Maple Weekend 2026 Recap
WHAT. A. DAY! 🍁
Bonz Beach Farms Maple Weekend 2026 Recap
Yesterday was something we’ll sincerely never forget.
What started as “let’s open up the farm and show people how maple syrup is made”… turned into one of the most encouraging, humbling days we’ve had so far out here at Bonz Beach Farms.
People came from all over — not just locally, not just Northern Michigan — but even as far as Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Based on our best estimate, somewhere between 400–500 people made their way down the muddy driveway, found the sugarhouse, and spent time with us.
After a long winter… that meant more than we can put into words.
The Work Never Stopped
While all of this was going on… the operation didn’t slow down one bit.
We produced another 100 gallons of Pure Michigan Maple Syrup during the open house — which is no small feat, even when the sugarhouse isn’t packed.
And that only happens because of three people who continue to show up and give everything they’ve got:
Dave Morgan, Sue Madden, and Bill Dymond.
We say it all the time because it’s true — we could not do this without you.
Watching sap turn into syrup is one thing…
but making it happen at this scale, consistently, is another.
You three are a joy to be around and work with.
The Food (…and a Little Chaos)
We went through:
- 20 pounds of our Sprouted Wheat Pancake Mix (and sold another 25 lbs)
- 19 pounds of sausage
And yes… we ran out of sausage.
Twice.
At one point, we were literally running into town grabbing more from Tom’s Family Market and Dollar General just to keep up.
We ran out of butter.
We ran out of plastic forks.
And more than a few “guests” turned into emergency supply runners on their way in.
Huge thank you to:
- Tom Boensch & Abbey Kerkau — you carried the pancake station all day
- Ken Simon — for keeping the sausage going nonstop
- Kathy Cordray — that maple fudge… might be the best we’ve ever had
You Showed Up (And Cleaned Us Out)
We were completely SOLD OUT of our Vanilla-Infused Maple Syrup.
Didn’t expect that.
Loved that.
The checkout line?
Yeah… it got a little congested.
But you all handled it with grace — and that didn’t go unnoticed.
Massive thank you to:
- Aunt Barb & Uncle Al Fowler — for stepping in and keeping things moving
- Debbie Shepherd and crew — for tackling cleanup after a long, full day
The Tours
If you made your way through the sugarhouse, you were led by:
Gary Shepherd (Founder)
Jeff Shepherd (New Owner)
You were in good hands — and that’s something we take seriously.
“Guess the Taps” — Results
We had 109 guesses written down (and probably missed a bunch).
Final count: 431 taps
We didn’t specify “closest without going over”… so we ended up with a 3-way tie:
- Sue Shymanski (444)
- Tim Bray (418)
- Joe Guzman (418)
We’ll be reaching out this week to get your gift baskets to you.
What People Are Saying
This is the part that stuck with us the most.
Not just the turnout… but what people experienced.
“The pancakes were delicious and so was the syrup! It was a great experience for my family. We will be coming back.”
“Thank you for opening up your farm… we enjoyed every part of it.”
“The tour was awesome, and the atmosphere was fabulous.”
“We walked out with honey, syrup, and more respect for our syrup farmers.”
One that hit especially deep:
“I asked if I could get some sap for our Native American gathering… they filled my jars. From the bottom of my heart, thank you… we will enjoy every drop.”
That’s what this is about.
What We Learned (And What’s Next)
We learned a lot.
And we’re already planning improvements for next year:
- Better parking (and less mud)
- Clear signage so you know exactly where to go
- A dedicated checkout system
- More seating (a heated tent sounds pretty good right now)
- A better display of everything we offer
And maybe… just maybe… more sausage.
Final Thought
A Facebook post — or even this article — doesn’t fully capture what we felt that day.
But this is our best attempt to say:
Thank you.
We had help from people who came as guests.
We felt the strength of this community.
And above all, we were reminded how much of this is in God’s hands.
There’s no way any of this happens without Him.
Come Visit Us
If you missed it this year — don’t worry.
We’ll be back next year, and it’ll be even better.
In the meantime, you can visit us at:
Bonz Beach Farms
20706 Bonz Beach Hwy
Onaway, MI 49765
Or shop online:
👉 BonzBeachFarms.com
NO ONE does it better than Michigan.