The Upper Tract Producers 4-H Club members recently celebrated Mountain State Maple Days by touring the M & S Maple Farm, LLC located in Upper Tract. Mark and Sarah Kimble own and operate this unique maple sugar farm on Mozer Road. They have about 2,000 taps currently collecting sugar water. Typically, they keep tap lines running for eight weeks. The sugar water is collected then heated, cooked, processed, and packaged.
Older members went on a walking field trip, and they were taught how to tap a tree properly. All members were given a tour of the facility and were able to taste several different maple products that are processed and packaged on the premise.
It takes 72 gallons of sugar water to make one gallon of maple syrup. Once syrup has been heated and ran through a filter, it is graded by the color it is. Syrup that is made earlier in the season is typically lighter in color, and syrup made near the end of the season is darker. All syrup has the same sugar content of 67 percent after being cooked.
The Kimbles make maple syrup, maple candy, maple crème, maple cotton candy, maple sugar, and maple apple butter. Their products are sold from the farm in Upper Tract, as well as, several retail stores, and they travel to festivals and sell items as a traveling vendor.
Submitted by Katie Keyser, club reporter
