Sweet Brook Farm Maple Syrup

Our dream was to make maple syrup from the very land that my father, Norris Phelps, sugared as a young boy and farmed his entire life. And now we are doing it at Sweet Brook Farm, in Williamstown, MA – the farm that was established by my great-grandfather Cassius Phelps. We dreamed of continuing this family’s sweet business for 20 years before finally taking the leap – and making our dream come true. – Pete Phelps, 4th generation maple sugar farmer, 2007

12 years after my father started Sweet Brook Farm and 4 days before his 57th birthday, his main barn and sugar house was destroyed in a devastating fire. After many hours of reflection, he chose to phase into retirement, leaving operations and the rebuilding project to me - his daughter - and my husband, Darryl. That season we salvaged nearly 50,000 gallons of sap and had it trucked to a nearby farm to be boiled down to our classic, beloved maple syrup. Darryl & I make the 5th generation of maple sugar farmers, and have begun rebuilding our farm on the original Sweet Brook Farm on Woodcock Road, established in 1946 and decommissioned in 1968. It's our turn to take the leap of faith that my father so bravely took in 2007. We are excited to continue the family tradition, in spite of the challenges we face. – Sarah Lipinski, 5th generation maple sugar farmer, 2019