Maple Syrup – With Chris Simmons & Ken St. Pierre

Late winter and early spring can find a New England game warden with a little more free time than they’re used to, and many have found a sweet way to tap into one of the nature’s greatest springtime gifts. As maple syrup season draws to a close, we catch up with Maine’s Chris Simmons, of Simmons and Daughters Sugar House, and Ken St. Pierre, of Big Lake Maple in New Hampshire, to learn just what it takes to run a successful sugar house.Our Sponsors: Thin Green Line PodcastDon Noyes ChevroletNorth American Game Warden MuseumSovereign Sportsman Solutions“A Cowboy in the Woods” BookHunt of a LifetimeMaine's Operation Game ThiefWildlife Heritage Foundation of NHInternational Wildlife CrimestoppersHere’s what we discuss:·        Chris got started making syrup with his brothers on the family farm·        Tapping and processing with whatever they could find·        Ken was inspired by a colleague who tapped·        “That’s an awful idea.”·        Rebuilding a 100-year-old evaporator·        The expense of expansion·        Buckets vs. tap lines·        Weather has made this season’s sap run unpredictable·        Syruping can be an activity for the whole family·        Can be as basic or as complex as you want it to be·        “A heat source, a thermometer, a vessel, and sap.”·        Make room for friends and neighbors!·        Chris’ recipe for maple hot dogs·        Natural syrup is an antioxidant·        More than a topping: cooking with maple·        Travel-sized containers can come in handy·        Where to find Chris and Ken’s websitesCreditsHosts: Wayne Saunders and John NoresProducer: Jay AmmannArt & Design: Ashley HannettResearch / Content Coordinator: Stacey DesRoches Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazonGoogleWaypointStitcherTuneInMegaphoneFind More Here:WebsiteWarden’s Watch / TGL StoreFacebookFacebook Fan PageInstagramTwitter