February 2020 News

2020 Maple Season 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 to SUNDAY APRIL 19

Weekdays 9am - 3pm / Weekends 8am - 3pm 

OPENING DAY SPECIAL:

Receive a FREE Pancake Meal with the purchase of any

meal of equal or greater value.

Until February 15, the Pancake House Restaurant is closed and 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 the excitement is building as Team Awesome puts their best foot forward to prepare for your visit. Scott and Triple Trouble (his sons Parker, Tyson and Logan) are snow blowing lanes and parking lots, repairing pipeline and preparing the sugar camp for another sap-to-syrup season. 

Maple candies, maple butter and maple granulated sugar are being boiled, stirred, cooked, bottled, bagged and boxed by Hannah and her helpers.

Sian, Shelley and Madeline (6th generation) are making hundreds of cookie dough balls ready to bake fresh every morning in our season. Baked beans are steaming and maple mustard, BBQ sauce and jams are bubbling in our pots and being hand poured into jars for the Maple Shoppe.

Brenda is stirring, warming, pouring and packaging our moisturizing, soothing Maple Luscious products to get the shelves stocked for maple season visitors. 

Julia (6th generation) is finished university and helping out until her 'real job' starts in April. Julia-of-all-trades is sorting, counting, labelling and cleaning every corner of every buildings. 

The centre of this bee hive of activity is the Office. RaeAnn juggles general inquiries, group bookings, orders being shipped and preparing your Welcome brochure, to name just a few of her jobs. Deanna prepares the Maple Gift Shoppe inventory, writes newsletters and plans advertising. This season she has locally sourced (from KBR Screenprint) a new reusable cloth shopping bag, designed by the talented Mitchell Creations in Carleton Place. Two years ago we phased out plastic bags, and this year we are so happy to be able to offer reusable shopping bags to our customers at a small cost, in addition to the paper bags. Monica-Lynn and Christine ensure that Team Awesome gets pay cheques, that our suppliers and other bills are paid, and that the ATM and cashes are ready for you. 

As for me, for the 40th year I watch in awe as the Pancake House prepares to serve up to 1000 meals on a busy day. The Gift Shoppe is refreshed and filled with Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup, sweet delights and giftware. After 10 months, the dormant sugar camp is brought back to it's shining glory and the sugar bush prepares to warm up and share with us the magical maple sap. We then are given the honour of transforming it into delicious Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup. 

I am looking forward to chatting with you when you visit! Dates and hours of operation are below. 

Sweet maple wishes to you,

Shirley Fulton-Deugo

4th Generation Owner

Come Play in Our Backyard!

From February 15 to April 19, we will be open 7 days per week.

Hours: Weekdays 9am - 3pm / Weekends 8am - 3pm

There is lots to do at Fulton's:

• Enjoy a meal in the Pancake House
• Browse the Maple Gift Shoppe
• Take a self-guided tour
• Wander the trails and challenge yourself with one of the Trail Games (for all ages)
• Bring the kids to play on the outdoor playground
• Take a run on the sledding hill (sleds and baby sleighs are available to borrow)

Special activities take place on weekends and holidays, weather dependent:

• Fresh poured Maple Taffy and Maple Cotton Candy
• Horse-Drawn Sleigh / Wagon Rides
• Music in the Pancake House (select dates)
• Campfires at the Heritage Maple Path (select dates)
• Tours of the Sugar Camp, where our knowledgeable staff bring the "sap to syrup" story to life and answer your questions.

Triple Trouble Maple Syrup is back!

Like generations before them, the Deugo grandchildren Parker, Tyson and Logan are budding entrepreneurs. These sixth generation "sap reduction specialists" are learning the art of maple syrup making from their Dad, Scott Deugo, on a 2' by 6' wood-fired evaporator in the Sugar Camp. 

Fun ~ Food ~ Family

Enter to win in three simple steps:

1. Like our Facebook Page

2. Comment on this contest post which date you believe we will pour our first bottle of syrup this season (Past dates have ranged from February 27 to March 31)

3. Share our contest page on your Facebook page. 

Contest closes February 25 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be drawn at random. Prize must be picked up at Fulton's Sugar Bush by April 19, 2020. 

Good luck!

Looking Back 

It's been 40 years as owner of Fulton's. Often people ask me how I arrived as owner. Here's the story: I was raised on the farm and my favourite time of year was sugar making. The remainder of the year was filled with milking cows, feeding beef cattle, and planting and harvesting crops. I was an outdoor girl, much to the disappointment of my Mom. Horses, dogs, 4-H calves, driving tractors and playing in the barn and bush filled my happy childhood. 

