MEMBER PROFILE
by Terry Coleman

Rich and Luanne Huizenga

A few miles south of Grand Rapids is the quaint town of Hopkins. Rich Huizenga, along with his wife Luanne and four children, has lived on a rural farm for ten years. They have been members of MMSA for four years. Rich grew up in a town a few miles away and remembers his neighbor having a syrup operation which interested him. After purchasing the farm where they now live, he noticed he had a couple of neighbors who were running small operations and became interested again. He is now in his eighth year of syrup production.

On the Huizenga's property is a good sized woodlot, but due to a recent logging, about 200 taps is the maximum potential for a few years. Rich located a used 2'x6' King evaporator and boiled with it for two years. He then located a 3'x10' King which he is still using today. Fuel for the evaporator is wood cut at the farm.

Rick's woodlot is very wet so the gathering must be done with a small caterpillar tractor which pulls an old-fashioned stone-boat sled with a tank on it. This entire bush is tapped with buckets. Average production is about 50 gallons.

The saphouse itself is way back in the woods and a pitcher pump on a shallow well is its water supply. Rich located this saphouse near Dorr MI. A developer was about to tear out a maple grove for a building site and Mr. Huizenga was given permission to remove the building, which dates in the early 1950's. It was a block building that had to be torn down piece by piece and reconstructed on new footings in Rich's woods. It took some new lumber to reconstruct the roof and cupola, but now it is exactly like the day it was originally built. It provides a nostalgic look nested in the woods. Rich is a mechanic in his family's truck repair business and sells his syrup there.

Being in the woods at this time of the year with the moderate temperatures is Rich's favorite aspect of sugaring. In the near future he hopes to add-on an extra canning room to the sugarhouse, which is already 16'x22'. His taps will also increase as the trees will accommodate them. To visit Huizenga's Maple Syrup, take US 131 South from Grand Rapids to the Wayland exit. Go west five miles to 20th street. Turn left on 20th and go about 2 miles. 3105 20th is the address.