After coming to Tiffin in 1956, I became aware that there were several local maple sugar camps. Being a botanist, I wanted to learn as much about Ohio plants and their products as I could, so the first spring, while living on the Heidelberg campus in a rental property, I tapped two sugar maple trees behind Williard Hall.
Glass tubing and a 5 gallon glass carboy were used to collect the sap. We then boiled it down on the kitchen stove in open pots. We reduced 10 gallon of sap to one quart of syrup. It was delicious.
To emphasize the amount of moisture that was deposited on the kitchen walls, I have told the story that our kids would sop the walls with bread to obtain that maple flavor. Mary, although she likes maple syrup, said that was enough of an experiment and that we should look for local sources.
We then discovered the Feindel’s Sugar Bush Camp at Bascom which began operations in 1958. For 25 years I had the pleasure of taking my Field Botany class to their camp in season where the kids could learn about the procedures and taste a hot sample just out of the boiling pans.
The camp was operated by Gordon and Esther Feindel and their two sons, Dennis and Max. Of course this was only a seasonal operation and was an add-on to their regular jobs. Gordon and Max were delighted to share their time and information with me and my class. To get to the Feindel’s Sugar Bush Camp, go about one mile west of Bascom on State Route 18, turn north and 80 about one half mile on Twp. Rd. 101.
The cabin, located at the front corner of a 20 acre woodlot is constructed of white ash logs which still retain their bark. The Feindels use all of the latest techniques. About 700 silver maple trees are tapped with from one to four taps per tree, depending on the size. Two inch deep holes are drilled about 3 - 4 feet high and plastic spiles are forced into the holes.
All the spiles from one tree are connected by translucent tubing which is connected with all the other 700 trees with larger and larger tubing eventually ending with a large tube which drains into a large holding tank at the cabin.
Their system has to be airtight since 5 vacuum pumps scattered through the woods literally suck the sap out of the trees. More than a mile of tubing and about 2,000 new taps are required each year. The holding tank of several hundred gallons will be almost full before the two evaporating pans are used. Eighteen gallons of oil are used each hour to boil the syrup when all pans are fully operating. About 60 gallons of sap from the silver maples has to be evaporated for one gallon of syrup as compared to about 40 gallon from sugar maples.
One year their taps were placed head high because they had to work on 3-4 feet of snow. They work in all kinds of weather and sometimes with a good run all day and night. This year the Feindels are later than usual in setting up the equipment. Gordon is 79 years old and relies mostly on Max for his time after his regular job is finished.
As Gordon explains, they don’t do this most difficult and time consuming work for profit only. It has to be a “labor of love”. To find Gordon and Esther, go to the flashing light in Bascom, and turn north about a half a mile to 976 N. State Route 635.
Their phone number is 937-2675. They sell their product from their home and still have some fine 1996 syrup on hand. For that they get $25 a gallon and have all sizes of containers for sale. Because of the increase in fuel prices, their 1997 syrup will be slightly higher.
–Percy