Interview with Sam McLean (Part Three)

Sam & Janet McLean

McLean Berry Farm and Buckhorn Maplefest

Farm Owners/Entrepreneurs

A Great Year To Attend... This year's event might just be the best year to attend! The McLean's have new and exciting plans for you to enjoy! You can look forward to seeing a pioneer display, which includes boiled down sap in a cast iron kettle and a Wool Spinning Demonstration, on Saturday March 19th. Sunday March 20th kicks off with Grammy award winning duo, Toasted Western Swingband! Two members of the Toasted Western Swing Band, from the Niagara region, will be making their way to the great white north to dazzle you with their second performance at the Buckhorn Maplefest! This Grammy award winning duo is sure to be a huge hit for their first Sunday and the music promises to be superb! This year the Newfoundland Dog Cart Races will delight you on March 27th. The Paddling Puppeteers (Glen Caradus), will be performing with music and puppet shows. You'll be able to enjoy all the fresh air and take part in the Sugar Bush Walking tour. The tour is a well laid out walking trail through the Sugar Bush, with informative sign posts to learn all about Maple Syrup Making - from start to finish and beyond! As Sam points out, "all of our maple sap is collected by hand. No modern pipelines are found on our farm." During all the dates of the Buckhorn Maplefest Sam suggests that "you jump on the horse drawn hay rides enjoy a ride on the wagon from the central parking/market area to the sugar bush, evaporator house and beginning of the walking trail. This is a great favourite with the kids." On the menu this year are waffles with fruit and McLean’s famous Maple Syrup. You can also enjoy a pancake breakfast hosted by the Lakefield Lions Club, with flap jacks standing the true test of our syrup is in the taste. The Lakefield Lions Club does a superb job of serving heaping plates of hot pancakes and Maple Syrup all day long. This is a Lions Club fund raiser and is not include in the admission charge. As always, Sam McLean is the chief “fire stoker” and “maple syrup interpreter”! He is extremely interesting to listen to! (To be continued)