Randy Sprague began sugarin' thirty years ago on a small scale, as a hobby. "I used to visit the Deschler Farm when I was a kid," says Randy, " and I would watch Van Deschler making and finishing maple syrup. I just fell in love with it." In the beginning, Randy would just make enough syrup for the family's use or to give a little away. A couple of years later, he decided to expand into a commercial operation, which meant a major shift with larger equipment. “We had to increase the number of taps we were putting out," he continues, "from a few hundred to now over 20,000. We have purchased several pieces of property, and also rented taps from other owners."
The sugarin' season is short and intense, generally from mid February to the end of March. The harvesting of maple sap is totally weather dependent. Maple sap is a diluted liquid, with only 2% sugar content. You have to boil away 40-45 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.
Sprague’s Maple Farms is an agritourism business, meaning that it falls both within the agricultural farming industry and also within the tourism industry.
The owners, Toni and Randy Sprague, welcome visitors from all over Western New York and beyond. “Our 265 seat restaurant features many menu items that use the maple products we produce. Our well-stocked country gift center offers a wide selection of seasonal gifts, homemade fudge, chocolates, and our full line of award winning maple products.”
Sprague’s Maple Farms has been and continues to be an area attraction that allows people to see the maple operation from the tree to the table. There is a lot of history in sugaring, which has been passed down through generations. At Sprague’s you are able to see the tradition of the industry, with a real hands-on feel. Marked trails make it possible to learn about the history of maple sugarin’ all year long.
