LUCAS – Malabar Farm State Park is on track to flourish this year.
While the Maple Syrup Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fresh maple syrup and new items are ready for visitors at the park’s gift shop. Malabar Farm State Park manager Jenny Roar said farm workers started tapping 700 maple trees and the syrup production began in February.
The farm has produced about 100 gallons of maple syrup, Roar said. The season generally lasts five to six weeks, depending on the weather. Once it becomes warmer and the trees begin budding, the production will slow and gradually close.
Roar said the park has released multiple educational videos regarding maple syrup production on its Facebook page. People are welcome to check that footage and learn more about the process.
The gift shop stocks more sustainable products this year, including the farm travel mug made with wheat straw plastic and T-shirts printed with water-based ink. The shop also sells local products such as honey and pancake mix.
Ohio author and conservationist Louis Bromfield established Malabar Farm in 1938. The Pulitzer-Prize winner was born and raised in Mansfield. He named the farm after India’s Malabar coast, where he vacationed and found inspiration for one of his novels. The word “Malabar” means pleasant hills and valleys, a perfect choice for the Pleasant Valley property.
The farm became an Ohio State Park in 1976. One of the highlights on the site is the Big House, a Western-Reserve-style farm house. The building with 32 rooms was Bromfield’s dwelling.
Roar said while the Big House is closed for the moment, people can check a series of videos on the park’s Facebook page featuring different rooms in the building. Roar also said her team is cleaning the house and making it ready for reopening. When it does open, visitors will be able to tour the entire house, including areas previously closed to the public, such as the basement and rooms upstairs.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to provide an outlet and an opportunity for visitors to come out and see the park safely. We have had increased visitation, actually, since COVID has happened,” Roar said.
The Maple Syrup Cabin, the only overnight rental cabin at the farm, has been busy. Campsites have seen more campers as well. Roar said visitors can reserve both facilities at http://reserveohio.com.
She is excited about the things that will happen in the next few months. She said the farm is in the process of bringing chickens back, responding to the public’s request for fresh eggs.
Malabar Farm State Park is open every day from dawn until dusk. The barns are open daily from 8:30 a/m. to 4:30 p.m. Roar said people can expect newborn animals within a month. More information, including the gift shop’s hours, can be found at the park’s Facebook page.
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