Images courtesy of: Audubon New York
Audubon New York – June 2024
Women Making Maple: Voices From The Sugarbush - By Audubon New York
“Both Jeffrey and I have full-time jobs on top of the maple sugaring, which is also turning into a full-time job,” laughs Ashley Ruprecht, co-owner of Laurel & Ash Farm along with her husband.
‘It’s wonderful to hear Ruprecht speak about their work with such joy, given she works for a hospitality group from 9-5 and then continues on to tasks as varied as answering emails to preparing shipments for delivery.
With a background in fine arts and marketing, Ashley saw the importance of creating a unique and memorable brand, and her efforts have paid off: Oprah named Laurel & Ash’s Maple Syrup Gift Box one of her Favorite Things in 2022. Laurel & Ash treats every bottle like a work of art, hand punching bottle numbers and stamping barrel numbers, waxing every top, tying string around the neck to keep syrup from dripping down.
For as much as their business grows, it has not escaped Ashley’s notice that “sugaring is a male-dominated industry, and you don’t often see women as the face of maple companies. I try to put myself in front of the camera on social media a bit more, knowing that it’s unique to see a woman doing the physical labor of tapping, feeding the fire, even bottling.”
Now, she adds bird conservation to her list of reasons why her product is so special. “People are so interested in the Bird-Friendly Maple program. At Farmers Markets especially, we get a lot of questions and are happy to teach folks about how we have amended our forest management plan to benefit birds and other wildlife.
Read the Full article and learn more about the Audubon bird-friendly maple program HERE.