The Croggery

In 1975 I built my home using wood and stone harvested from the property. For a while in the 80’s I raised milk goats. Most years, I’ve tapped the maple trees and made syrup. “Croggery” is the traditional Irish term for a 16 acre lot; the minimum area needed for a family with a cow and donkey to sustain themselves. I’ve named my 16 acre property, “The Croggery” as a subsistence goal to aspire to.

This month at the Croggery, with frosty nights and warm days, the sap has begun to flow. “Drained sugar”, as maple tree sap is sometimes called, is boiled down to a sweet, amber syrup and bottled. The sugaring arch is fired with limb wood and sawmill slabs. Elin’s delicious bake-goods keep us fortified.

Thanks to Anita for helping out in the sugarbush and for these fine photos of the season.