WEBVTT

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[gentle orchestral fanfare]

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♪

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[resonant strings lead
building orchestration]

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[stream gurgling]

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♪

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(male narrator)
Welcome to "Our State,"

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a production of UNC-TV

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in association
with "Our State" magazine--

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for over 75 years

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bringing readers
the wonders of North Carolina.

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On this edition,

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Join
the colorful
excitement

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that grips
Grove Park Inn

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each year with
gingerbread...

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follow
Billy Barnes

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for an
inside taste

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of Cheerwine...

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and see real North
Carolina maple syrup

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being made at
Maple Creek Farm.

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♪

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[gentle piano melody]

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(male announcer)
Since 1872,

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BB&T has been supporting
the people and communities

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of North Carolina.

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From our small-town roots

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to the banking network
you see today,

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we've always been here
for all our clients,

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stretching from Manteo
to Murphy.

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We're proud
of our heritage

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and to call
North Carolina home,

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and we're very proud
to provide funding

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for "Our State."

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♪

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Quality public television
is made possible

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through the financial
contributions

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of viewers like you,

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who invite you to join them
in supporting UNC-TV.

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[plucked strings interlude]

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♪

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[piano leads]

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(male narrator)
There's something sweet

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going on at Asheville's
Grove Park Inn.

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People have come
from miles around--

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treasures in hand--
works created with love.

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Edible art,
you might say,

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from the small and hopeful...
to the most elaborate,

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each one a unique
creative experience.

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Got your
papers?

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(narrator)
Folks have been
working for months

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on the design and construction
of their entries.

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(woman)
Never having been
an architectural student,

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I'm...
rather tickled.

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Is this us,
right here?

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(narrator)
And now they're ready...
or mostly ready.

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(woman)
Guess what I forgot?
My snow!

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Oh, well.

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(narrator)
So let the day begin
at the 17th Annual

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Grove Park Inn National
Gingerbread House Competition.

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What you'll do is
come in here--

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take the elevator
up to the next floor.

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(man)
That's awesome, guys!

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(woman)
And you'll go to your right.

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They'll take a picture.

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(male photographer)
Look right at my camera--
one, two, three.

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[camera clicking]

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And that looks great;
thank you very much.

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(woman)
And then you'll go
into the ballroom.

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(man)
We've got over 20 states
registered, actually,

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this year
in our competition.

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We've got folks coming
from upstate New York,

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folks coming
from Wisconsin.

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In the past,
we've had folks register

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from as far away as Oregon.

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My snowman fell down!

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(narrator)
It's not unusual
for mishaps to occur

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during transportation,
but the Grove Park Inn

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has that base covered--

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a clinic of sorts
for gingerbread houses

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that have experienced
difficulties en route.

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(woman)
This is my first one--

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hence the giant crack.

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We made it
all the way to...

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a bridge on I-40
with all the potholes

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when it went
"krk-khk" and fell!

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(narrator)
Finally, all is well,

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and a train of repaired
gingerbread houses

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heads off
for the ballroom.

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[woodwinds ascending]

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Except that some of them

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don't exactly...
look like houses.

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(boy)
Mine's supposed to be

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a battle
between 1880-something

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and 1990-something.

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And these are like
spaceship thingies.

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(narrator)
Hmm...imagination's
the thing here,

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and as long as
you can eat it and it's not more

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than two feet by two feet
by two feet, well...

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the rest
is up to you.

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Camping scene
with different stuff.

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(narrator)
Here's one that should
look familiar

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to UNC-TV viewers;
it's Cupola House.

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(woman)
In Edenton--'cause I made
my husband drive and see it

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after we saw it
in "Our State" magazine.

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It took me forever,
cuttin' out

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all those little
pieces of siding

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and sticking that
on there.

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[plucked strings
lead dainty arrangement]

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(Davis)
We have
four different categories

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in our competition
this year.

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My hands
are shaking.

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(Davis)
We have our adult category,
which is 18 and up.

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♪

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We have our teen category,
which is 13 through 17.

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[glockenspiel joins]

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We have our youth category,
which is 9 through 12...

