The Sugar Shanty

Please note: This post is originally from March 2009.


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"The Sugar Shanty"
Making Maple Syrup has been a family tradition for 6 generations in the Maple Woods. Its tucked in the woods about one mile north of SwissLane Farms.


This year we have 1,500 taps.


Yup! That means we have to empty 1,500 buckets on the days that the sap runs!
The best Maple Syrup weather is below freezing at night and above 45 during the day.

Luckily, lots of neighbors and friends like to enjoy the oudoors and lend a hand:) We empty the buckets into 5 gallon pails and then dump them into the barrels that the tractor pulls through the woods.





We pump the sap from the barrels into the Evaporating Pan. It takes 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of Syrup.



So, we have to evaporate all the water out of the sap.Once most of water is evaporated out, we let it into the Finishing Pan.

The fresh sap pushes the more dense sap through the partitions. See the steam there, the smell of the sap evaporating is the best!

The Shanty is pretty High-tech now. When the sap reaches 219 degrees its SYRUP! This automatically opens the valve and dumps the syrup into a can. It shuts the valve when it drops to 218.9 degrees.

It takes a pretty hot fire to make all that syrup.


We have so many big strong guys in the family to cut wood and build fire. This is Cousin Fritz taking a turn.


The syrup needs to be filtered after is comes off the pan.


This is Gramps at his canning post. So far this season he has canned 170 gallons. Last year was a record setting year with a total of 400 gallons.

You have to work for your water back in the woods!

Here is Cousin Tommy pumping water from the well to wash the filters.

This is Uncle Tom cranking the filter through the antique wringer then he'll hang it out to dry the rest of the way.

The cuisine is one of the best aspects of Maple Syrup season. You can't beat hotdogs boiled in sap on the old Woodstove!

Ronnie and Gretl trying to keep the fire going. Luckily, we only have to be Pioneer Women a few weeks out of the year.

Brad is just one of the many friends that comes to join in the fun (and work). We pay all helpers with a sap-dog and all the syrup they can drink in one night.

The tradition of measuring the kids on the door of the Shanty lives for another generation.

Joanna (9 years old; my oldest) getting measured. If you look close you can see one of my marks on the door next to her. She is taller than me at 10!


All that work makes for some pretty tired (and dirty) kids. I am so thankful that we have this opportunity to teach our kids to appreciate nature and the miracle of Maple Syrup!

Backyard Chickens: Beware of Activist Groups

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.

There is so much going on right now.Governor Granholm has proposed cutting Michigan State Extension funding (never mind that Agriculture was the only bright spot in the state's economy last year). http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090220/NEWS01/902200333/1002 Obama going after direct payments that were already debated on and passed in last fall's Farm Bill. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE51O6Z420090225Milk Prices, too much rain to fertilize, and to top it all off we are right in the heart of Maple Syrup Season.So it took a bit of thinking about what I should blog about today. My choice was easy after one little incident yesterday.My aunt raises chickens in her backyard and is a fan of a radio show called "The Chicken Whisperer". The goal is to teach listeners how, even in urban areas, to raise Backyard Chickens. I researched the website yesterday and after going through a few different links I came across some information about how much better Backyard Chickens are than "Factory Farm" chickens. Then I found a link to Farm Sanctuary. This activist group along with the Humane Society of the United States(http://www.consumerfreedom.com/article_detail.cfm/article/184), PETA, and many anti-agriculture groups all promote Veganism. The mission of these groups is a clear one: abolish all animal agriculture in the United States. They don't care if it comes from the backyard or a factory. So, I took it upon myself to let the website manager know my concerns. Here is my email to him:
Hello.My aunt is a fan of the Chicken Whisperer. I consider myself an ambassador for Agriculture and love that the Chicken Whisperer is encouraging others to participate in food production.I was surprised and a little discouraged when researching your site and was linked to Farm Sanctuary (through the Battery Hens link). The agenda of this group is clear. They promote and encourage Veganism. Supporting efforts of this and other anti-agriculture activists groups will not only put and end to "Factory Farms" but eventually the entire animal agriculture industry (including Backyard Chickens). The time has come for ALL farms- big and small -to come together and promote animal agriculture in the United States.I support and encourage your efforts to help others take an active role in agriculture.
I really believe that it is great that some farmers (Organic, Natural, etc..) can benefit from niche marketing. My fear is that in doing this "my product is better than yours" marketing that we (animal agriculture and consumers) will all suffer the consequences. This Backyard Chicken movement is really exciting. Getting city people involved in agriculture is great. But the message that they are sending is wrong.Lets say that one of their customers is in a state that has an initiative on their ballot in 2010 to vote on the size of chicken cages. They will most likely vote to give the chickens more space. This sounds very reasonable. The problem with this legislation is that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other activist groups are behind it. Their deceptive lobbying will have an effect on generations to follow. One ballot proposal at a time, they will eliminate "Factory Farming" (SwissLane Dairy included) and won't stop until we aren't even allowed to have PETS!!! No. I am not exaggerating. Check out the PETA link below.
http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/humane-society-ohio-here-wecome/11339.html
http://www.peta.org/campaigns/ar-petaonpets.asp
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/article_detail.cfm/article/184
Hopefully, you have already checked out the Farm and Dairy link above. You are probably thinking that this legislation is about chickens, pigs, and veal and has nothing to do with my dairy farm. What is happening when this kind of legislation is passed is it is giving more power to the activist groups. They passed the battery cage and gestation crate proposal (Prop. 2) in California in November. On a commercial to promote Prop 2 it shows a cartoon of a baby calf being torn away from the mother and locked in a hutch. The HSUS is already seeking to pass regulation against tail-docking (which most California producers have already fazed out).
Lets all make sure that we can see the forest for the trees when it comes time to vote.

