Scribbles by Shirley
Well, we are half way through our winter/ spring seasons. We experienced super exciting winter-like weather during March Break and it's looking like we can expect spring-like conditions over Easter weekend.
Fulton's is all about people. Here are some highlights:
FAMILY: Firstly, it's all about family, ours and yours. Our family is the heart and soul of Fulton's and spans the 4th, 5th and 6th generations. With added Fulton-In-Laws and now two boyfriends, known as Fulton-in-law Wannabes, they have been duly notified that there is a requirement of volunteer hours before entering the fold. Check out the name tags when you are visiting! You will notice that all the Grands (all nine of them) have a note on their nametags, "Nana's Favourite". Of course they are!
STAFF: Next is our Team Awesome, all Fulton Wannabes. From our first-timers in 2018 to Sian (12+ years), these folks are the cheerful faces, the workhorses, organizers & often behind the scenes heroes of Fulton's. They start months before we open in February for the nine-week intensive maple season, cleaning and polishing (both inside and out), ordering supplies and inventory, designing flyers/print material/ads, pricing product, cooking and preserving and filling the freezer, making signs, planning for group visits, putting guidelines and policies in place for the season, hiring staff, setting up payroll, and creating/ nurturing partnerships with local businesses, just to name a few of their many many tasks. They work for many weeks after we close, analyzing the season, writing suggestions for improvements and sharing some relaxing and fun off-site activities together, such as a day trip to Le Nordik, which is an annual tradition for staff. After the annual post-season clean-up it sometimes feels like we have moved a ton of mud from the floors of our buildings back into the yard.
VOLUNTEERS: Fulton's also has a huge team of volunteers. Vace is our sugar camp volunteer extraordinaire, and has been sharing his knowledge with thousands of people each season for more than 35 years! Vace is fluent in three languages and his science background has been a thrill to visitors from across the world. He is now imparting his knowledge and wisdom to Fulton's eager-to-learn Grands.
Many of our volunteers have been recruited (or voluntold!) by our staff and include friends, husbands, daughters, sons and son-in-laws.
The jobs they do for Fulton's are crucial to our success, from helping in the Maple Gift Shoppe and kitchen to computer support (both hard and software), city pick-ups and errands and parking attendant services...... amazing 'got-our-back-in-any-situation' folks!
Also the families of our staff are part of our team by accepting the exhaustion, lack of home-cooked meals, empty fridges, full laundry baskets and loss of all social engagements for the length of our season.
SUPPLIERS: Behind the scenes are our suppliers, many of which we have had alliances with for over 25 years. These folks supply us with maple donuts, coffee, chocolate, carbonated sap, paintings, blown glass, pottery, maple containers and equipment, labels and printed material, kitchen equipment supplies and repairs, milk, hundreds of pounds of sausage and bacon, fire extinguishers, oil, propane and Johnnie-on-the-spots.These local businesses support us and ensure everything runs smoothly. It has been wonderful to develop these long lasting business relationships. If any one wants names of these amazing local businesses, give me a call.
EVENTS: Also orbiting around our grounds is our amazing special event activity team. Our horses and their drivers. Amazingly talented, entertaining and fun loving musicians. Our one and only Bushcrafter that brings alive the maple history on our Heritage Maple Path. They make the Fulton experience complete.
CUSTOMERS: Finally, the most important people of all.... our customers. Without you, Fultons would not have thrived since the 1840's. You were the folks in the 1960's who encouraged my Dad to build a 12-seat pancake house in 1969!
It's the 50th ANNIVERSARY of our Pancake House next year, watch for something special happening (we have no idea yet!) Do you have any suggestions?
You make our days so fulfilling, watching kids be free to play and roam in our 400 acres (please don't lose any). Like our multi-generational family we now enjoy chatting with your multi-generational families. One of our greatest compliments is hearing kids saying, 'we don't want to leave' as their family herds them to their car.
Our other amazing customers are the shops, restaurants and spas who sell, serve and pamper you with our products, from maple syrup to spices to our gourmet and Maple Luscious Bath & Body line.
Corporate clients excite us with their volume orders of products to use as incentives, speaker gifts and hand-outs at their events and conferences.
A special treat for us is to private brand products for these exceptional customers.
So from our family to yours, a GREAT BIG HUG and THANKS for supporting our business & loving it as much as we do.
Sweet maple wishes to you,
Shirley Fulton-Deugo
4th Generation Owner
