FRANKVILLE, ONT. -- It’s been a great 25 years.
That’s the thought as Bill Gibbons stands in his half-empty sugar house where the evaporator once stood, reflecting on the maple syrup production at Gibbons Family Farm, which shut down operation late last year.
“I’m getting to what I think should be retirement age, and it was just time for me to say ‘that’s enough,’ Gibbons says.
Gibbons moved to the farm just east of Frankville, Ont. In 1974 and milked cows until 1994. During that time, making maple syrup was just a seasonal way to pass the days.
But by 1995, he was out of cows and syrup-making turned into a serious hobby.
In the early 2000s, Bill’s daughter Sarah joined the operation for what was supposed to be a two-week stint. That turned into four months, which then became a part time role for four years and eventually a 15-year full-time job.
“During the production season of maple syrup, it’s a little crazy,” Sarah Gibbons said. “Syrup season it’s full on: it’s 24 hours, it’s seven days a week. Not only are you making it; you’re bottling it, you’re answering the phone and emails. It’s non-stop.”
Their syrup was the best in the area, winning many awards and appearing in 15 to 20 stoers locally. Five restaurant carried the products for 20 years.
Both Bill and Sarah say the support from the community has been overwhelming.
“We’ve had tremendous support over the years…we’ve got hundreds, thousands of loyal customers who would go out of their way to buy syrup from us,” Bill said. “We’ve got a map up on the wall with pins from all over the world with people who visited.”
Added Sarah: “We were very lucky to have a great team of staff to help us through the season.
“With that team, we were able to offer a great service to the community of allowing visitors to come and see how we produce maple syrup.”
With retirement now kicking off, Bill has turned to art as his new relaxation.
“I started a little hobby of collecting art a few years ago, and I have a gallery on the property that’s my own private gallery.”
He’s planning an open house in April to showcase some of his art from all over the world.
As for Sarah, she’s unsure what her next step is.
“I’m going to miss it. I’ve been working with my dad for 19 years…definitely going to miss the customers as well.
“We had a life here on the farm…it wasn’t just my job. It was my social life.
It was a good job, considering when I left for school I was not coming back,” she added. “And I came back. No regrets.”
Asked if there’s a hidden stash of Gibbons maple syrup still on the property, Bill said with a laugh: “We won’t have to buy syrup for ourselves for quite a few years.”