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and then we have
our child category,

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which is five-
through eight-year-olds.

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(narrator)
It's astonishing to consider

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how much time
these sugar artists

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may have put in their work--
often many months.

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Andrea Jost from Raleigh

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has been planning
her project since summer

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and began building in earnest
around the first of September.

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(Jost)
I collect pop-up books,
and I have many,

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so I thought that would be
a good inspiration

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to do something
that's different.

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And I haven't actually seen
anybody doing a pop-up book.

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The book is
"The Night Before Christmas,"

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so you'll have, um,
a chimney coming out here

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and a Christmas tree
and Santa standing there.

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And you're going to have
"a night before Christmas"

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written on the pages,
hopefully.

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The most important parameter
is that the main structure

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is constructed
out of gingerbread.

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That doesn't mean
it has to taste good,

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so you can use
raw spaghettis,

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and any kind of food item

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that you could find
in a pantry can be used,

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but you're not allowed
to use any support

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like Styrofoam or wood.

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I have seen the judges
actually walking around

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with little knives, poking.

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So they will check.

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[piano leads
dainty arrangement]

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I think one of the things
that are really important

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is to have
a lot of detail...

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and to have
very clean craftsmanship.

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So you see these houses,
and they look

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like they're made out
of some other material,

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not gingerbread and icing.

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Everything is perfect.

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(narrator)
Perfection begins,
at least for Andrea,

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in the kitchen,
where ordinary tools

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and ingredients
plus her imagination

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combine to create
something extraordinary.

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I basically use
gingerbread dough

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that's pretty much
like regular gingerbread dough

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that you would make

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if you wanna
actually eat the house.

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What I do is leave out
the baking powder

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so the dough won't rise.

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Bake it at a lower temperature
for a little bit longer.

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That'll be stiffer
and less likely to bend.

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[glockenspiel interlude]

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So once it's out of the oven
and it's cooled off,

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you can see that it's
a pretty sturdy piece.

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A lot of people use glazes or,
like I do, fondant on top,

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so that'll preserve
the dough.

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(narrator)
Andrea also cuts out

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some reindeer and leaf shapes
to test in the oven.

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One of Andrea's
most creative brainstorms

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was how to put
all 14 verses

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of Clement Moore's poem
on her pages.

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It just popped
in my head-- alphabet pasta.

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[oboe leads
calm arrangement]

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♪

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(narrator)
She presses
each letter into fondant,

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a commercial dough that comes
in a variety of colors

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and is used as a cake
and pastry filling.

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Some of the work Andrea does
is extremely delicate...

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(Jost)
I think I could be
a brain surgeon.

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(narrator)
...and obviously fun!

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(Jost)
That's my little boot.

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(narrator)
Creating each piece
can be quite laborious,

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but it's clearly
a labor of love.

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Of course,
she wants the judges

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to love her creation too.

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Think that's
a tree?

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(Davis)
Each of our judges

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are required
to look at creativity...

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[plucked strings
lead dainty arrangement]

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consistency of theme...

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[glockenspiel
punctuating arrangement]

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difficulty in precision...

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♪

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and then we have
originality.

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(narrator)
Which ones will win?

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What's your favorite?

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Imagine having to decide!

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(woman)
Well, it was
a little overwhelming.

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We were back there
choking each other!

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"You need to vote
for this one--I insist!"

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Hah, hah, hah!

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(narrator)
Another consideration

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is how to get
an elaborate structure like this

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to survive the long trek
to Asheville.

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That's something Andrea
has been thinking about

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as she surveys the pieces

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all laid out
on her table in Raleigh.

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So, I will put up
all the pages

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with their backs together,
and then, little by little,

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I will put on,
like, the house.

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Once the page is up,

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I can put the roof
against the page.

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Same with all
the other pieces,

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like the Christmas tree,
but I'm going to stand it up

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and take it standing.

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I think that's--
that's the plan for now.

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♪

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(narrator)
Excitement builds
throughout the day

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as the judges
wrap up their work.

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(Davis)
Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you so much

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for joining us
for the 17th Annual

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National Gingerbread House
Competition.

