Battel's Sugar Bush and Heritage Farm

The Battel family has been producing maple syrup in the same woods near Cass City, Michigan, since 1882. The operation is currently managed by the fourth generation, with assistance from the fifth generation. The Great Fires of 1871 and 1881 missed their stand of 300 sugar maple trees, allowing the family to continue their tradition. The basic process of boiling sap has remained nearly unchanged since the 19th century.

In early spring, when the sun begins to warm the trees but nighttime temperatures still freeze them, the family taps the sugar maples. Sap is collected and boiled for hours over a rolling fire until it becomes pure syrup. The process is natural, with nothing added to the syrup.

Pure maple syrup is available in various sizes, and Grandma Battel's award-winning maple cream is also offered. Visitors can tour the sugarbush by appointment during the sugaring season, which typically runs from late February through early April. The sixth generation of Battels is beginning to learn the family craft.