News Briefs

Fresh Vermont Mapler Syrup at Farmers Market

You may have seen Ackermann Maple Farm’s syrup around Town; in the Winthrop Book Depot as a sweetener alternative or at one of the local bed and breakfasts for morning pancakes.  You most definitely have seen them on Sundays in the summer at the Winthrop Farmers Market.  Ackermann Maple Farm has been a longtime vendor and supporter of the Market and they claim the people are the best thing about coming to sell in Winthrop.

Ian and Caitlin Ackermann enlisted the help of family and friends to construct a sugar shack in Vermont in 2012. There, the sap that flows from over 6000 trees is heated using a natural wood fire, evaporating the water from the sap and drawing out the pronounced natural maple flavor Vermont is known for. The syrup is bottled and sealed in glass containers by Caitlin and Ian themselves so to ensure the quality of every bottle brought to the farmer’s market.

“Ackermann Maple Farm is one of our most popular vendors every year” adds Donna Sears, President of the Winthrop Farmers Market Committee. “The maple syrup is obviously outstanding and people are always intrigued by the maple cream. We are thrilled to see local spots in town using the Ackermann’s products and hopefully that trend continues with food & goods from other vendors as well.”

Ackermann Maple Farms sells at more than 15 farmers markets across the state of Massachusetts, including Winthrop.  In addition, two years ago the Ackermann’s started selling at farmers markets during the winter months in Florida.

The Ackermann’s next venture? Sears adds, “there has been talk of a maple wagon of sorts with new, innovative maple products.”  In the meantime, they also keep busy selling their products as favors and gifts as well.  “I actually used Caitlin and Ian to do my company’s corporate gifts two years ago. We got so many compliments, who wouldn’t enjoy maple syrup as a gift?”

Make sure you visit Ian at the Ackermann Maple Farm table at the Winthrop Farmers Market this year.  Opening market is Sunday, June 18 from 11am-2pm at the parking lot in front of the Larsen Ice Rink.  The markets will continue every other Sunday through October.  For more information visit the website at www.winthropfarmersmarket.com.

WIHA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL IS JUNE 20

Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association are proud to announce the 114th Annual Strawberry Festival on Tuesday, June 20 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  Strawberry season is here and yard work is being tended to host all that want to join us.  The men and woman who look after our gem, “The Deane Winthrop House”, are working hard to give back to the community and open the doors to this 1637 Farm House.  Tours of the house will be led by George Rainville and his wife, Linda.  They plan on having a tour guide who will specialize in each room of the Oldest Continually Lived in House in America, The Deane Winthrop House.  Much work has been done to the old glory.  Ryan Nichols has turned on of the bedrooms into a Civil War Museum room with many authentic pieces.  Antique dealer, John Floyd, descendant of a Gloucester Captain, donated a 1700 rope bed, dresser and other furniture to this room.  Frank Costintino spearheaded the stone wall foundation repointing project making the house structurally safe and once again able to show it’s brick arched tunnel supporting her five fireplaces.  The only other houses that I know that have the arched tunnel fireplace bases are the House of Seven Gables, Salem Ma., The Paul Revere House, Boston and The Salt Work’s Sturgis House,  Siren St., Point Shirley, Winthrop.

Recently, all of the board members, which include  President Sandra Schiff, VP Diane Blumenthal, Secretaries, Christine Reilly & Mary Mahoney, Curator, Clair Hubbard, Steve Honan, Jeff Schiff, Dave Mazzuchelli, Lauren Mazzhelli, Ginna Wilder, David Barnas, Ellen MacNeil, George Rainville, Sandy Guilfoyle, Stephanie Honan, Ethel Kelly, Alan Giangregorio, Michael Herbert and last but not least, the man who has more knowledge of this place we call home, Our Town Historian Dave Hubbard, took part in cleaning out the third floor attic.  We discovered all types of antiquities including a newspaper article about Abraham Lincoln while in office .  Many other finds were also discovered.  The attic is now cleaned out and one can see the dowels that were used to pin the house together and the peak with no ridge beam.  It’s amazing that she still stands here in our back yard.

Steve Honan and Frank Costantino have been hard at work preparing the yard for this event and the Music on the Lawn this summer.  The yard looks great.  New trees  were planted and dedicated on Arbor Day which was hosted by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association.  Last year, our Old House dodged a close call when a 80 ft. tree fell and just clipped the corner of the house causing minor damage to it.  Ten more feet south and it would have caused irreplaceable damage.  All the more reason to attend our opening of your house, America.

Our 114th Strawberry Festival has received all kinds of support.  Paul Marks donating the strawberries and whipped cream, Matt Honan donating fliers posted around town, the new Spanish bakery making the biscuits, & Winthrop Transcript publishing this article.  Shirley Hardward, Salon Luxo, Brown’s Pharmacy, Winthrop Public Library, Webster First Credit Union, Winthrop Senior Center & Winthrop Market Place are local businesses generously offering their time to sell tickets to our event.

If you have a hankering for a delicious strawberry shortcake and would like to be transported back in time with a guided tour of a circa 1637 house, this is an opportune time to see one of Winthrop’s True Treasures.    For further information, please call Michael @ 61645-0202.