After graduating from Almonte High School at age 17 I headed to the big city of Ottawa. I spent three years learning, playing and thoroughly enjoying "becoming" a Registered Nurse at the Ottawa Civic School of Nursing. 

The year 1971 was exciting as I graduated and got hitched to George. We bought a 100-acre farm near Arnprior on the Madawaska River. The 1970's were busy with three babies arriving, starting our company George Deugo Plumbing, and totally gutting  and renovating the farm house. Oh yes, and we put an addition on it too. By Christmas 1979 about 90% of the house renovations were complete. We had settled into our forever home. Lorraine and Scott were in school in Arnprior and Pamela was a toddler. Life was good. We had a plan. 

George and I were involved in Fulton's. George was helping Dad and my brother Ross in the sugar bush and sugar camp. I was making pies (250 per season) and helping Mom with the Pancake House. It seated 12 people and we had picnic tables outside! 

In June of 1980 plans were changed for us. My younger brother Ross drowned at the Pakenham bridge. George and I were asked by Mom and Dad if we could "come back" to Cedar Hill and Fulton's. After weeks of sleepless nights and many tears, our decision was to return as the Fulton's 4th generation and sell our forever home. 

So for the last 40 years my goals were:

• To uphold the legacy of the Fulton family.
• To raise our three kids and nine grand-kids to be contributing members of society.
• To grow a business.
• To share my love of the outdoors and maple with all our visitors.
• Most importantly, to enjoy the ride and have fun!

I've accomplished all of the above! 

Fulton's since 1840.

Shirley since 1980.

My favourite grade of maple syrup? Golden

My favourite Fulton's gourmet product? Maple Butter

My favourite Maple Luscious Bath & Body product? Maple Shea Butter

My greatest pleasure? Having all my kids, grand-kids and their spouses and significant others involved in many different ways at Fulton's. 

As written by Shirley Fulton-Deugo

• Organic certification requires that we have a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees. Other than clearing paths, we are prohibited from clearing undergrowth and brush, allowing natural composting and return of nutrients to the soil. Thinning of trees must be done carefully. Farm animals are forbidden to graze in the sugar bush. No fertilizers are used.
• The practice of tapping trees is very specific. The pipeline network cannot wound or inhibit tree growth. We are conservative in the number of taps, and the depth/ diameter of the tap holes are closely monitored.
• Sap is collected using food grade spouts and pipeline systems and is stored in stainless steel tanks. Reverse osmosis of sap concentration is in accordance with national guidelines. The processing is done in our stainless steel evaporator, filter press and canning tank. We use approved safflower oil for defoaming which keeps the sap from boiling over the sides of the evaporator pans and greatly reduces the clean-up time!
• Washing and cleaning of the evaporator is done only with potable water, sap or vinegar.
• Storage of the final product is in approved food grade containers, ranging from stainless steel drums to plastic and glass retail sized containers. Traceability of every container is documented for tapping, cleaning, packing and shipping.
• Inspections are carried out annually to ensure high standards continue to be met.
• Besides our maple syrup, Fulton's Maple Candy, Maple Granulated Sugar and Maple Butter are all 100% pure maple syrup and also organic. 
• We at Fulton’s take our organic certification seriously. It is important for us to be good stewards of our land so that future generations can continue to enjoy maple goodness.

R.I.P Lacey

If you visited Fulton's over the last several years, you would have met Lacey. She was our official Playground Ambassador and joyfully welcomed our guests in the parking lot, on the playground and everywhere in between. A visiting school bus brought immeasurable tail-wagging joy! For Lacey, there was nothing like a sausage treat at the kitchen door after a long days work.

Team Awesome was sad to bid farewell to our valued team member when she passed over the rainbow bridge a few weeks ago. Rest easy, sweet girl. You will be dearly missed by all who met you.

Recipe of the Month

Maple Butter Tarts

Surprise your Valentine with a batch of ooey-gooey Maple Butter Tarts, made with Fulton's Organic Maple Syrup. So simple to make and so very yummy to eat. Make your own pastry or 'cheat' and use store-bought. Consider using Dark or Very Dark grade maple syrup for a stronger maple taste. You better make extras in case friends drop in, and a few for yourself as well.

Upcoming Local Events

February 15 - February 17, - Family Day/ Opening Weekend at Fulton's-  Celebrate Family by bringing the gang out to Fulton's for some outdoor fun and a meal in the Pancake House.