Welcome to Fulton's

Sugar Bush Gazette

September 2018 News

NOTE Our Off-Season Hours

After a fantastic 2018 maple season, the Pancake House Restaurant is now closed. The Maple Gift Shoppe remains open by appointment or chance.  Planning ahead? Call 613-256-3867 or email us at info@fultons.ca to set up a shopping date - we're always  happy to open the shoppe and help you find what you are looking for. 

Scribbles by Shirley

Well it's August and it's holiday time! An annual family week at the cottage for Brenda, Scott and I was exactly what we needed, where Grands and kids of all ages came and went and created summer memories. Much fun was had, in the water splashing/ floating/ giggling/ swimming, playing indoor games like cards/ pool/ ping pong/ foosball, preparing and eating meals together and enjoying conversation and each other's company away. At the time of writing this my travel buddy Olga and I were heading to Newfoundland for some hiking on the East Coast Trail, lobster, Newfie music and fun. I will report in September!

RaeAnn and Deanna as usual will hold the fort down with great skill. 

Our fellow farmers are in the middle of their harvest season- so exciting to watch the hay and grain being tucked away for winter use. Next up will be corn, sunflowers (for bird seed- check out local growers Harshell Enterprises) and soybeans. As we rest and rejuvenate during their harvest season, we wish them holidays and rest during our harvest season in February, March and April!

Scott and Triple Trouble continue to spend lots of time in the sugar bush (it's been hot!) working on our latest project. We will keep you guessing until the October newsletter!  

 

Sweet maple wishes to you,

Shirley Fulton-Deugo

4th Generation Owner

Looking Back to

Fall Fairs and 4-H

The small town fairs were and are a huge part of our rural culture. 4-H Clubs were a major part of my fun and learning time as a teenager growing up in rural Pakenham. We could take 4-H clubs when we were 12 to 18 years old. Our leaders were wonderful local farm wives and husbands. The homemaking clubs included cooking, baking, preserving and canning (of meat, fruit and veggies), sewing, mending, quilting, knitting, crocheting. All of our finished products were proudly shown and judged at our local fairs (and yes, people won and lost). All the life lessons needed to run a household! It sure helped as George and I raised the original Triple Trouble maple producers.

My favourite clubs took me to the barn- I showed Hereford steers. My Dad and I would scour the local Hereford breeder herds to find the perfect calf. The first item of business was to choose the perfect name, next was to halter train it. I realized early on it was best to start that training early when I still outweighed the calf. 

My finished steers weighed 1000 to 1100 pounds by fall. Hours were spent feeding, trimming hooves, bathing, grooming, and 'teasing' the beautiful long white hair tassle on their tails. 

One practical method we used to train a stubborn steer was to slowly walk it behind a wagon with the tractor barely moving to encourage the 500-1000 pounds to move when the halter tightened. There were lots of tools of the trade, including a cane for setting their four feet in a perfect rectangle, a curry comb to produce beautiful curls and a straight comb to minimize flaws by flattening the hair. 

It was a family affair with Dad helping with the care and training of my steer and Mom preparing my "show clothes'.

When showing cattle, horses, sheep and goats, there were two classes. In one the animal was judged on conformation; the other was showmanship which judged the 4-H-ers ability to groom the animal (cornstarch to make the white markings white, black shoe polish and clear finger nail polish for shiny hooves) and ability to control the animal and make it look it's best for the judges. One of my showmanship disasters was when my 1100 lb. steer lay down in the ring at the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair in Toronto!

The goal at our local fairs in Almonte and Perth was to win so your calf would go on to Toronto. What a thrill to go to the big city! Now here is an example of the education of farm kids. These steers were judged and then sold to the highest bidder. The placing of your steer in the class would affect the amount per pound paid by the buyers. These buyers were large companies like Maple Leaf and Schneiders that paid exorbitant dollars per pound as a show of their support of 4-H youth. This money ($1000-$2000) was a welcome boost to savings for school, to buy your next calf or to put into savings for your farming dream. It was a sad day when you returned home with an empty truck. My parents would direct the conversation to, "What farm do you think we should visit to find your next calf?" and "Any ideas for a name?".

So the experience of the 'circle of life' continued through my teen years. I thank my parents for giving me the experience and a chance to visit the big city (the only time we went). Much of my 4-H money was used to afford my three years of RN training at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. 

Today my great-niece continues the tradition (see photo to left).

For over 100 years 4-H Canada has been one of the most highly respected youth organizations in Canada, currently with more than 25,000 members, aged 6-25, and 7,700 volunteers across the country.

Fulton`s Pancake House & Sugar Bush is proud to display the 4-H logo near the entrance to the Pancake House. 

 

As remembered by Shirley Fulton Deugo

Local Farmer's Markets and Roadside Stands

We just can't get enough of local Farmer's Markets and roadside fruit/ veggie stands. Their bins and displays are overflowing with beautiful produce. Buying locally grown fruits and vegetables ensures you get the freshest of ingredients, plus it supports local family-owned (often multi-generational) businesses and agriculture, a win-win.  Make it a family outing and make a point to chat with the growers and try some of their samples. You can also pick up jams/ jellies/ preserves, and other yummy treats.

 

Here's a list of our favourite Farmer's Markets:

Almonte Farmers' Market- Saturdays 8:30am to 12:30pm in the Almonte Public Library parking lot.

Carp Farmers' Market- Sundays 8am to 1pm at 3790 Carp Road (Carp Fairgrounds).

Carleton Place Farmers' Market- Saturdays 8:30am to 12:30pm at the corner of Lake Avenue and Beckwith St.

