Candy Mountain is a new Maple Farm in Thurman, New York, high-up in the Adirondacks. Candy Mountain wasn't always a maple farm...... Here's a taste of Candy Mountain's History:

The first Iroquoian peoples arrived between 1,200 and 4,000 years ago, and both the Mohawk and the Oneida consider this part of the Adirondacks to be part of their territory. The Algonquian-speaking Mahicans also claimed the mountains as their lands, particularly the area east of Lake George to southern Lake Champlain.

After the arrival of French and English Colonists in the early 1600s, and through colonial times, the areas around the narrows of Lake Champlain and Lake George were the site of many battles and disputes between the French & English Colonials and Native American Tribes. This was especially true during the French and Indian War. This geography includes the lands that now comprise Candy Mountain.

Following the separation of the Colonies from England and the creation of the United States, Candy Mountain lands were used in many different ways. Both hardwoods and soft-woods have been harvested from the land many times over the last two-hundred years. There is also visible evidence of old foundations, wagon-roads, pasture fences, and stone-rows that give hints to the many ways the land was utilized over the years. Sand and gravel deposits were also removed from the property during the last century to build local roads and building foundations.

For the last 25 years or so, the property was mainly used to operate a family sawmill. Firewood was also harvested from the property since it was aggressively logged for commercial timber about 30 years ago. Since that time, a naturally diverse forest was allowed to re-populate the hills and valleys of the property.

In 2019, Candy Mountain began developing plans for the conversion of the forested areas of the property into a naturally diverse and sustainable Maple Syrup Farm. Construction began in 2021, and our first batches of sap were collected during the 2022 season.