Our Story

All Natural Organic Maple syrup made from trees on our Vermont dairy farm with power made from our cows! It doesn't get any sweeter than that.  Our story began in the late 1800's with our grandfathers gathering the sap from the maple trees in the wooded pasture that their cows grazed with horses and sleds. It has been our family's tradition we are proud to continue as we tap our maple trees nestled deep in the Green Mountains of northern Vermont.  Our roots continue to grow with four generations all residing on the farm where our maple syrup is produced.   

We began our own personal journey in 1986 where Mark, in high school, tapped his father's (Papa Bert) sugarbush and began boiling the sap in the garage at St Pierre farm.  We moved to a sugarhouse on the Canadian border in 1993 where we joined with family friends and expanded the sugarbush.  Our current site was purchased in 2009 which was closer to our farm. In 2006 our dairy farm became the 2nd farm digester in the state to produce power from our cows.  This renewable energy provides electricity for our sugarhouse.   Our three teenage children (at the time) helped gather and cut firewood to burn in the sugarhouse.  As the kids left to attend college we enlisted the help of our neighbor; Master Boiler, Hilaire Beauregard.  Over the past two years, our now adult kids have all returned to the farm and have continued the family tradition of gathering the nectar of the trees and turning it into the sweet organic syrup we offer today.  In 2018, we were pleased that the fourth generation was born and will be able to be raised on our farm and learning about this family tradition. 

While our methods have changed to more modern and progressive technology we remain committed to making Certified Organic Maple Syrup and All Natural Maple Products.  We offer 100% satisfaction guaranteed or money back.  We take pride in offering reasonable priced Vermont Maple Products made with renewable energy.   

 

THE PROCESS BEHIND GREEN POWER

In the past, manure was pumped to large open pits. Methane given off by the manure escaped into the air. The smell escaped, too, especially when manure was spread on fields as fertilizer. Anaerobic digesters, also called methane digesters, solve both problems. Manure is swept from dairy barns by automated floor scrapers and goes down pipes into the digester, an insulated tank sunk most of the way into the ground. The digester, which holds about three weeks' worth of manure, contains bacteria similar to those in a cow's stomach. The tank is heated to 101 degrees which cooks the manure. The methane given off is piped away to two fuel generators named "Jim" and "Brian". What remains is separated into soft, odorless mulch similar to peat moss and liquid. The mulch is used as bedding for the cows instead of sawdust, saving on an increasing sawdust bill. Extra mulch is sold as garden fertilizer and also supplements the farm's bottom line. The liquid is pumped into the old manure lagoons and then spread on fields as fertilizer, just as raw manure is on other farms. The thinner liquid soaks into the ground more efficiently than raw manure and minimizes runoff from fields into waterways. Also, the neighbors are happy as it doesn't smell!

 

THE DAIRY DILEMMA

Farmers in the Cow Power program still pay for the electricity they use on the farm, but they produce more than they use, selling what they produce to the electric company. Folks are able to contribute to the "Cow Power" program, supporting the digesters in Vermont already producing power and those that are developing them—visit CVPS.com for more information. Vermont's open farm fields and the impressive views are what Cow Power buyers want to preserve. The rural landscape is a non-renewable resource.

 

A WAY OF LIFE

For the land to remain undeveloped by a farmer it needs to provide them with a living. Young people are more likely to leave the farm for other occupations then in generations past, which is partially due to the constant struggle to succeed and not drown in debt. Milk prices in the past have been cyclical in nature on a 36-month rollercoaster ride. A farmer used to pass his farm on to the younger members of the family and remain taken care of—no 401k plan for them. Without that option, the choices are slim trying to find another farmer to buy up the land or sell it for development. Farming is a unique and positive way of life that can only be retained by getting a fair price for the products produced.