June 2014 Newsletter
Dear Newsletter Subscribers,
Although sugaring season has been over for quite some time now, there is still a lot going on here at Sugar Oak Farms. We’ve made a bunch of pricing and product adjustments and have much to do in the upcoming summer months. We are lucky, though, that the temperatures have not been nearly as high as they typically are in June. Let’s just hope it stays that way throughout the rest of the summer.
First and foremost, we have decided to discontinue the 8ounce maple syrup bottles. This is because the 8oz bottles don’t contain much syrup, and did not sell well. As a result, all the remaining 8oz bottles are on sale for $4.50 each. If you want 8oz bottles of syrup, this is your chance to get them before they’re gone.
But, as they say, when one door closes, another door opens. As the 8oz bottles are exiting stage right, a new product is entering stage left. That new product is the 500 mL (16.9oz) log cabin can (pictured at right). A friend who had been in the sugaring business gave them to us, and we had a few of these for sale at Maple Weekend. They proved to be very popular. The price of these new 16.9oz log cabin cans is $9.00 each. They will be available starting in July.
We also made a change to the 12oz bottles. The current bottle has a grading label on top, a clear identifying label on the front, and a small label on the back listing information that we are required to provide. As you might imagine, it takes some time to apply each label, not to mention the cost for each. That is why we decided to develop a new round label (shown at left) to be placed on the front of the bottle. This label will contain all the information that the three separate labels used to provide. We will continue to use the cap grading labels so that the grade can be easily identified.
While we were in the process of having this new label designed, we discovered that the bottles that we thought had contained 12oz of syrup actually held 12.5oz of syrup! This increase in volume, together with the cost of the new label, has caused us to change the price of this size bottle from $6.00 to $6.50.
The good news is that there will be no change whatsoever to the price or design of our quart jugs.We are expanding our coffee line to include decaf maple coffee in addition to regular maple coffee.
We want to take a minute now to thankthe Night Swan Inn of New Smyrna Beach, FL for the lovely sign they gave to us. This sign features our slogan “Two Saps Making Syrup.” The sign is made from planks of an old barn and is hanging proudly over theroad-facing window in our sugarhouse. To check it out, log on to our Facebook page – You don’t need to have an account to view our page or see the sign.
As mentioned previously in this newsletter, we have a long and busy summer ahead of us. Our main project this summer is the re-sloping all our mainlines. In previous years, we had installed mainlines (¾” tubing) in all of our sugarbushes. We unknowingly installed them at too gradual a slope. Our job this summer is to rectify that problem by increasing the slope so that sap will flow downhill faster. This is important since we don’t have a vacuum system. We also need to install a new tubing system around the corner from our farm in some woods nearby that Malta Ridge Orchard and Gardens in letting us tap.
Last but not least, we extend an invitation to all our newsletter subscribers and customers to join us this July at the Saratoga County Fair! We will be entering our maple syrup in three different classes and will also be giving a demonstration on July 26 at 11am in the Townley Building on how to make Maple Glazed Tilapia. The fair runs from July 22 through July 27, from 9am to midnight each day. Tickets are $10 at the gate or $9 if purchased in advance at any Price Chopper store. We hope to see you there!
Thanks again for all your support of Sugar Oak Farms. If you haven’t yet had a chance to, please visit our website, and our Facebook page, Just a reminder that most of our products can be purchased year-round online on our website, or at Malta Ridge Orchard and Gardens in Malta, NY. You may also call or email us to set up a time when you can stop by the sugarhouse. Have a great summer!
Sincerely,
Paul Ruger
Sugar Oak Farms– (518) 288-8653 – –