Maple Grove School hosted a Pancake Breakfast and First Tapping Ceremony Saturday as a fundraiser for the Friends of Maple Grove and to create awareness about the unique Expeditionary Learning charter school.
The event featured a pancake breakfast, raffles, First Tapping Ceremony and other activities for community members to enjoy.
The day started with a pancake breakfast organized by Friends of Maple Grove Inc. at Ed and Sharon’s Banquet Hall. The breakfast featured maple syrup produced at the school last year. The school has a 40-plus year history of making maple syrup as a student project.
This year more than 30 trees on the school property have been tapped. The first and second grade students are very involved in the process, with each getting their own tree to tap. Parents and community volunteers handle the actual cooking of the sap to make syrup.
“It’s hands-on, completely done by the kids,” said Maple Grove leader teacher Russ Noland. “They are responsible for emptying the bag on their tree and the get to watch the process.”
The maple syrup project is celebrated at the annual Mother’s Day breakfast, when freshly made syrup is served to the students’ families and guests.
The 110-year-old Maple Grove School became a charter school two years ago. Noland said the maple syrup project was one thing that needed to stay in the curriculum.
There were also various representatives and activities at Maple Grove School on Saturday. Gary Mason from the Fromm Brothers Historical Preservation Society gave a presentation on the impact the Fromm family had on the Hamburg area. The family held 11,000 acres in the Hamburg area at one time. Mason owns 270 acres of the original Fromm farm, which is listed on the state and national registers of historic places.
Hamburg Fire Department brought trucks and the smoke house to the school and the Hamburg Rainbow Riders Snowmobile Club brought a trail groomer.
Throughout the day, visitors were invited to tour local sugar bushes to learn more about the tree-tapping process and production of maple syrup. There was also a tour of Vogel Farms and its robotic milking system, which allows cows to eat, rest and be milked at their leisure.
“Our community has a rich tradition of maple syrup production employing various types of sugar bushes,” said Kelly Trojanowski. “This event is a great way for everyone to learn more about them and their contributions to the Merrill area.”