Mike Spaulding of M & S Maples is at least the 5th generation to farm and
make maple syrup and sugar on the Spaulding/Wetherbee farm in Fletcher
Vermont. This farm has been in the family since the early 1800s, making
it one of the oldest family-held farms in the state and one of the very
last working farms still held within a single family. The original farm consisted of 482 acres in the town
of Fletcher, and is
now split in amicable ownership between 3 Spauldings, Mike, his father
John, and Mike's aunt, Rhoda. John's father and mother, Wesley and
Ardelle, inherited a share of the farm from Mike's great-grandfather
Emerson (senior legislator in the Vermont legislature for many years), and
obtained the other shares of the farm by unanimous vote from Wesley's
siblings upon Emerson's death in 1966. In addition to the maple operation, Mike & his wife Sandy raise and sell
select beef and pigs to help keep the historic farm operational in the
face of massive competition from big agriculture and non-traditional and
brutal farming practices. John still operates the haying equipment, cutting and teddering much as
his father and his father before him. Mike's whole goal in life has been
to keep the legacy of his father, grandfather and family honored and
going. Economics have dictated the dairy operation being put on hiatus,
but Mike has kept all other aspects of the farm operational with help from
his Dad, wife, and father-in law Wayne. Mike and Sandy are currently constructing a new sugarhouse for making
syrup at their home in Fletcher. This will be operational in Spring 2016,
when they will be tapping approximately 2000 taps their first year, with
plans to increase the number of taps each year. They will be providing tours and allowing guests the experience of
gathering sap and sugaring down the traditional way, using 300 vintage
buckets and a wood fired evaporator. Old traditions are very important to
Mike and Sandy, as they both grew up with the old ways, and try to keep
and teach those to others as much as they can.
