Bernie Field has to move quickly or else he will miss his chance at perfection.

Darting back and forth around a large maple sugar evaporator, he checks for foam, then heads back to the thermometer to make sure the syrup is progressing well. Every half hour or so he needs to throw more logs into the wood burner that keeps the sap boiling.

Though Field is now in only his first real maple sugar season, the process of making syrup was learned almost by osmosis.

"I tapped my first tree at 5 years old. I've been around it my whole life," said Field, 62. "But this is the first time I've done it all alone in my backyard."

Field's foray into maple sugaring was only natural. His family has owned a maple sugar business in Amherst for almost 100 years. Growing up, Field remembers traveling from their home in Byfield to Amherst. When he was older, he would take the first two weeks of March off to collect buckets and man the evaporator with his cousins and uncles.

Now, with three grown and married children and six grandchildren, it was important to Field to pass the tradition on.

"Ever since I met him, he's been talking about his dream to make maple syrup in his backyard," his wife Sheila said. "Usually when Bernie says he is going to do something, he does it."

"It's a family affair," Sheila said as she poured out some syrup for her grandson. "We are all out there collecting buckets and cutting wood."

"The fun I have had with the kids and local kids who come down and watch is unbelievable," Bernie added. "Kids stay inside nowadays and look at their video games but if they don't pay attention to what is outside, there will be no outside anymore."

In December, Bernie retired from a job in engineering with the intention of putting all his time and energy into sugaring.

"I've seen so many of my friends retire and die," Bernie said. "I wanted to retire early enough that I could enjoy myself. I don't care about the money, and I don't care if I make a dime maple sugaring."

A Weird Winter

The best weather for maple syrup production is nights in the 20s with sunny days reaching near 50 degrees in order to loosen up the sap and have it flow from the trees. It's even better when there is snow on the ground for a long period of time to keep the roots of the trees cold longer.

"This has been a weird winter, it's been too warm and the season started three weeks earlier than usual," Bernie said. His wife added, "Bernie has been ready since December though."

Bernie hopes the season lasts until the second week in March, but since it started so early, no one can tell.