MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) As the rich, sweet aroma of boiling maple sap mingles with the smoky scent of a wood-fired evaporator, one thing is certain—it’s maple sugaring season in New England!

Across the state, sugarhouses are bustling with activity, collecting sap, monitoring temperatures, and anticipating a bountiful harvest.

“The key to a successful sugaring season is a combination of favorable weather conditions and healthy trees,” explains Ben Friske, owner of Ben’s Sugar Shack in Temple. “So far, things are looking promising! The season depends heavily on the weather, and we’re keeping an eye on temperatures. If we get the right freeze-thaw cycles—cold nights and mild days—it should be a great year for sap flow.”

Courtesy Ben’s Sugar Shack

Friske’s passion for maple syrup began when he was just five years old. After visiting a sugarhouse on a preschool trip, he was inspired to start making syrup with his father. They built a homemade evaporator and hung 13 sap buckets. That first season yielded less than a gallon of syrup, but within a decade, Friske won the prestigious Maple Producers Carlisle Trophy for the best syrup in New Hampshire.

It takes an astonishing amount of sap to produce even a small quantity of syrup. “It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup,” says Friske. “That amount can vary slightly depending on the sugar content of the sap.”

Visitors to Ben’s Sugar Shack and other sugarhouses in the region can experience the sugaring process firsthand. “Guests get an interactive look at the entire process, from tapping trees to boiling the sap,” Friske explains. “It’s an educational and delicious experience!”

Follow your favorite sweet treat from sap to syrup during New Hampshire’s Maple Weekend, March 15-16. Many sugarhouses in the Monadnock region will be open to the public for tours, live demonstrations, and—of course—free samples!

The weather in the Monadnock Region on Maple Weekend is shaping up to be just right for maple sugaring, with chilly nights and mild days—perfect for that magical sap flow. These classic New England conditions create the ideal freeze-thaw cycle, making it the perfect time to visit a local sugarhouse. Stop by and watch the magic happen—steam billowing from the sugar shacks, the sweet scent of maple filling the air, and plenty of fresh syrup to sample!

Don’t miss out on this once-a-year tradition—grab your friends and family and experience the best of New Hampshire’s maple season!

Featured Sugarhouses

Ben’s Sugar Shack
8 Webster Highway, Temple
www.benssugarshack.com
Offering award-winning, 100% pure New England maple products. Open for tours and product sampling every Saturday and Sunday in March from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grand Monadnock Maple Farm
14 Breed Road, Harrisville
www.monadnockmaple.com
A family-owned maple farm offering tours and samples of their award-winning syrup on Saturdays and Sundays in March from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

Woodard’s Sugar House
1200 Rt 12A, Surry
A family-owned business that offers premium maple products are made by hand. Visitors are always welcome; open houses held every Sunday in March from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come watch them boil (weather pending) and learn the process of making maple syrup. Sample maple syrup and enter a free raffle towards maple products. Visit them on Facebook for more information.
www.woodardssugarhouse.com

Tippin’ Rock Farm
227 Swanzey Lake Road, Swanzey
linktr.ee/tippinrockfarm
A small sugarhouse. While visiting, take a hike to Tippin’ Rock! Maple syrup is available for purchase year-round at the farm stand.

Stuart & John’s Sugarhouse
31 Route 63, Westmoreland
www.stuartandjohnssugarhouse.com
A family-owned restaurant and ice cream parlor. Open for tours, maple syrup and cream samples, free popcorn, and “sugar on snow” on March 8-9 and March 15-16.

Goosebrook Meadows Sugarhouse
534 NH Route 137, Harrisville
www.goosebrookmeadows.com
Family-owned sugarhouse producing 100% pure New Hampshire maple syrup using wood-fired boiling. Open weekends in March from 12:30 to 5 p.m.. Call ahead to verify boiling times.

Katy’s Maple Treats
197 Forest Ave, Swanzey
katyputnam24@gmail.com
Offering maple sugar candy in a variety of shapes and weights, along with maple peanuts, maple walnut cakes, and maple peanut crumble. Homemade donuts available during sugaring season.

