Searching the Shadows Photography

It’s my favorite time of the year. Soon the air throughout New England will be filled with the sweet smell of maple sap being boiled and wood smoke from sugar shacks. I have a deep appreciation for maple syrup, especially the people behind it. Maine syrup producers are adapting to shorter seasons and changing weather while staying rooted in tradition that’s been passed down for generations. Many of the photos here feature Greene Maple Farm, 8th-generation farmers with tons of handwritten records tracking their tapping, boiling, and bottling dates.

Photographed for . Article written by Nora Saks.

Visited my first community ice harvest at the historic Thompson Ice House in South Bristol, Maine as they marked 200 years of the tradition. I had so many questions before arriving. Is there a dress code? Do I bring a dish to share? What if we all fall in? Do I need to bring my own rusty ice pointy thingy? Will others join in if we begin singing “The Frozen Heart (Ice Worker’s Song)” from Frozen?

It was so fun to just to show up and watch people get right to work. Luckily we didn’t need to bring anything. Volunteers cut blocks from Thompson Pond and guided them up a wooden chute where they flew into the barn for storage. In the past, this ice was used by local fishermen to transport shellfish to market, and by residents and summer families to stock ice boxes and make ice cream.

A simple, hands on way to keep history going. Fun was had by all and we didn’t fall in.