$50 a PINT?!

$50 a PINT?!

DARK ENERGY

IS

The most expensive MAPLE SYRUP in Benzie County

Why so expensive?
I don't care, sell me some!
Tell me more...

Love Farm Aurora • Kent and Carol Reeder

All the atoms and light in the universe together make up less than five percent of the total contents of the cosmos. The rest is composed of dark matter and dark energy, which are invisible but dominate the structure and evolution of the universe. Dark matter makes up most of the mass of galaxies and galaxy clusters, and is responsible for the way galaxies are organized on grand scales. Dark energy, meanwhile, is the name we give the mysterious influence driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. What these substances are and how they work are some of the major challenges facing modern astronomers.

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Ordering

For pick-up and local delivery, please text or email your order. Specify size and quantity and be sure to include your full name, address and cell number. We accept Venmo and cash.

pick-up

3730 Highland Drive, Beulah MI 49617

  • 1 pint = $50
  • 1 quart = $90
  • 1 gallon = $350
    • (4 quart jars, 8 pint jars or mix and match... great gifts!)

local delivery

  • < 5 miles from Love Farm = FREE
  • < 10 miles from Love Farm = $20

shipping

For shipping in the USA, use the links below.

Inspired by Bob Wells of New England Biochar, Love Farm's "Vaal" is both a biochar generator and a syrup evaporator.


Wilds Resonant Human Thriving

Savvy marketing professionals weren't paid the big bucks to write this copy. The Dark Energy experience is about tasting and thriving, and that can't be simulated by text or video on a web site. If you're wondering whether to buy Dark Energy, ask a friend or family member who already has.

People have been trained by consumer culture to make choices based on emotion rather than function, utility, or even self interest. Dark Energy is not intended for "consumers", but for people who are aware of what actually benefits them and their lovely planet.

I tap the trees, feed the fire and fill the jars. Whatever we make, also makes us. I enjoy sharing what has been revealed and discovered, along the way.

Dan Kelly

 

Aesthetics

Sap Harvest

Love Farm protects approximately 200 acres of mixed deciduous and maple forest and another 100 acres of wild wetlands and meadow. With so many maple trees, we can alternate which trees get tapped each season. Trees are tapped with stainless steel spiles and a 3 foot length of poly tubing flowing into a sealed food grade 5 gallon HDPE bucket. We use food grade H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to sterilize our equipment at the end of the season.

Sap is transferred from buckets into 300 gallon food grade totes and transported by truck or tractor to "Vaal", our custom combo sap evaporator and biochar generator. Learn more about biochar from Bob Wells.

We do not deploy networks of sap collection tubing, which can become contaminated with mold/mildew and are difficult to clean. Some maple syrup producers NEVER clean their tube networks, leaving them in place all year... yikes!

Evaporation

We concentrate the sap over a massive wood fire and finish the syrup on either a indoor wood stove and / or natural gas (methane) stove. The fuel ratio is approximately 95% wood and 5% natural gas.

Our wood fuel comes from fallen timber in our own forests and reclaimed tree service drops offs. The co-production of Black Magic Biochar soil amendment during sap evaporation yields two products from one fire. Although there are serious concerns with fracking, natural gas is the cleanest burning and most abundant hydrocarbon.

Only stainless steel and glass contact the syrup during evaporation and canning. No plastic ever touches hot sap or syrup. We don't use reverse osmosis as the membranes are synthetic and prone to bio fouling.

Sugar Sand

In the spring, maple sap flows up from the roots of the trees to make leaves. Sap is a mix of water, sugars, minerals and trace elements. Leaf structure requires minerals, and so do people.

The least invasive technique of modern filtration involves adding diatomaceous earth to hot syrup and then forcing the syrup under pressure through a series of paper filters. Lots of machines and material tossed in the compost, along with the vitality of the syrup. Filtered maple syrup emphasizes appearance over health, an empty sugar lacking the full synergy of elements present in the raw sap.

The Indians and the euro pioneers probably did not try to clarify their maple syrup. We can imagine them thriving from the full expression of Sugar Maple generosity.

Dark Energy is never filtered. The presence of mineral rich sugar sand (and a dash of carbon from wood fire) is what makes Dark Energy dark. This is the OG Maple Syrup - a liquid leaf building essence consciously concentrated to empower people. Say that ten times fast!

The most expensive BECAUSE...

Dark Energy Maple Syrup

  • is hand harvested, evaporated and jarred.
  • is made in limited quantity, less than 100 gallons of Dark Energy is finished seasonally.
  • takes no short cuts. Supposed "labor saving" techniques can compromise quality and risk contamination.
  • is made by folks who practice extreme integrity in production and handling.
  • never contacts plastic during and after evaporation, only glass and stainless steel.
  • is not filtered, keeping bio-available minerals and trace elements intact.
  • is easy on the Earth. Evaporation is 99% wood fired with carbon sequestration to promote soil fertility.
  • is produced on Love Farm, a wilds resonant operation. Love Farm keeps about 300 acres of forest, meadow, spectacular views, and lake frontage, WILD.

Private Membership Association

Highland Flowers, Love Farm's Private Membership Association provides access to our trails, events, classes and the Truck Garden buying club. Dues are $55 annually.