Maple Weekend in Reber!

RRF draft horses pulling a cart with sugar sap (Credit: Racey Bingham) — Reber Rock Farm draft horses pulling a cart with a barrel of sap on its way to the evaporator… (Credit: Racey Bingham)

Maple Brook Farm and Reber Rock Farm will be opening their doors to visitors Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30th from 10am to 2pm both days.

Maple Brook Farm has raised cattle and produced maple syrup for generations. After installing new lines in an old part of the sugar bush they have increased production this year. The wood fired evaporator has a super efficient steam hood, and boils hundreds of gallons of syrup a year. Many families bring their sap to this Sugar House to be boiled under the watchful eye of Essex’s Highway Superintendent, Bradley French and his son Michael (aka Frenchy). Their Sugar House is well-known as a community gathering spot during sugaring season, where good food and cheer (and sometimes music!) is plentiful.

Reber Rock Farm is a diversified, horse-powered farm, just west of Maple Brook Farm. Reber Rock was once part of Maple Brook Farm, and raised laying hens and a dairy. Draft horses were a constant feature of the farm 60 years ago, and are now back. Reber Rock uses the horses to produce beef, pork, chicken, turkey, vegetables, sunflower oil, and a variety of small grain crops for sale in the farm store and for pre-ordering. Check out their website for details on what they grow: www.reberrockfarm.com.

Bottles of Reber Rock Farm syrup ready to go. (Credit: Racey Bingham)

Maple Weekend Activities

Maple Weekend activities will include:

Horse-drawn wagon rides around both farms
Maple Cream and Syrup tasting
Wood-fired evaporator demonstration

All Reber Rock Farm Store products will be 10% off on Saturday and Sunday. The store is open 7-days a week from 8am to 6pm.

Horse-drawn wagon rides will start at 10:30 and make loops around Maple Brook Farm until 12:00pm when the wagon will head over to Reber Rock Farm.

Take a look at some more photos from around Reber Rock Farm below. (Click to see larger.)

Chad caring for RRF horses (Credit: Racey Bingham)

Jars of delicious Reber Rock Farm syrup (Credit: Racey Bingham)

RRF horses enjoying some fresh hay (Credit: Racey Bingham)

Reber Rock Farm Fotofeed #5: Getting Ready for Sugar (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Reber Rock Farm’s Nathan Henderson’s “Drafting a Future” Radiostory (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Reber Rock Farm Fotofeeds #1 (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Reber Rock Farm Fotofeed #4: Year in Review (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Reber Rock Farm Fotofeeds #3 (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Reber Rock Farm

Reber Rock Farm is an 88-acre draft powered farm on the southern edge of the Reber Valley in Essex, NY. Using our draft horses for the majority of the field preparation, cultivation and harvesting we produce maple syrup, grassfed beef, pasture raised pork, chicken and turkey, herbs, Thanksgiving vegetables, and a variety of value added products including sunflower oil, popcorn and cornmeal, tomato sauce, dilly scapes and soap. Learn more at www.reberrockfarm.com and on Facebook and Twitter.