Climate change and supply chain disruptions have affected Berkshire sugar producers as maple sugar season begins to heat up, but still, they are optimistic about their craft.
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‘Trees don’t get COVID’: Sugar shacks reopen in Massachusetts after being closed during 2020 season due to COVID pandemic
Updated Mar 01, 2021;
“We are boiling,” Steve’s Sugar Shack in Westhampton posted to Facebook on Feb. 26.
In February, the sugar shack posted it was already fully booked for opening weekend, which is March 6. Due to COVID-19 regulations, seating is by reservations only. Coupled with a shorter season, the sugar shack expects these time slots to fill up quickly.
“As you consider when to come, please note that we will only be open for total of 8 days, and we expect reservations to fill up fast,” the website states.
But, there are a number of places that still are stocked, so, there is a little time.
âWe sold more trees on Thanksgiving weekend than all of last year,â said David Morin, past president of the Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association and owner of Arrowhead Acres in Uxbridge. He noted that there has been a shortage, âbut I havenât heard of any higher prices than last year, so, thereâs been no price gouging that I know of.â
Morin charges $70 per tree, and he has sold about 1,100, with about 500 left. He said more people were buying trees earlier because of the acute effects of the past year. As a result, people are gravitating to the holiday spirit earlier than in most years.