More Than a Sugarhouse: Family History and Future Plans.

Directly behind our current sugarhouse sits a building that holds generations of memories.

The old family sugarhouse may not be in operation anymore, but to us, it is still very much alive. The walls, the floors, the old equipment, the smell of wood and maple that still lingers inside — every inch of it tells a story. Not just about maple syrup, but about family, hard work, childhood, and tradition.

Lately, we have begun the process of carefully cleaning it out and discussing plans to restore it into a museum-style space that reflects exactly what it once was. We do not want to modernize it or erase its history. Our goal is to preserve it as an authentic piece of our family story and of Vermont sugaring history.

As we started digging through years of stored items and memories, we came across something unexpected: two old trikes that belonged to Kurt when he was a toddler.

They are worn down now. The tires are flat. The paint is faded. But the second Kurt saw them, the memories came rushing back.

He remembers riding those trikes in and out of the sugarhouse and around the farm as a little boy. The first was a small green John Deere trike that he rode so hard the wheels practically fell off. Eventually, his dad Doug replaced it with a slightly larger red one. Years later, when deciding whether to keep or get rid of them, Doug told Kurt to save them because “you never know… maybe someday you’ll have twin boys.”

Many years later, here we are with four boys — including a set of twins.

Unfortunately, Doug was never able to meet the twins here on earth. But in many ways, it still feels like he knew them long before we did. Like maybe he had the chance to spend time with them before they joined us here.

Moments like these are a reminder that Pure Gold Sugaring has never been just about maple syrup.

It is about family.

It is about preserving memories, traditions, and stories that would otherwise fade away with time. It is about honoring the generations before us while raising the next generation within the same woods, the same farm, and the same sugarhouse walls.

Restoring the original sugarhouse is important to us because it represents where we came from. It is a reminder that behind every jug of maple syrup is a family story, generations of hard work, and memories that run far deeper than maple alone.

As we continue restoring the old sugarhouse, we look forward to sharing more pieces of its history — and our family’s story — along the way.

Because maple syrup should have a story.

Stay Sticky,

Regan