Bonhomie Acres History
There is a sweet tradition in Ohio of maple syrup production. The Native Americans taught early settlers the art of maple syrup production. By the mid 1800’s, Ohio ranked number one in maple syrup production in the United States. Every farm produced sweet maple syrup. By 1950 most farms had quit maple syrup production but a farm on Quaker Road in Fredericktown, Ohio continued to make syrup. Bonhomie Acres Maple Syrup can trace its syrup tradition back to the 1800’s with the fifth generation currently learning the art of maple syrup production from the grove of trees. Many of the trees are 250 years old.
Lots of history surrounds our operation. In the early 1900s several thousand people would meet for a festival called the Waterford Picnic amidst the maple trees in our sugargrove. Folks would travel from several states to attend the week-long event.
Lots of history surrounds our operation. In the early 1900s several thousand people would meet for a festival called the Waterford Picnic amidst the maple trees in our sugargrove. Folks would travel from several states to attend the week-long event.
Bonhomie Acres' current sugarhouse was built in 1948 by William and Kate Brown. It was at least the third sugar house to be built on the farm. Bill and Kate started out with 600 taps using horses to pull the sap gathering wagons and boiled on a wood fired evaporator. Bill started a woodlot improvement project on 40 acres of woodland. Growing maple trees is a slow process but production had increased to 1300 taps by the mid 1980’s. In 1989 the first tubing system was installed with 500 taps in a woods leased from a neighbor. The tubing system proved to be a much more efficient method of sap collection than the buckets. Today Bonhomie Acres produces syrup from 4500 trees located on 120 acres almost entirely on tubing systems.
We have had many visitors from across the USA and from many countries. Our syrup is popular as an “Ohio gift” and has traveled to all corners of the world. We have hosted the Heart of Ohio Tour, Maple Madness Tour, Ohio Maple Producer’s Association, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, OSU Extension, School Groups, Scouts, and Church Youth Groups.
In 2008 William Brown was inducted into The North American Maple Producers Hall of Fame. William was the only producer from Ohio to ever receive that distinction.
Purchase Bonhomie Acres Maple Syrup Products Here
We have had many visitors from across the USA and from many countries. Our syrup is popular as an “Ohio gift” and has traveled to all corners of the world. We have hosted the Heart of Ohio Tour, Maple Madness Tour, Ohio Maple Producer’s Association, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, OSU Extension, School Groups, Scouts, and Church Youth Groups.
In 2008 William Brown was inducted into The North American Maple Producers Hall of Fame. William was the only producer from Ohio to ever receive that distinction.
Purchase Bonhomie Acres Maple Syrup Products Here
The Brown Family