March Maple Syrup Challenge

In the northeast, we all know it's winter right now - just look outside and all you see is snow. It's been an old fashioned winter of sorts which is good (we hope) for us maple producers. After last year's "worst season on record" for our farm and most others in this area, we are hopeful that this very cold, snowy winter may help us produce a good crop of maple syrup.

Did you know that from the start of maple season to it's end, our climate goes from deep winter to spring. I love maple season because it heralds in spring and everything changes. Maple syrup is the only harvest that I know of that starts in winter and ends in spring, instead of starting in spring and ending in summer or fall.

So help us celebrate this sweet harvest by using maple syrup instead of sugar for the month of March this year. Throw out or put away all of your artificial sweeteners, refined sugars and corn syrups and only use maple syrup or maple sugar for one month. The health benefits are numerous as maple syrup does not cause a huge spike in insulin like refined sugars and corn syrups (don't listen to your dietician...they just don't know!). Maple syrup isn't a neuro toxin either unlike aspartame (how can our government condone use of this chemical that is known to kill animals, cause brain cancer and mess with our entire body?).

Maple syrup is one of the oldest sugars know to man. We don't do anything to it except boil water out of the sap concentrating the sugar making maple syrup. No processing with chemicals, no additives - just pure nature.

Take up the challenge and let me know how you feel. If you need help or want to talk about your March Maple Syrup Challenge, just e-mail me at mhfarmvcrb@wilblue.net - I'm here to help you! I'll be sending reminders to change your sweetener this March throughout this month!
Blessings,
Caroline