What to expect when you visit our
sugarhouse
South Face Farm is located in Ashfield, Massachusetts, a small rural and farming
community in the Berkshire foothills about 120 miles west of Boston and 25 miles
northwest of Northampton, MA. Our traditional old New England sugarhouse and
restaurant is open starting the first weekend in March each year, and stays
open to the public for six weekends.We are closed on Easter Sunday. Our hours
are 8:30-3:00. The sugarhouse was built about 50 years ago from lumber that
was recycled from a 19th century barn in a neighboring town. It is nestled in
a lovely rural spot with broad views out to the south, and surrounded by rolling
hills that so characterize the Berkshires. During the fifties and sixties a
number of additions were built on as needed and as more recycled building materials
became available. It is very much a stereotypical rustic old New England farm
building. Food has been served at the sugarhouse since the early sixties as
visitors came from all over Massachusetts to witness the maple sugaring process.
It is the third sugarhouse that we know of that has been in use on the farm
in the past 100 years.
Because maple sugaring season is also mud season in rural New England, be aware
that our parking area is gravel and can sometimes be wet from melting snow that
usually remains on the ground here well into April. Remember: M stands for March, Mud and Maple!
Also keep in mind that it's usually 10-15 degrees colder up here in the Berkshire
hills than it is at lower elevations to the south and east. Check the current
weather in
Ashfield. Our sugarhouse is easy to find (directions),
located only a half hour from Northampton, Greenfield or Pittsfield, and just
off well maintained Rte. 116.
Warm and sunny Sundays in March are usually very busy here, and sometimes there
is a wait to get into our sugarhouse restaurant. In order to avoid these potentially
very busy days, we suggest three alternatives: Visit us on a Saturday; come
on the first or last weekends that we are open; or arrive either when we first
open up in the morning or after 2 pm. Our small inside waiting area is not heated,
so dress warmly! If you arrive mid-morning on a beautiful warm Sunday in mid-March,
expect to find lots of other visitors with the same idea! We have benches outside,
so you can bring the Sunday paper and sit in the sun while you wait for your
table to be ready. We do not take reservations.
The maple sugaring season lasts about 6 weeks each spring, the start of which
is depends entirely upon Mother Nature herself! Since maple sap flow is entirely
dependent upon the right weather conditions (freezing nights followed by warm
days), we are not always boiling every Saturday and Sunday, although we make
every effort to do so. You can call ahead to see if we will be boiling. Unfortunately,
due to insurance regulations, we can no longer offer tours of our boiling operation.
However, you can safely view the operation from only a few feet away, and someone
will always be on hand to answer any questions and explain the full procedure.
We like our visitors to learn about this magical spring process, and endeavor
to answer all questions. You will always be able to view the process and we
like to answer questions. Regardless of the weather, fresh maple products are
always available for sale, whether we are boiling that day or not.
This beautiful area of western Massachusetts has plenty of scenic roads, friendly
country inns, antique shops and spectacular rural scenery. Weather
permitting, there is both downhill and cross country skiing nearby, as well
as hiking in local state forests. Come visit us for a real taste of New England.