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The operation: LM Sugarbush produces maple syrup on a 140-acre farm in the southern Indiana town of Salem. Its owners are Jen Reisenbichler and Emily Blackman and their husbands, Nic Reisenbichler and Robert Blackman. All four have full-time “day jobs” and operate LM Sugarbush on the side. The farm sells about 2,500 gallons of syrup—$250,000 worth—per year. About 75% to 80% of sales are retail, either through online sales or in person during the farm’s annual Maple Syrup Festival, with wholesale sales accounting for the other 20% to 25%.
Sourcing: LM Sugarbush can produce 300-400 gallons of syrup each year. It sources other syrup from Amish syrup-makers, most of them based in Indiana.
History: The Reisenbichlers and Blackmans purchased the farm in 2013 from Jen’s and Emily’s parents. The business saw significant growth during the pandemic, in part due to lucky timing. Its 2020 festival wrapped up in early March, just before restrictions on public gatherings were put into effect. The next year, the outdoor event attracted a much bigger crowd. “People were so desperate to do something that we gained a massive, massive following,” Jen Reisenbichler said. The farm’s festival revenue jumped from $120,000 pre-pandemic to $180,000 last year, she said.
Sweet partnership: In 2017, LM Sugarbush launched barrel-aged maple syrup. LM Sugarbush gets its barrels from nearby Starlight Distillery. After Starlight has used barrels to age its whiskey and port, LM Sugarbush fills the barrels with syrup and ages it six to eight months. The result is syrup that has the flavor of spirits without the alcohol.
Check it out: LM Sugarbush’s 33rd annual Maple Syrup Festival wraps up this weekend, with food and craft vendors, farm tours, live music, and—of course—maple syrup available for sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 2-3. (The free festival kicked off last weekend.) Everything happens at the farm, 321 N. Garrison Hollow Road, Salem.
Website: lmsugarbush.com
Fun fact: The phrase “sugar bush” refers to a wooded area populated by sugar maple trees.
—Compiled by Susan Orr
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