Full of Maple Grace

On March 25, 2018, Mainers all over the state traveled to family-owned farms to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of Maine Maple Sunday, a.k.a. Sugar Shack Sunday, and I was one of them. My only regret is that I waited thirty-five years to make the trip! Following the good advice of several friends, my husband and I left Bath at noon and traveled 30 minutes north to the Goranson Farm in Dresden. As soon as I glimpsed the maple trees at the side of the road and the sugar shack in the distance, I felt a rush of excitement. The Goranson Farm is owned and operated by Jan Goranson and Rob Johanson. Surrounded by beautiful fields, this gem of a farm was started by Jan’s mother and father, Geneva and Everett, in the 1960s. Today, it boasts state-of-the-art greenhouses, MOFGA certified organic vegetables, berries, meats and pure Maine maple syrup. And their sugar-shack tours draw a crowd! 

After finding a coveted parking space, we walked toward the farm and passed a row of maple trees sporting maple-sap buckets. I had to stop and take a picture. Then I aimed my camera at the open field to capture a panoramic view of tractors and farm equipment parked along the horizon. I had been anticipating the flavor of hot maple donuts, but I never expected the view to taste so good! This gray Sunday was beginning to glow. When I started to move again, I noticed the group of people walking in front of me, and I was struck by how they were dressed. Some were wearing heavy coats with warm woolen hats, and others were wearing light jackets or vests. Clearly, in the finicky month of March, there is only one rule: Wear boots! How I wish I was better at following rules! I looked down at my feet. In the land of big boots, I was wearing clog-like shoes, but I wouldn’t let a beginner’s mistake ruin my fun. In that moment, I discovered the true sweetness of Sugar Shack Sunday. I stepped in a muddy puddle and laughed out loud.

The line for the Sugar-Shack tour

On this sugar-high holiday, you’re allowed to indulge in hot maple donuts, cold maple sundaes, ginger cookies, and melt-in-your-mouth maple candy. And you're allowed to jump in puddles like a child. Who invented this Maine madness? I wanted to shout "Olé!" But then the sun went in, the wind kicked up, and we spotted the long line of people waiting to enter the sugar shack. It looked like a thirty-minute wait, and I uttered two little words, “Oh, no!” As we waited, an anonymous poem danced in my head: “Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can, seldom in a woman and never in a …” Joe said, “Let’s check out this greenhouse over here.” I felt disappointed as we left the line, but it was warm in the greenhouse, and it was refreshing to see those rows of young plants looking for the sun! All that green filled us with energy. And when we stepped outside, the line was shorter. A large group had just entered the shack, so we decided to try again. But this time I was fifth in line and feeling lucky! When we entered the shack, we found ourselves directly in front of a large wood-fired boiler and a metal bucket filled with hot maple syrup.

Rob Johanson at work

The man in charge turned around and introduced himself as Rob Johanson. The twinkle in his blue eyes reminded me of Paul Newman; then his clear and steady voice called for our attention. He started to explain how to make maple syrup, and his straight-forward delivery seemed to reach everyone. As I looked around the shack, I could see that little ones as young as three and four, and older ones as old as sixty and seventy were listening with their eyes and hearts wide open. It was a magical lesson - he even talked a little about the chemistry of sugars! As a newly retired teacher, I have to applaud Farmer Rob's ability to teach! Twenty minutes melted away, and then the doors opened, and we all departed feeling full of maple grace.

Out in the crisp air, we had two choices: Wait for the draft horses to return and go on a sleigh ride, or enter a greenhouse that was filled with live music and all kinds of maple delights. We chose the latter. In the sugar shack, Rob had recommended the free maple sundaes that his family would be serving next door. He assured us we wouldn’t be disappointed! He was right! At the greenhouse, Joe’s hat caught Jan Goranson’s eye. She shouted, “Hey, where did you get that United-Farmers-Market hat?” And Joe answered, “In Belfast!” And then we went over and explained that we lived in Bath, and usually shopped at the Bath Farmers Market, but as a Maine author I sometimes sold books at the Belfast market, which was the largest indoor farmers market in Maine. We chatted for a while about Maine’s bounty. Jan told us that she and her family sold their organic veggies, berries, and meat throughout the winter at three indoor markets: Bath, Brunswick and Portland. In the summer, they add Boothbay and Damariscotta. It’s no wonder Maine is a dining destination! Farmers here produce lots of good, fresh crops, and they have been farming for generations.

Jan's grandparents started their family's farming tradition in Aroostook County; in the 1960s her parents started growing high quality potatoes in Dresden. Today, Jan and Rob, along with their sons, Carl and Goran, are producing the best organic crops possible. They are also committed to solar energy, and for five seasons they’ve been using their draft horses in the field. All of that natural goodness was evident last Sunday. Goranson Farm was so naturally good that we didn’t want to leave. To sweeten our departure, Joe wanted to take a picture of me on a tractor. That was a first, and I have the photo to prove it. For one glorious Sunday afternoon in March, I felt like I was living a farmer’s dream! 

The Goranson Farm in Dresden, Maine