Pat Leclaire opens his sugarhouse to the public

It’s the one-man show and old-school maple sugaring operation run by native Charlotter Pat Leclaire since 2012 that had folks stopping in for a sample during Vermont’s Maple Open House Weekend in Charlotte on March 25. His was one of more than 90 family-owned sugarhouses across the state that participated.

This retired Green Mountain Power lineman spends his days preserving a sweet Vermont tradition and jumps at any chance to explain the process. He’s been married to Aline Leclaire for 26 years. The two make about 90 gallons of maple syrup a year and have shipped it as far as Japan. “It’s a one-man show, but I have lots of support from Aline, and I have friends and family who come over to help,” Leclaire said.

Vermont leads the nation in maple syrup production. A whopping 47 percent of all maple syrup produced in the United States comes from Vermont. That’s two million gallons, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture says.

The Leclaire’s sugar house is located on Lime Kiln Road. “You don’t need an invitation,” Leclaire said. “If I am boiling, please stop in.”

Be sure to see the rest of Leclaire’s story in a video on The Charlotte News Facebook page.