Warren Scott A SWEET ENTERPRISE — Britney Hervey Farris of Family Roots Farm fills a jar with maple syrup for one of many visitors to the Wellsburg farm, which produces the condiment, maple sugar and other products for sale online and at several area businesses. The family-run business got a head start on West Virginia Maple Days, a month-long celebration of the state’s maple industry.

WELLSBURG — It may surprise area residents that, for several years, a local farm has not only sold its product to customers in other countries, but also has received two international awards for it.

Charlie and Britney Farris and Britney’s parents, Fred and Cathy Hervey, have been producing maple syrup and other products from their farm, Family Roots Farm, near W.Va. 27 for more than 20 years and their maple sugar was named the best at conferences of the International Maple Syrup Council held in 2015 and 2023.

The syrup and sugar and other products containing it are now regularly found on the shelves ranging from Mark’s Carryout in Wellsburg to the Public Market in Wheeling.

Britney Farris said that, in observance of West Virginia Maple Days, a month-long celebration of the state’s maple industry, they and other businesses such as the Caffeinated Cow coffee shop and the Kookie Jar are offering sales or items showcasing their maple-based products.

She said they are thankful for the support of the local businesses and to the West Virginia Maple Producers Association and Future Generations University, a private online graduate school, for their support.

Britney Farris added staff with the university’s agricultural program have conducted research that has been very helpful, including determining the most efficient of two common sizes of lines used to convey sapwater from the farm’s many maple trees and the best ways to sanitize them afterward.

But the process goes far beyond that.

This year, 500 taps were inserted into the farm’s many trees, with lines running from them to a large tank.

Britney Farris noted the tank is rigged with a monitor that texts her if the tank is nearly full or pressure in the lines has dropped, often because they have been disturbed by an animal.

The sapwater is converted to syrup or sugar through a boiling process employed by large equipment in a 160-square-foot building the family has dubbed the “Sugar Shack.”

Heated at seven degrees above boiling, the sapwater can burn very quickly and must be monitored by the Herveys to ensure its quality.

Britney noted it takes 50 gallons of boiled and filtered sapwater to produce one gallon of syrup. She said the most sapwater is produced on sunny winter days with cold nights, and it’s usually collected in February.

“When the trees bud, maple sap season is over,” said Britney.

The family sells the syrup in liter and half-liter containers. To its recyclable, plastic bottles, they have added glass ones bearing images of the farm that also could be used for decoration.

Many regular customers accepted an invitation last weekend to have their empty bottles refilled at the Sugar Shack, an offer made as part of Maple Days.

Among them was Jan Runyan of Wellsburg, who said she enjoyed the opportunity to recycle the old bottles while stocking up on one of her favorite condiments. She added that, to eat healthier, she has turned to products with natural ingredients and that includes using the farm’s maple sugar as a sweetener.

“I’ve transferred almost every sweet I make to the maple sugar,” said Runyan, who added, “Having a place like this is wonderful.”

Visitors also could sample the farm’s maple oatmeal pies, maple cinnamon cookies, maple cheesecakes or pretzels with maple mustard, which is a bit like honey mustard.

Britney Farris noted the farm also sells maple cream, which customers have used as icing on cookies or drizzled on waffles or apple dishes; maple fudge and maple salsa.

That might give the impression the farm is focused on just one item, but the family stays busy at other times of the year cultivating strawberries, tomatoes and other produce and more recently, sorghum, a gluten-free grain from which they also produce syrup.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)