Explore: Maple Sugaring

Gathering by the Sugar Shack

March 18, 2026

Gaining Ground’s mission to nourish neighbors experiencing food insecurity has always been fueled by community: the donors, volunteers, and partners who help make this work possible. Gaining Ground maintains a small traditional maple syrup operation and, each year, maple season brings the Gaining Ground community together. Over 100 supporters of all ages gathered for an […]

Recipe: Maple Salad Dressing

Pure maple syrup is a rich source of antioxidants and minerals such as manganese, zinc, iron, and calcium. The caramel flavor in maple syrup adds a rich complexity to the flavor of this tangy dressing.

Sugaring Season Brings Abundance and Community Back to the Farm

March 3, 2022 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager

A common refrain on the farm these past weeks has been how quickly the winter is passing.  The cold season in New England can seem to stagger on without end. But with bustling harvests taking place on the farm through November—and continuing at a reduced pace all winter long—even the grizzliest weeks of snow and […]

A Gift from the Sugar Maples

May 3, 2021 • Christine Savage, Communications Manager

Last year, because of the pandemic, our Maple Sugaring Open House in early March was the only public event we were able to hold at Gaining Ground for the entire season. This year, we had to cancel the big celebration entirely.  Even when so much changes, though, we take heart that many things remain the […]

Wonderful Day for Maple Sugaring Open House

March 25, 2020

Over 150 adults and children ventured to Gaining Ground on Saturday afternoon, March 7th to learn how the farmers boil maple sap into syrup and to enjoy a warm fire and some maple taste treats. Visitors compared our syrup, cooked over a wood fire, to Vermont maple syrup, cooked over propane and to Log Cabin […]

Maple Sugaring Open House

February 20, 2019

Sadly, we are canceling our Maple Sugaring Open House on Saturday, March 2nd and will not be rescheduling this year. If you mentioned our event to others, please pass along this update. Because of this week’s weather, we do not have sap to boil. Also, Saturday’s forecast is for rain/mixed snow, less than favorable conditions […]

2017 Maple Sugaring Open House

March 8, 2017

Our March 4, Maple Sugaring Open House landed on a day with frigid temperatures. It was too windy to twirl the popular maple sugar cotton candy, but the boiling sap in the sugar shack provided steamy warmth for over 50 supporters and friends. Some sampled Gaining Ground’s syrup and honey, then compared them to store-bought […]

Short and Sweet: Sugaring Season 2015

February 16, 2015

Because of this year’s extreme cold combined with 110 inches of record-breaking snow, maple sugaring was late to start and slow-going. For the first time, our open house was cancelled entirely. Spring finally broke through in mid-March with sap flowing irregularly. Kayleigh and Doug collected from 200 buckets in Concord, but the extreme conditions prevented […]