Pondering the Raw Milk Debate

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.

The Economic EMERGENCY (this is what our local TV station calls it anyway) has made us really think about cutting back. One of the easy things for my family to cut out of our grocery bill is milk. With my 3 kids ,and their love for milk,we can go through about 4 gallons per week. Instead of paying for it at the store, Jerry and I decided to start getting it out of the tank at the farm. I grew up on raw milk and I do attribute my amazing health and big biceps to it! But to tell you the truth, when it came to giving it to my kids for the first time last month I had some reservations.Now don't get me wrong, I am very proud of the quality of the milk from SwissLane dairy cows. Actually, our Somatic Cell Count numbers (quality indicator) have been amazing for the past 5 years and just keep getting better! If I were going to give any raw milk to my children it would have to come out of the tanks at our farm.I am a firm believer in bacteria. I think that the contributing factors to increases in allergies is due to our food supply being too clean, and excessive use of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products. I do not believe that the answer to this is selling raw milk at Meijer or your local grocery. We need to remember that there is a reason for these regulations being in place. If I am going to sell a product to the general public, I want to know that it is the best quality possible and have 100% confidence in it. With pasteurization we can have that confidence.There are several farms that have capitalized on people's belief in raw milk. They sell shares of their cows to customers so the customer is paying for caretakeing of the cow and not for the milk. I think this is a great opportunity for farmers. However, I do not agree with this article that I copy/pasted below. The farmer did not obey the law and should be punished. I am proud of the reputation that the dairy industry works so hard to make for milk in this country. If science and experience support pasteurization, I am thankful that the government will step in and ensure the integrity of our milk supply and the Dairy Industry.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-nutrition2-2009mar02,0,4757880.storyhttp://www.feedstuffsfoodlink.com/