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(narrator)
Each of the four groups
of contestants

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are on the edge
of their seats

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at the awards ceremony

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to see who will be
the ten semifinalists...

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(emcee)
Now to round out the top ten--

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(narrator)
...and then the
three winners

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in each
category.

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(Davis)
Let's give one more
round of applause

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to all our
youth top-ten
winners.

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[applause]

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(male emcee)
We'd like to present

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our top three
prizewinners

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in the teen
category.

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♪

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(Davis)
Ladies and
gentlemen,

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our top ten
winners in our
adult division.

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(narrator)
It's difficult to comprehend

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the emotional investment

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each contestant has put
into their project.

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[plucked strings
lead dainty arrangement]

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But one contestant
is noticeably absent.

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Back in Raleigh,
Andrea now contemplates

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the ultimate disaster
when her hard work

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unexpectedly
came tumbling down

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in the blink
of a reindeer's eye.

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(Jost)
I was starting
to put it together

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when two of the big pages
just couldn't stand up.

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They were all going to be
standing up like that,

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and they did, but then
two just broke in half.

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It rained
for five days straight,

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and even though the fondant
on top is very stiff,

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the gingerbread
in the middle

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just started to become
very soggy and moist.

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So moisture and gingerbread
are just not good friends.

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(Davis)
And this year's
grand prizewinner

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in the National
Gingerbread House Competition

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is entry 2387 from Polkville,
North Carolina.

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[cheering and applause]

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♪

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I'm shocked right now.

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Last year I got in the top ten
for the first time,

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so I'm just
shocked to be here!

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hah, hah

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(narrator)
The winning entries
are put on display

11:13.900 --> 11:15.468
throughout
the Grove Park Inn

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for a while,
and some in town as well

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to perhaps inspire someone

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thinking about
competing next year.

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♪

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It won't be long before
the old creative juices

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will begin flowing again.

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And maybe...

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the next one will be more
than you ever dared to dream.

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[arrangement concludes
with fluttering melody]

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[sauntering piano interlude]

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♪

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[bouncy guitar
and piano tune]

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It's as Southern

11:50.934 --> 11:52.334
as Krispy Kreme
doughnuts

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and MoonPies.

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It's been around
since 1917,

11:55.534 --> 11:58.200
and it gets its mail
right here in Salisbury.

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♪

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It's that fizzy,
ruby-red elixir

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known as "Cheerwine."

12:06.135 --> 12:10.034
Cheerwine's name comes from
its cherry/almond flavor.

12:10.134 --> 12:13.301
Strictly speaking,
it's not wine at all.

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It's a nonalcoholic,
noninebriating soda pop

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that has been tingling
North Carolina tongues

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since the days
when Woodrow Wilson

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occupied the White House.

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Like rubber tires,
Velcro,

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and a whole lot
of this world's babies,

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Cheerwine was born
by accident.

12:33.934 --> 12:36.434
In the years
before World War I,

12:36.534 --> 12:39.167
a tiny bottling company
in Salisbury

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was selling a drink
called "Mint Cola."

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During the war,
a severe sugar shortage

12:45.201 --> 12:47.734
threatened to shut down
the business.

12:47.834 --> 12:49.434
The company's worried owner,

12:49.534 --> 12:51.801
Mr. L.D. Peeler,
was pacing the floor

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when a traveling
salesman dropped by

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and convinced Peeler
to try a cherry flavoring

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that was every bit
as sweet as sugar.

13:00.901 --> 13:02.634
[twittering flute leads
building arrangement]

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Sure enough,
the result was a drink

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that offered
a tasty alternative to cola.

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Soon the company was churning
out bottles of Cheerwine

13:11.968 --> 13:14.668
in a building that had been
a whiskey distillery

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before the days
of prohibition.

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[plucked strings
lead perky arrangement]

13:18.735 --> 13:21.967
(man)
One thing that we try
not to change

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is our formula.

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Packaging has changed
tremendously.

