar House”. This year, they graciously invited me to be their apprentice in the process. Inspired again by MaryJane, I was thrilled at the chance to cross something off my “bucket” list, pardon the pun.
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Such a wonderful experience! It’s a LOT warmer here in Texas!
All of that said, I would absolutely love to taste the home made finished product. It has to be amazing!
Harry, thanks so much for reading! I will tell you that Ken and Karen’s maple syrup is to die for! – Nicole
Nicole–nice article! A few additions–the maple season can last into April in northern VT, NH,ME and usually begins later as well. Pure maple syrup is a great cooking and baking ingredient–check out http://www.vermontmaple.org for some delicious recipes! You can also use maple syrup in place of sugar in your favorite recipes by using the conversion information on the http://www.vermontmaple.org site.
Happy sugaring!
-Thanks for the tip, Catherine. -Nicole
Wow! Sounds like fun! I live in Georgia and have a friend who does "Syrup Making" on Thanksgiving Day. The syrup is made from sugar cane stalks. It is quite an undertaking also. The reward is the Cane Syrup that is popular in this area.
Sounds great! What a neat Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing! -Nicole
Hi Nicole, interesting article. What great neighbors to have-love that they shared this experience with you. I enjoy reading your articles and just noticed a big coincidence -I will be joining you for soup this Saturday-how exciting! I have to go find or sew that apron.
-Hi Barb, yes, it’s me! Looking forward to meeting you Saturday! -Nicole
Hey there! That looks like so much fun!!! Maybe I can help next year!!!
Best, Sue
I so enjoyed reading this. Would be so special to be involved with the whole process and be able to hold up a pint of syrup and say "I made this!" Well, with the help of the trees, of course! 🙂
What a wonderful experience, Nicole; thanks so much for sharing! I was wondering if I might be able to purchase a bottle when I visit Saturday?? xoxo
According to Ken, the trees are not done being "tapped"; then the sap wll have to be boiled down. Check back in a couple of weeks – I will include Ken’s contact information when I write the next sugaring ‘installment". (Ali, you probably drive right by his place when you come to the sisterhood meetings at my house). Hugs! -Nicole
That looks so neat. Something to look into. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nicole,
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog! It looks like a very intense process…I never realized just how much work goes into getting to the end result- the delicious maple syrup. I actually just got a book out from my local library today titled "The Backyard Homestead" and one of the chapters includes information on "maple sugaring". I thought perhaps I would experiment with it, but after reading how much goes into the process I think I may just study up on it this year and perhaps better prepare for it for next year!
Thank you again for the lovely blog…I loved seeing the pictures, and your warm farmgirl smile!
Warm Regards,
Laurie
Thanks so very much Laurie! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Remember to check back in a few weeks for the second part! -Nicole
What a wonderful article! Having lived in Quebec for many years, I went to many cabane a sucres; when the sap was boiled about halfway down, we would fill a mug with the "pot liquor" and top it off with a little rum. That warmed us up a lot while waiting for the real syrup to be boiled down.
Thank you!
For anyone who would like to try sugaring on a small scale, go to http://www.tapmytrees.com where you can by kits. Also, I understand the same kits may be available at some Lowes and Tractor Supply stores.
Ken
-Thanks, Ken! And thank you again for a wonderful day! See you and Karen soon!
-Nicole
It is so nice to see such a great article on Ken’s operation. Having been a part of the process for the past 14 years or so, I can attest to the hard work he puts in (which starts by splitting cords of wood in the spring) and the long hours at the evaporator. It is so worth it though as he makes the best syrup around! My kids can always tell it’s not Grandpa’s syrup when we run out. I hope to meet you when the boiling begins!
-Thank you for reading! We are spoiled by his syrup…it does taste better than what I find in stores! Looking forward to meeting you, too. -Nicole
Love the story Nicole!! What a great experience to be a part of. I have a better appreciation of how this is made now. Keep up all the great stories.
Karen
When my children were toddlers we tapped the Maple trees in the yard. After boiling a bucket of sap, bugs and dirt, I swapped out the syrup with some from a bottle. The kids still think we "made" our own syrup. hahaha. I did all the work but did not want to sift through the junk. It was time consuming but worth it! The kids still talk about it 9 years later and want to tap our current trees.
Lauren, how funny! Thanks for sharing! -Nicole
Nicole, you are so lucky to have this experience. We were in Indiana last week and went to the Parke County Maple Syrup Festival. The camp roads were all muddy and not having 4 wheel drive we didn’t take the chance of getting stuck, so didn’t get to see the operations. We did, however, have a pancake breakfast with absolutely wonderful Parke County Syrup. It sure beats anything you can buy in the store.
–Sounds like alot of fun at the festival! Keep posted…I’ll have more to share on this subject in a few weeks. -Nicole