MEMBER PROFILE
by Terry Coleman

Dennis & Margo Sparks

Dennis and Margo Sparks of Mesick have a great deal of experience in the maple industry. Their 24 years of making maple is admirable by me. Dennis was very enjoyable to talk with. He is very humble about his experience but more than willing to share it.

Dennis, like Rick Peters, also had no family background or knowledge of sugaring. He truly learned from scratch with some hard knocks. For the first couple of years roadside trees were targeted with buckets and 20 to 40 gallons were produced in a flat pan. A 3'x12' King evaporator was then purchased and a 60 acre parcel was rented for two years. Taps increased. The rented parcel was so nice with 90%+ maples, that Dennis bought it. A 30'x40' pole barn with 24' wood storage canopy was built and the operation upgraded to a 5'x16' King evaporator which is still being used.

Many changes have occurred since those days. Total taps have now increased to 4800. The buckets have given way to all vacuum tubing with several pumps. All sap is pumped right to the sugarhouse. New pans and a steam-away sit atop the arch and a La Pierre RO sits nearby. Production now runs around 1200 gallons per season. The evaporator has forced-draft and is getting an air-tight arch front this year.
The Sparks own and operate 'Sparks Deli and Smokehouse' just outside Mesick. Much of their product is sold at the store. The also sell in other stores and a good share right at the shanty during boiling. Their product list also includes candy, cream, chocolate crèmes, and gift boxes. They run a large mailing list to aid in their sales.

Dennis told me that the whole maple experience is in his blood. He plans to start cutting and managing his woods in hopes that some youngster will take over the business someday.

To visit Spark's Sugar Den, they suggest you stop at the store in Mesick for directions.