13:26.401 --> 13:30.301
Of course, we started with
six-ounce returnable bottle

13:30.401 --> 13:32.234
back in 1917,

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and then 1957,
they came out

13:35.468 --> 13:37.900
with a king-size,
eight-ounce bottle,

13:38.001 --> 13:40.234
which we think's
pretty funny now.

13:40.334 --> 13:42.868
And then soon after that,
everything was returnable.

13:42.968 --> 13:45.334
We came out
with 16-ounce returnables,

13:45.434 --> 13:47.234
32-ounce returnables,

13:47.334 --> 13:50.101
and then cans
were invented in the '60s.

13:50.201 --> 13:53.134
In the '70s,
plastic started coming out.

13:53.234 --> 13:54.900
We got bigger sizes.

13:55.001 --> 13:56.501
We started with 64 ounce,

13:56.601 --> 13:58.334
and now we have
2-liter plastic,

13:58.434 --> 14:02.633
and our industry does
a good job of recycling.

14:02.734 --> 14:04.935
♪

14:05.035 --> 14:07.267
(Barnes)
The Cheerwine folks
are well aware

14:07.368 --> 14:10.201
that they're selling
a legendary brand of soda pop,

14:10.301 --> 14:11.901
and they feed the legend

14:12.002 --> 14:15.468
with a colorful line
of Cheerwine collector items.

14:15.568 --> 14:17.900
You can shop for them online,

14:18.001 --> 14:20.768
but it's more fun
to admire the real stuff

14:20.868 --> 14:23.567
at the old-fashioned
Innes Street Drug store

14:23.667 --> 14:26.967
in downtown Salisbury.

14:27.067 --> 14:29.735
Inside the store,
there's an amazing array

14:29.835 --> 14:33.001
of Cheerwine collectibles
old and new--

14:33.101 --> 14:36.967
several generations
of clocks...

14:37.067 --> 14:39.667
delightful old posters,
T-shirts,

14:39.767 --> 14:41.834
sweatshirts, golf bags,

14:41.934 --> 14:44.533
golf balls,
windbreakers,

14:44.633 --> 14:46.967
and on and on!

14:48.235 --> 14:52.134
Behind the counter, there's
that churning slushy machine,

14:52.234 --> 14:54.234
delighting
the tiny tongues

14:54.334 --> 14:57.534
of a new generation
of Cheerwine fans.

14:57.634 --> 14:59.633
[clarinet slide
introduces musical pause]

14:59.734 --> 15:02.001
♪

15:02.101 --> 15:05.468
Across town
at Cheerwine headquarters,

15:05.568 --> 15:09.334
the magic begins
in a locked, windowless room

15:09.434 --> 15:13.267
where trusted employees
follow a secret family formula

15:13.368 --> 15:16.801
to create the syrupy
Cheerwine base.

15:16.901 --> 15:20.567
The concentrated mix
is stored in a 3,000-gallon

15:20.667 --> 15:22.801
stainless steel tank,

15:22.901 --> 15:26.401
then funneled into
5-gallon jugs for shipment

15:26.501 --> 15:28.267
to seven bottling companies

15:28.368 --> 15:30.768
spread over
six southern states.

15:30.868 --> 15:32.867
[percussion
introduces industrious theme]

15:32.967 --> 15:34.868
♪

15:34.968 --> 15:37.934
Each jug holds
enough base concentrate

15:38.034 --> 15:40.834
to make 30,000
12-ounce servings

15:40.934 --> 15:43.601
of Cheerwine.

15:43.701 --> 15:47.001
The Cheerwine folks own
this operation in Charlotte.

15:47.101 --> 15:49.735
♪

15:49.835 --> 15:53.401
Concentrate is mixed with
sweetener and purified water

15:53.501 --> 15:56.967
then squirted into cans
and bottles.

15:57.067 --> 15:58.867
Two-liter bottles
spew forth

15:58.967 --> 16:02.300
at a rate
of 350 per minute.

16:02.400 --> 16:07.368
♪

16:07.468 --> 16:11.900
Cheerwine cans are filled
at a rate of 1,200 per minute.

