Maple Syrup, Spring Prep, and New Ventures: Faith Acres Farm in Focus

This past Saturday, Faith Acres Farm fired up the evaporator in their Sugar Shack, kicking off their annual Sugar Day celebration. The Sugar Shack, designed specifically for syrup-making, features a cupola that lets the billowing steam escape as sap boils down into rich, golden maple syrup. If you were lucky enough to stop by, you got to witness firsthand the work that goes into making this liquid gold.

Faith Acres Farm Maple Syrup being served with pancake and homemade pork sausage, cooked up by Mimi's Little Kitchen, during the Sugar Day Event.

Maple sugaring is a short and intense season in Kentucky, dictated by the weather. "The only time we can harvest sap is when temperatures dip below freezing at night and warm up during the day," says Sara, one of the owners of Faith Acres Farm. "Once the trees start putting their energy into making leaves, the season is over." This year, their syrup took 60 gallons of sap to make just one gallon—a labor of love and patience. And once it’s gone, it’s gone. "What we produce during sugar season is all that we’ll have for the year, and we always sell out before the year ends," Sara explains.

If you missed Sugar Day, don’t worry—you can still pick up Faith Acres Farm’s maple syrup at their farm store now, and once the Pendleton County Farmers' Market opens on May 3rd, you’ll be able to grab a bottle at their booth.

Inside the Sugar Shack

But maple syrup isn’t the only thing in the works at Faith Acres. The farm is constantly evolving, growing, and adding new products. "We have an extensive variety of herbs—fresh and dried—for cooking and herbal teas, and we also forage for wild edibles," Sara shares. "We dry flowers for crafts, keep honey when the season allows, and our farm store is stocked with eggs, jams, jellies, salsas, pickles, relishes, and other seasonal favorites." Some of these specialty items are available only at the farm store, while others make an appearance at the market throughout the season.

Right now, the farm is buzzing with early spring preparations. "We've had over 2,500 seeds started since January," Sara says. "We’ll be planting some later this week." Faith Acres also uses an aquaponics system to raise tilapia, which enriches hydroponic beds where they grow lettuce and cruciferous vegetables. "We’ll be cleaning the system, replanting, and even expanding it with another setup," she adds.

Spring also brings unexpected challenges. A collapsed high tunnel is one of the bigger setbacks they’re dealing with. "We need to get it cleaned up and decide whether we’ll rebuild or just plant there. Once planting starts, it never stops, so we have to manage our time carefully," Sara explains.

Visitors waiting for their turn to sample the Maple Syrup with pancake and homemade sausage, cooked by Mimi's Little Kitchen, one of Pendleton County Farmers Market's regular vendor.

Faith Acres Farm isn’t just about growing food—it’s about sharing knowledge and experiences. They plan to host workshops, farm visits, and other exciting events this year. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates on farm store hours and event details.

Meanwhile, we at the Pendleton County Farmers' Market are gearing up for another great season, and we can’t wait to see you when we open on May 3rd. Whether you’re here for fresh produce, local meats, baked goods, or handcrafted items, your support keeps farms like Faith Acres thriving.

Stay tuned for more market updates, and we’ll see you soon!