Monadnock Sugar House
1024 Mountain Road, Jaffrey
www.monadnocksugarhouse.com
Producing traditional New Hampshire maple syrup and maple products.

Cornerstone Maple Farm
197 Forest Ave, Swanzey
cornerstone@ne.rr.com
Started producing maple syrup in 2024. Offering syrup, maple cream, maple sugar, and maple lollipops.

Maple Row Sugaring
439 Route 119, Rindge
maplerowsugaring@gmail.com
Selling maple products and giving tours during Maple Month. Call ahead to check if boiling is in progress.

American Wing Farm Maple
29 Camp Brook Road, Alstead
rbputnam1099@gmail.com
A small family-operated backyard sugarhouse producing maple syrup for over 15 years.

Arkwood Farm
221 Aten Rd, Munsonville
njhealy@gmail.com
A family-run maple operation with three generations working together and 1,100 taps.

Bascom Maple Farms, Inc.
64 Sugar House Road, Acworth
lbascom48@gmail.com
Showroom open for visitors.

Bear Mountain Maple LLC
3 McDonald Drive, Hinsdale
www.bearmountainmaple.com
Producing 100 percent pure New Hampshire maple syrup using a wood-fired evaporator since 1993.

Best Family Maple Farm
345 Breed Rd, Harrisville
bestmaplefarm@gmail.com
A small family-run maple sugaring operation. Open for visitors on weekends in March from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Borden’s Maple Farm
152 Wyman Rd, Keene
deborden@peopleslinen.com
Open on March 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chris-Mich 3 Farm
285 Elm Ave, Antrim
Dettes1@tds.net
Open daily during Maple Month for visitors to see the wood-fired evaporator in action.

Clark’s Sugar House
Crane Brook Road, Acworth
clarkssugarhouse@gmail.com
Producing high-quality maple syrup for generations.

Connolly’s Sugar House
40 Webster Hwy, Temple
connollybrothersdairyfarm@yahoo.com
A family-owned dairy farm and sugarhouse open for tours every weekend in March from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maple ice cream made fresh on-site.

Cornerstone Maple Farm
197 Forest Ave., Swanzey
cornerstone@ne.rr.com
Cornerstone Maple Farm started producing maple syrup and maple products in 2024. Syrup, maple cream, maple sugar and maple lollipops. Katy’s Maple Treats has maple candy and homemade doughnuts. Open for the season.

Crescendo Acres Farm
21 Carpenter Road, Surry
rfiorey@ne.rr.com
www.crescendoacres.com
A small farm that makes maple syrup products, raises alpacas for fiber, and grows Christmas trees. There is a small farm shop with alpaca crafts, maple products, and other local farm products. Vsitors are welcome to stop by to see the farm and farm animals (alpacas, mini horses, miniature cow and pets). Stop by, enjoy the outdoors and learn about this maple operation. In-store and online sales available. Ask about shipping as the farm ships daily as needed. Open weekends in March, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fieldstone Farm Sugarhouse
38 Fieldstone Lane, Rindge
sales@fieldstonefarmsugarhouse.com
www.fieldstonefarmsugarhouse.com
Open for 2025 Maple Weekend March 15 and 16th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Please come by and say hello to Abe the Buffalo and the rest of the crew.  Syrup is for sale year-round, so if you would like to place an order and pick it up at the farm or check in to see if they are boiling, please call 899-6009. You can also place an order on the website or purchase syrup at Old Glory Guns & Ammo in Greenville and Belletete’s in their Jaffrey and Peterborough locations.

Gowen’s Tamarack Farm
513 NH Route 123A, Acworth
tamarackfarmstore@gmail.com
www.gowenfarm.com
A family-run farm with a long history of maple sugaring. Established in 1877, the farm has been passed down through the generations. Syrup is available for purchase on the website.

Great Brook Farm Sugar House
437 County Road, Walpole
westovr@myfairpoint.net
Great Brook Farm Sugar House is located on a nine-generation family farm dating back to 1761. Sap is boiled in an updated sugar house that was built in 1943. The farm supports a number of local nonprofit organizations from the sale of maple syrup.