16:12.001 --> 16:22.201
♪

16:22.301 --> 16:25.001
Then they move
to the warehouse

16:25.101 --> 16:26.568
to be loaded
onto trucks

16:26.668 --> 16:28.334
bound for your
neighborhood grocery

16:28.434 --> 16:30.533
and convenience stores.

16:30.633 --> 16:32.534
♪

16:32.634 --> 16:34.634
From a marketing
point of view,

16:34.735 --> 16:38.668
Cheerwine has what you might
call a "split personality."

16:38.768 --> 16:41.701
There's a huge body
of mature-aged customers

16:41.801 --> 16:45.167
who've grown up with
Cheerwine as a way of life.

16:45.267 --> 16:48.368
But what about the younger
"Twitter generation"?

16:48.468 --> 16:49.967
(man)
The Cheerwine brand

16:50.067 --> 16:51.968
doesn't take itself
all that seriously.

16:52.068 --> 16:54.668
The target consumer
that we're trying to reach

16:54.768 --> 16:58.334
is a young person,
roughly 18 to 24.

16:58.434 --> 17:02.434
And so if a brand today wants
to try to reach this target,

17:02.534 --> 17:05.334
you've gotta have a presence
through the Internet.

17:05.434 --> 17:08.634
We've created videos that
we place on our Web site

17:08.735 --> 17:11.568
such as
"Tales from the Fridge"

17:11.668 --> 17:14.001
where Cheerwine
is in the refrigerator

17:14.101 --> 17:16.368
and he's solving issues
for other products

17:16.468 --> 17:17.967
that are in the refrigerator.

17:18.067 --> 17:20.035
Jelly, we're all on
the same team here.

17:20.135 --> 17:22.601
(Jelly)
Oh, see Broccoli, I think
he's turning bad, man.

17:22.701 --> 17:25.401
(Cheerwine)
Ah, he's just going through
a rough patch, that's all.

17:25.501 --> 17:27.401
[Spanish guitar riff]

17:27.501 --> 17:29.801
(Barbitta)
We have consumers
all over the country,

17:29.901 --> 17:32.800
some international consumers
who will order Cheerwine

17:32.900 --> 17:34.900
because it
tastes like home.

17:35.001 --> 17:36.667
We have servicemen and women

17:36.767 --> 17:38.234
over in Afghanistan and Iraq

17:38.334 --> 17:40.401
who we hear from regularly.

17:40.501 --> 17:42.800
We particularly take care
of the service people,

17:42.900 --> 17:44.701
and if we can't
send them product

17:44.801 --> 17:47.001
because it's hard to ship
to where they are,

17:47.101 --> 17:49.134
we'll send them
a T-shirt.

17:49.234 --> 17:50.801
(Barnes)
Cheerwine...

17:50.901 --> 17:54.568
a classic palate pleaser
whose fame continues to grow.

17:54.668 --> 17:57.101
(Barbitta)
But beyond what it does
on our tongue,

17:57.201 --> 18:00.368
we're marketing and selling
a true passion brand

18:00.468 --> 18:02.368
that people
throughout the Southeast

18:02.468 --> 18:04.068
really identify with.

18:04.168 --> 18:06.901
We think we're the last
soft drink company in America

18:07.002 --> 18:09.534
still run by the same family
that founded it,

18:09.634 --> 18:11.634
and when you have
a brand like Cheerwine

18:11.735 --> 18:13.234
that is still
being discovered,

18:13.334 --> 18:15.935
yet it has this authentic
backstory of 92 years,

18:16.035 --> 18:18.801
I think that goes a long
way with consumers today.

18:18.901 --> 18:21.067
(male vocalists)
♪ It's time for Cheerwine

18:21.167 --> 18:23.067
♪

18:23.167 --> 18:25.266
♪ Gotta have that Cheerwine

18:25.367 --> 18:28.101
♪

18:28.201 --> 18:29.700
♪ Cheerwine ♪

18:29.800 --> 18:31.967
[fizzing]

18:35.434 --> 18:37.667
[ambling banjo interlude]

18:37.767 --> 18:39.667
♪

18:39.767 --> 18:41.400
[stream gurgling]

18:41.500 --> 18:43.500
[crowing]

18:45.368 --> 18:47.201
(male narrator)
It's a late winter's day

18:47.301 --> 18:49.434
on a small mountain farm
near Burnsville,

18:49.534 --> 18:52.001
the kind of day
that gets your hopes up,

18:52.101 --> 18:55.234
despite the lingering snow.

