Dear Brianna,
It was so good to have you, your
brother, and Shannon home to help during the Maple Festival. I love
the wonderful family we have and that we can work together as a team
to help move our family farm forward.
It's been in the 60's and 70's for the past
several days, and can you believe it dropped back down into the
30's a few weeks ago?! We woke up to a dusting of snow one Friday
morning! This weather has certainly been crazy this winter. I think
the trees stopped and started about three different times! And we
were making Grade A syrup towards the end of the season! It's been different, that's for sure....
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| Giving the maple syrup a check between tours |
But all together, it was another
successful Maple Festival. It was great having the new pavilion this
year. It was such a huge hit with everyone! It changed the flow of
traffic, got folks out of the weather, and allowed us to chat with
the guests longer. And having you, your mother, and Shannon set it up
like a Farmer's Market? It was the icing on the cake! And thank
goodness Sean brought his buddy, Maverick, and Maverick's wife,
Courtney, with him to help. It was great having them, and if it
weren't for Sean and Maverick helping with the tours and feeding the
fires that first weekend, I don't know what we would have done.
I missed having Sean and Shannon home
the second weekend, but it was great to work with you and your mom.
I'm so glad you made it home that second weekend! And Jamie Will was
a big help, too! I'm so thankful he came, and now you have an
adopted big brother! The more, the merrier in our Fair Lawn Farm
family.
Your mother and I estimated about 1,800
guests each Saturday. Sundays are always a little light, but we still
had record numbers of around 500 each Sunday, and we sold out of
everything each day! It was so funny when you turned to me during the
festival and said “Dad, we've created a monster!” I think you're
right! It was definitely busier this year, but of course, we've created a good monster.
And I am so thankful for our friends at
Laurel Fork Sap Suckers. Ronnie and Sandy Moyers and their family had sugar water to spare at just the right time, so we had sugar water to cook
in front of the guests. Of course, we told everyone where we got the
water, then told them how to get to the Laurel Fork Sap Suckers camp.
It's all about working together! Plus, it's worth the trip up there
just to try some of Sandy's yummy baked goods!
Our smoked cheeses were also a big hit
and sold out almost immediately. We've even taken orders for more!
I'll be building a new “antique” smoker next week to help with
production.
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| The sight for our new blacksmithing and woodworking cabin! |
Before I know it, it will be time to
move the first of the three antique cabins to the farm. The first one
will be my eighteenth century gunsmithing and woodworking shop. Since
the word got out, I've received orders for duck decoys and a rifle,
and people are already signing up for classes on rifle building! I'd
better get this cabin done soon or there will be some disappointed
people.
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| One of our mamas with her two new twins |
Well, I had better get back out to the
farm. It looks like the warm temperatures are here to stay FINALLY! Our baby lambs will be happy about that. I'd say there were at least ten that came last week,
and there's more to come. Everyone has been healthy and happy so far.
As always, your mother and I miss you
and can't wait until you come home again. Speaking of which, when do
you think your next trip home will be? Very soon, I hope. Until then,
take care. Your mother and I send all our love.
Love,
Dad
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