words by Holly Hardwick
images by Alison Voisine
The third weekend in March officially kicks
off the maple season. Northern Maine
(from Presque Isle north) usually has
different ideas. While the maple trees start
to drip their sweet sap in southern Maine,
we still have to anxiously wait another two
weeks or so.
Steve and Holly Hardwick started the
adventure of making Maine’s liquid gold
in 2012 on their farm in Eagle Lake. “The
other side of the lake on the Sly Brook
Road” it is often described by Holly. When
the property was purchased in 2005,
developing the maple bush wasn’t on their
minds. The property has wonderful slopes,
running brooks, springs and best of all the
perfect ridge of maples to start. That was
the deal breaker when thinking of making
the investment and hard work to get it up
and running. A simple walking trail up
the ridge made the perfect gravity slope.
Holly told Steve “if there are 500 trees up
on this hill then we will start a backyard
sugar camp”. She was thinking hobby level,
a small investment of a 2x4 evaporator and
WINTER 2016
17