Ron’s Pure Maple Syrup

Back in 1873, a Prussian immigrant named Christopher Reetz homesteaded a plot of land in Ogemaw County right between West Branch and Rose City. But how was he to know that 150 years later people would be talking about the grove of maple trees that lined one corner of his property? Thanks to many descendants Christopher’s original farm is now a landmark for many area residents and visitors.

Ron Thomas married into the Reetz family in 1972 and became captivated with the sugaring hobby that some of the relatives enjoyed during the spring. The maple grove stood on his father-in-law’s property, and Calvin Reetz was happy to see such interest. Ron was soon a major part of the process, and would later turn the “hobby” into a money-making business.

During the early years of his involvement, he and his wife Debbi (along with many friends and relatives) collected sap in buckets and took them home to the kitchen stove. One infamous story from this time was how the kitchen wallpaper began coming down due to all the steam. After that, Ron and Debbi boiled the sap in a small evaporator in the middle of the woods. But with the unpredictable Michigan weather, a sheet-metal lean-to was added as the shelter for this springtime activity. The syrup, thus far, was bottled in canning jars and only used by family members.

During the 1980s and 1990s Ron decided to expand the operation gradually. A new insulated sugarhouse was built and throughout the years of bigger evaporators, vacuum pumps, finishing pans and increased production, it is now 4-5 times the size of the original built in the early 1980s. Part of this increase is legitimate syrup business, but with the 2002 addition of the “party room,” it cannot be denied that the maple grove is definitely a social dwelling in Ogemaw County - a place where people come to play cards, eat, and visit with friends. Despite its growth and popularity, there isn’t much advertising of the location; it is tucked back behind an old farmhouse and the Reetz Brothers’ Dairy Farm on Campbell Road. Along with the business increasing in size and production, Ron began to ship orders of syrup throughout the country in the late 1980s. The primary outlet for their sales is at the home of Cal and Joan Reetz, who live at such a “sweet” location.

Ron runs the syrup production with the help of many friends - and it still is a family affair in this small community. In 2000, he switched from slab wood to fuel oil as his source of energy, and that has dramatically cut down on the time it takes to create his finished product. He taps approximately 40 acres with 1700 taps, most all of which reach the sugarhouse via tubing. Yet, he still collects some sap in buckets for the sake of nostalgia. Ron’s Pure Maple Syrup averages 400 gallons of syrup per year, with his best year on record being 2002 with 480 gallons.