Dear Friend,
In spite of the efforts of Big Dairy and their pals in state houses across the U.S., raw milk's popularity continues to grow. But now it seems that the gloves have come off in this fight. Recently, a Pennsylvania farmer was arrested – literally handcuffed and led away by state police – because he was selling raw milk. As hard as this is to believe, somehow I'm not surprised. Mark Nolt, a Mennonite farmer, has since been found guilty and fined $4,040 for his "crimes." The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture dropped the hammer on Nolt and closed his business after he declined to renew his permit to sell raw milk. "They swooped in … like a bunch of Vikings, handcuffed me, and stole $30,000 worth of my milk, cheese, and butter," Nolt said. It sounds like he was farming weapons-grade plutonium, doesn't it? But I'm sure that in a state with a large agricultural base, Big Dairy has an incredibly powerful lobby in Pennsylvania, and they chose to make an example out of Nolt. It seems that Nolt was the victim of a Department of Agriculture sting: Pennsylvania DoA employees testified at the trial that they'd purchased raw milk and products made from raw milk from Nolt at his stand at an area farmer's market at least three times in 2007. At least 60 supporters protested outside of the Cumberland County Pennsylvania courthouse while the conviction came down. I'm gratified that there was at least some stink made about this incident. Granted, 60 protesters isn't exactly a throng, but hopefully the needless Gestapo tactics employed will help stir some needed anger about this issue. Jonas Stoltzfus, president of the Pennsylvania Independent Consumers and Farmers Association put it best when he said of the Nolt protest, "This issue has very little to do with raw milk and health, and everything to do with freedom."Amen to that.Raw milk is one of my pet causes. The stuff is loaded with health benefits. It's got lots of vitamin D, and it also contains probiotics, good bacteria that aid digestion and can attack and destroy harmful pathogens. But in spite of its many upsides, raw milk is a tough sell for many people because of Big Dairy propaganda. That the federal government and the majority of states prohibit the sale of raw milk to the public is nothing new. But the iron- fisted tactics used against Nolt represent a dark turn in this battle. Keep reading…The All-American tradition that could save your heart It's one of the most maligned foods on the planet, but this concession stand staple can do wonders for your heart, brain, and lungs. It's all because of one key ingredient, which studies have shown to be able to nearly triple blood flow. It's the tastiest way I know of to prevent or even cure heart attacks, pulmonary hypertension, sickle cell anemia, and stroke.For years, the knock on raw milk from public health bureaucrats is that it's responsible for sickening hundreds with bacterial illnesses such as salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and others. But this is patently untrue. In fact, as I've told you, recent milk-related outbreaks of Listeria and E. coli that caused illness and even death were caused by pasteurized milk, not raw milk (typically, the health officials didn't have much of an explanation for this). But the FDA and the CDC never let the facts get in the way of a good story. I think that the Nolt incident will rile up more than just fellow raw milk advocates. Stoltzfus likened Nolt to Rosa Parks, saying Nolt "believes it is his right to sell, according to the constitution, just like it was Rosa Park's right to sit wherever she wanted on the bus." I'll be following this story to see if this particular injustice will help garner more support for the right to produce, buy, and consume raw milk. Raw-nerved about the government crackdown on raw milk, William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

Milk, Manure, and Maple Syrup in March

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.

It is finally starting to feel like Spring at SwissLane!
Yesterday the guys got the Planter and Strip Tiller out to start getting ready to plant.
Jerry, Nate and Ryan have been spreading manure to fertilize the feilds and empty the pits.
At the Milk Improvement Meeting we talked about milk prices, quality and nutrition.
With milk prices about half of what they were at this time last year, things have been a little stressful around the farm. After some creative thinking we have been able to cut feed costs a little bit but this is always a risk. One little change can completely change the quality and amount of milk from the cow. Fortunately, we have an awesome team that knows their cows. This past month, even with the feed changes, quality and production have improved! The milk prices, not so much.
The most exciting thing about March at SwissLane is Maple Syrup! This is a family tradition that started with my great-great grandpa. I am not sure if the family obsession with Swiss Pancakes lead to the Maple Syrup making or the Maple Syrup making obsession lead to the Swiss Pancakes! Chicken and Egg kind of thing I guess!!

A Note to My Vegetarian Friend

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.
I had a chance to meet up with some old friends this past weekend. I know this is cheesy but: "Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold." I like to think the relationship that I have with my high school friends is really unique. Last year was our 10 year reunion and we celebrated by opening the Time Capsule that we made in 1997 right before graduation. The 8 of us have come a long way but the memories that we made at Lowell High created a friendship that will last a lifetime.As we chatted the other night, the conversation took a turn that I never expected. One of my friends is a vegetarian. Our conversation was cut short that night and I had so much more to say. I couldn 't stop myself from making sure that she understands a farm girl's prospective on the issue. Here is my letter to her:

I after thinking about our conversation the other night I realized that I totally did not get what you were saying. If I understand right you do not eat animals because you do not agree with the way they are treated on farms. I have to admit that this offends me but I will try to be rational about it. I truly believe that we share the same values...I don't think we would be friends for 14 years and have so many memories if we didn't! You love animals. I love animals. That is why I still work at the farm. I hope you don't think that I get up at 4:30 in the morning and come home smelling like poop because I CAN'T get another job- there is no other job that I want. I believe that when we use animals for food, entertainment, clothing, or companions they are serving a purpose."Everything lives and everything dies and death with a purpose gives full meaning to life."~Trent LoosI believe that my purpose on earth is to serve the Lord. Animals can not do this. So what would their purpose be if we didn't use them to help us better achieve our purpose? This is why I love Agriculture. I love the fact that what we do every day makes a difference- we can provide food for other people! I think you can appreciate that with being a nurse and the difference you can make everyday saving lives!Anyway, my point is that every time I go to Conferences with other farmers we are all striving to improve. There have been mistakes made and I will not condone some of the horrific things that have been done to animals. But I will say that I have full confidence that these acts are an extremely rare occurrence. Even on my farm- looking back 15 years ago to things that were common practice on our "Small Family Farm"-we have realized are detrimental to our animals, the culture, integrity and profitability of our farm and these were just little changes (comfortable sand bedding, rubber mats to improve hoof health, calm/patient milkers, fans and sprinklers in the summer, fly control, just to name a few!) and now I know that our Family "Factory Farm" does better than ever before at caring for the cows.I hope that if you ever have a chance to vote on a regulation that effects farms you will stop and consider the fact that there are people just like me all across this country working on their farms and taking the best care they know how of their animals. I know you will have unlimited access to every kind of media possible from activists groups with a clear agenda of "abolishing Animal Agriculture". Don't believe that they only want the chickens to be able to spread their wings so that doesn't effect a farm like mine. Before that vote was even over they already have plans to go after dairy farms next. I am not expecting to change your eating habits after reading this but I do hope I change your thinking about the way that the animals are cared for on America's farms.It is kind of insulting that people will believe that b/c they saw or read something once that that is the norm for all farmers. I really value our friendship. I hope that you can better understand where I am coming from and I would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. Really. If you wouldn't mind being totally transparent (kind of like I just did lol!). It would really help me to understand why you and millions of other people are making decisions that are totally different from my way of thinking. I will embrace any criticism or comments that you have! Thanks and sorry but I had to get it out! LOL

Young Farmers Leadership Confrence

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.

Friday and Saturday I attended the Young Farmers Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids. With the conference being so close it was actually more inconvenient. I canceled the 2 FREE nights at the Amway Grand Hotel and commuted because I had to feed calves in the morning.The highlight of the conference for me was listening to Lowell Catlett talk about the difference in farming (and consumer attitudes)50 years ago to today and the changes that we need to be planning for to make it to 2030. He really made me think about how we really need to be forward-thinking to be "sustainable" in agriculture- especially with the markets being so volatile. He talked a lot about "Sustainability" and finding the definition for it. To different people it means different things. Wickopedia's definition of sustainability is the ability to maintain a certain process or state. Now to me, a 4Th generation farm that is a few years away from its Centennial celebration would most certainly qualify. I am very proud to have an active role at SwissLane Farms. Our efforts in environmental stewardship, community outreach, quality, animal care, and team building have helped to pave the road to the future. The pressure from low milk prices, the economy, activist groups, and increased regulation are nothing new to the farm but that doesn't mean it doesn't take its toll on us (especially in the dead of winter!). But for me, this is a very encouraging and hopeful time at SwissLane. Allen (my brother in-law) started working in the Cow Department and Jerry (my husband) started in the Manure and Crop department within the last few months. The 4th generation stepping up and taking an active role shows that this dairy will continue to be a "sustainable" family farm. I can't wait to see what 2030 will have in store for us!

This is Where it All Begins

*Please note: This is a re-post from March 2009.
So... I will just write a few things to get me started for now. my reason for beginning a blog is simple. I want more people to understand how, what, and why of dairy farmers. Today I attended a Webinar about Social Media which finally got me to take action of my blogging thoughts. I am very passionate about Agriculture and the Dairy Industry inparticular. I hope by sharing some of the happenings around SwissLane Dairy Farms you will join (or at least understand) my passion! I am going to push publish now even though I have about 5 pages of things to write because I want to see what this looks like and see what I forgot to do!