Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Opened Store Specially For Us At 11am On A Saturday
Visiting my [James] folks, Robert and Ruth at their home on Beach Lake was the occasion for my wife Kathy and I to look up an operation that was purported to make lots of varieties of jams and jellies. This was the sole reason for our quest for this "Wintergreen" place that we had been told only opened on the weekends for pancakes with real maple syrup. It wasn't the weekend, so we thought we'd be out of luck for the pancakes with real maple syrup - which ended up being true, however we were in for a great surprise...
My wife (a jam and jelly making fanatic) had seen a picture of the "jam wall" while searching for things to do in Haliburton - which was all that it took to create the desire to start our journey to this mysterious red-roofed-barn called Wintergreen.
The first two times we made the trek out past Haliburton to find Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn, we didn't drive far enough on the road to Gelert from Haliburton because from the information we had, it was suppose to be just outside of Haliburton... we didn't drive far enough because surely a business couldn't exist this far off the beaten path!
Before trying to find Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn a third time, we decided to call for directions (at the prompting of my wife) and made a special arrangement to meet Tom Dawson at the Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn. We didn't know what to expect, except that there were likely a good variety of jams and jellies for sale.
When we arrived, Tom Dawson heartily greeted us outside the Wintergreen barn close by his two wood fired portable barbecue units, then instructed us to wait while he opened up the "Store" just for us.
Tom proceeded to elaborate in detail to us about his entire operation over the next two hours! He had my attention immediately because of his contrerian thinking and he captivated Kathy's interest with all the nuances in the Wintergreen operation relating to making jams, jellies, preserves and BBQ sauces, something Kathy has also been doing to eliminate the processed food in our diet which is usually laced with who knows what chemicals when you shop at the grocery store.
Besides the production of all their [Wintergreen] unique jams, jellies, preserves and sauces - they host live entertainment and groups which we witnessed first hand (sort of) as someone practiced on their stringed (or woodwind instrument, I can't remember) on the upper level for their performance that night, while we were taking our tour of the property inside.
From the old sugar shanty out back to the spacious back estate (many acres I'm told) which would be a perfect place to hold an outdoor wedding or family reunion - to the inside where the antique country atmosphere exudes from every nook and cranny of the two levels of the "Barn" that has been converted into a place where people can share a picnic table together (even if they're strangers).
The working maple syrup evaporator is in a separate room on the ground floor along with everything that captures what a maple syrup making operation should be, like the place where all the wood is stored for burning (even though the evaporator looks like it is oil fired). Since I was involved directly in harvesting sap and making maple syrup from an early age with my brother Paul and my Dad's help, I find Wintergreen's depiction of maple syrup making most interesting.
Kathy was most intrigued at how Tom's large wood fired barbecues could provide complete meals for so many simultaneously as she is the one always watching the food network gurus on TV and how they often have to cook quickly for just few judges quickly, which is often a great challenge.
All the wood for the wood fired barbecues comes from the acres of trees behind the Wintergreen barn as does the raw material needed for "Tom's Wooden Turned Bowls" that he must make in the off season if he's not spending time cutting down trees in preparation for the needed firewood for the barbecues for the following years.
After leaving with numerous jams, BBQ sauces and syrups in tow plus some frozen pulled pork to enjoy at home, we departed with a few pictures of the Wintergreen operation and marveled at the ingenuity of the entrepreneural spirit that appears to inspire Tom and Diane Dawson in their "retirement" years with their family Ryan and Kate.
If you have a review to add to this Blog about Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn, please feel free to add your comments to this post as well.
For more information about the Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn and what is offered, see their website at: www.WintergreenMapleProducts.ServiceForYou.ca or call Tom or Diane Dawson during business hours at: 705-286-3202
Sincerely,
James MacBrien
Reviewer
1-866-695-3316 Code 299 Ext. 600
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To
change something, build a new model that makes the existing
model obsolete."- R. Buckminster Fuller
Marketer's Dream! - Toll F*R*E*E TeleCenter
COA’s "3 Referrals and it’s F*R*E*E" program...
