Eighth graders at P.J. Gelinas Junior High School are making maple syrup from trees in their own backyard. In the farm to school elective, students work on growing food using various methods throughout the year. They learn how to harvest their crops and ultimately cook and eat them.

Each fall, students head out to the small patches of woods surrounding the school building and mark any maple trees they find. Come February, they return to the marked trees and apply the proper techniques for maple tapping. The eighth graders collect sap for a few weeks before boiling it down into pure maple syrup. The culmination of the project is a waffle breakfast, eaten with their own syrup.

Date Added: 2/21/2023