Arnprior Market- Sundays 9am to 2pm on John Street North. 

 

Staff Road Trip!

During the off-season it's always good to get out of the office for a few hours. This month RaeAnn, Sîan and Deanna headed to Pembroke on a hot steamy day for a couple of errands that included face to face meetings with two of our family owned business partners. A road trip also allows time to chat about projects and products without distractions like phone calls and e-mails. 

The first stop was to deliver 20 litres of Dark grade Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup to the Nook Creperie. While we were there we enjoyed a fabulous crêpe lunch. It was hard to choose from their abundant menu but the three meals were delicious and we highly recommend the Nook Creperie if you are in the Pembroke area. We also had opportunity to speak to the chef to find out where he uses our syrup and learned that it's in dressings, glazes, appies, mains, desserts and more. 

Our next stop was to Hugli's Blueberry Ranch. Their high-bush blueberries are now in season and the bushes are laden with bunches of ripe blueberries. You can pick your own or purchase pre-picked quart boxes. They have a lovely gift shop including lots of homemade gourmet blueberry products (jams, jellies, chutneys, baking etc) and giftware, a great place to spend some time browsing. 

This is what 124 quarts of blueberries looks like in a Santa Fe. It was a tight fit and required some careful packing/ re-packing; in fact we almost had to leave Deanna behind!

Once we arrived back at the Pancake House, our work wasn't done, as we had to weigh and prep the berries to be made into Maple Spiced Blueberry Jam in the near future (you can pick some up in the Maple Gift Shoppe during the off-season by chance or appointment, or during our maple season or through our online store). 

Next road trip? We look forward to visiting MacLaren Orchards to purchase apples for our pies, which are served in the Pancake House during the 10-week maple season. We just might pick up some fresh pressed apple cider for personal use while we are there too. 

Recipe of the Month

Pumpkin Maple Dip with Apple Slices

Here's a recipe for Pumpkin Maple Dip made with Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup, of course.  Local pumpkins will soon be available and you can easily make your own purée (see instructions below) or you use a can of puréed pumpkin.  We recommend serving the dip with some crisp new apple slices (we purchase locally from MacLaren Orchards). Set your bowl of dip and plate of apple slices out  for family and friends and we are pretty sure they will disappear quickly!

 

To make puréed pumpkin: Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet (yes, the whole thing!) and bake for 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin. It's done when you can stick the tip of a knife easily through the skin and flesh. Remove pumpkin from the oven. Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut into a few large chunks and remove stringy stuff, seeds and skin. Use a food processor or blender to purée the pumpkin. Deugo Pumpkins & Gourds will have locally grown pumpkins available very soon  at 5188 County Road #29, Almonte. Watch for the wagon parked near the road. 

Upcoming Local Events

Saturday, September 8 - Mississippi Mills River Walk & Run,  Sign up for a 3 km, 5 km or 10 km run/ walk in beautiful Almonte, a challenge for the serious runner and a lovely stroll for those who want to enjoy the day with family and friends. Who will you be walking/running with? Register now to walk or run and support the Almonte General Hospital - Fairview Manor Foundation Women's Health Programs. Click here to register. 

September 8-9 - Fibrefest, at two venues, the Almonte Community Centre and Mississippi Valley Textile Museum.  Local guilds will demonstrate spinning, knitting, weaving, rug hooking, lace making, smocking and quilting. Vendors include spinners, weavers, and fibre artists from across the province. Admission is $5 and gets you into both sites. http://almontefibrefest.ca/ 

Sunday, September 9 - Lanark County Harvest Festival at Beckwith Park (1319 9th Line Beckwith near Carleton Place), 11am-4pm. This 4th annual event celebrates fine, local foods and lets you "Get Fresh with a Local Farmer". Food seminars, tastings, children's activities and local music. Get to know Lanark County producers and find the best places to get local meat, cheese, honey, garlic, produce, maple syrup and more! Free admission. harvestfestival.ca. 

Saturday, September 15 - Middleville Agricultural Fair, 11am-4pm. The 167th edition is not to be missed! Vintage machinery, blacksmith, butter making and corn chopping demos, a parade of kids tractors,  livestock judging (4H Sheep and Goat as well as light horse, cattle, swine and poultry), Ham & Bean Lunch, judged hall  exhibits (arts/ handicrafts/ preserves, baking), children's games and races, farmer and artisan market, afternoon live music and more. Find info here.  Logan, the youngest of Fulton's Triple Trouble, will be exhibiting as part of the 4H Goat Club. 

Sunday, September 23 - "I Come From the Valley! Tales & Times of Joan Finnigan",  a Luncheon and Musical Event, 1:30pm, Almonte Old Town Hall. The Lanark County Genealogical Society hosts this Luncheon and Musical Event, presented by the Ottawa Valley's well-known Stone Fence Theatre. This all-new musical brings to life the stories that the Valley’s most illustrious author, Joan Finnigan, collected from Valley old-timers as well as the tumultuous times she lived through. The songs and dialogue in the show are drawn, as much as possible, from Joan Finnigan’s works and words, including stories, poetry and personal interviews. The music is Celtic and Irish in flavour, with most of the songs based on traditional Irish fiddle and pipe tunes. $45 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here. 

 

Save the date!

Sunday, February 17, 2018 (Family Day weekend) - Staff Alumnae Reunion at Fulton's as part of the celebration of Fifty Flipping Years in the Pancake House. More information to come. Please plan to attend with your family. We will be launching a Facebook page. If you are a former staff and would like to be on the distribution list, please send a message to marketing@fultons.ca. 

 

 

399 Sugar Bush Road, Pakenham, ON, Canada
613-256-3867

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