30 Day No Obligation F*R*E*E Trial
http://www.coatelecenter.info
My wife (a jam and jelly making fanatic) had seen a picture of the "jam wall" while searching for things to do in Haliburton - which was all that it took to create the desire to start our journey to this mysterious red-roofed-barn called Wintergreen.
The first two times we made the trek out past Haliburton to find Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn, we didn't drive far enough on the road to Gelert from Haliburton because from the information we had, it was suppose to be just outside of Haliburton... we didn't drive far enough because surely a business couldn't exist this far off the beaten path!
Before trying to find Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn a third time, we decided to call for directions (at the prompting of my wife) and made a special arrangement to meet Tom Dawson at the Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn. We didn't know what to expect, except that there were likely a good variety of jams and jellies for sale.
When we arrived, Tom Dawson heartily greeted us outside the Wintergreen barn close by his two wood fired portable barbecue units, then instructed us to wait while he opened up the "Store" just for us.
Tom proceeded to elaborate in detail to us about his entire operation over the next two hours! He had my attention immediately because of his contrerian thinking and he captivated Kathy's interest with all the nuances in the Wintergreen operation relating to making jams, jellies, preserves and BBQ sauces, something Kathy has also been doing to eliminate the processed food in our diet which is usually laced with who knows what chemicals when you shop at the grocery store.
Besides the production of all their [Wintergreen] unique jams, jellies, preserves and sauces - they host live entertainment and groups which we witnessed first hand (sort of) as someone practiced on their stringed (or woodwind instrument, I can't remember) on the upper level for their performance that night, while we were taking our tour of the property inside.
From the old sugar shanty out back to the spacious back estate (many acres I'm told) which would be a perfect place to hold an outdoor wedding or family reunion - to the inside where the antique country atmosphere exudes from every nook and cranny of the two levels of the "Barn" that has been converted into a place where people can share a picnic table together (even if they're strangers).
The working maple syrup evaporator is in a separate room on the ground floor along with everything that captures what a maple syrup making operation should be, like the place where all the wood is stored for burning (even though the evaporator looks like it is oil fired). Since I was involved directly in harvesting sap and making maple syrup from an early age with my brother Paul and my Dad's help, I find Wintergreen's depiction of maple syrup making most interesting.
Kathy was most intrigued at how Tom's large wood fired barbecues could provide complete meals for so many simultaneously as she is the one always watching the food network gurus on TV and how they often have to cook quickly for just few judges quickly, which is often a great challenge.
All the wood for the wood fired barbecues comes from the acres of trees behind the Wintergreen barn as does the raw material needed for "Tom's Wooden Turned Bowls" that he must make in the off season if he's not spending time cutting down trees in preparation for the needed firewood for the barbecues for the following years.
After leaving with numerous jams, BBQ sauces and syrups in tow plus some frozen pulled pork to enjoy at home, we departed with a few pictures of the Wintergreen operation and marveled at the ingenuity of the entrepreneural spirit that appears to inspire Tom and Diane Dawson in their "retirement" years with their family Ryan and Kate.
If you have a review to add to this Blog about Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn, please feel free to add your comments to this post as well.
For more information about the Wintergreen Maple Syrup and Pancake Barn and what is offered, see their website at: www.WintergreenMapleProducts.ServiceForYou.ca or call Tom or Diane Dawson during business hours at: 705-286-3202
Sincerely,
James MacBrien
Reviewer
1-866-695-3316 Code 299 Ext. 600
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To
change something, build a new model that makes the existing
model obsolete."- R. Buckminster Fuller
Marketer's Dream! - Toll F*R*E*E TeleCenter
COA’s "3 Referrals and it’s F*R*E*E" program...
30 Day No Obligation F*R*E*E Trial
http://www.coatelecenter.info
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