18:55.334 --> 18:57.201
And the sap is rising--

18:57.301 --> 18:59.368
a sure sign
of approaching spring

18:59.468 --> 19:03.600
as it drips from the tap
on this maple tree.

19:03.700 --> 19:05.633
Sap from a maple tree...

19:05.734 --> 19:07.633
in North Carolina?

19:07.734 --> 19:09.633
You bet!

19:09.734 --> 19:11.668
Welcome to Maple Creek Farm,

19:11.768 --> 19:15.700
our state's only commercial
producer of real maple syrup.

19:17.001 --> 19:18.768
It all started
a few years ago

19:18.868 --> 19:21.534
when John Swann bought a
piece of mountain property here

19:21.634 --> 19:24.500
that he thought would be
a great place to retire...

19:24.600 --> 19:26.167
someday.

19:26.267 --> 19:27.768
(Swann)
I had the idea

19:27.868 --> 19:29.900
we could get
a farm going up here,

19:30.001 --> 19:32.234
and so I advertised
for a farm manager

19:32.334 --> 19:35.601
and came upon
Richard and Molly.

19:35.701 --> 19:37.334
Richard has
a master's degree

19:37.434 --> 19:40.067
in forestry from Duke,
and one of the first things

19:40.167 --> 19:42.401
he did is hike
up and down the mountains

19:42.501 --> 19:45.001
and just scope out everything
we have on the farm.

19:45.101 --> 19:47.101
He came and said,
"We got massive amounts

19:47.201 --> 19:48.835
of maple trees--"
sugar maple trees.

19:48.935 --> 19:50.967
"Why don't we try
doing some syrup?"

19:52.501 --> 19:55.067
So, uh, this here is a--

19:55.167 --> 19:56.900
what's called a bucket tap,

19:57.001 --> 19:58.434
and this tree

19:58.534 --> 20:00.501
is the closest tree
to the house.

20:00.601 --> 20:02.568
And it also gets
southern sun,

20:02.668 --> 20:05.501
so when the sun comes up
in the morning,

20:05.601 --> 20:07.634
if this tree's runnin',
I know to expect

20:07.735 --> 20:11.134
all the other trees
to start runnin'

20:11.234 --> 20:13.134
(Swann)
The challenge that was always

20:13.234 --> 20:15.934
in the mountains down
here is, you can't get the sap

20:16.034 --> 20:17.668
down to the evaporator
very easily.

20:17.768 --> 20:19.534
Up north,
you could get a sleigh

20:19.634 --> 20:21.267
and a horse
through the woods

20:21.368 --> 20:23.001
'cause your grades
were not bad,

20:23.101 --> 20:24.868
but up here
with rocks and trees,

20:24.968 --> 20:27.735
we tried the first year with
buckets; it was a disaster.

20:27.835 --> 20:29.668
There's nothing like carrying
two five-gallon buckets

20:29.768 --> 20:32.002
of sap down a rocky hill
in the mud

20:32.102 --> 20:34.067
to convince you real quick
that's not feasible

20:34.167 --> 20:36.568
on any kind of scale.

20:36.668 --> 20:38.001
(narrator)
After studying techniques

20:38.101 --> 20:39.701
now being used in Vermont,

20:39.801 --> 20:41.634
Richard rigged
a system of tubes

20:41.735 --> 20:43.501
that lets gravity
do all the work,

20:43.601 --> 20:45.234
getting the sap
down the mountain

20:45.334 --> 20:47.768
to collecting tanks.

20:47.868 --> 20:50.600
(Sanders)
This black line is
what we call our "main line,"

20:50.700 --> 20:52.668
and it is hanging

20:52.768 --> 20:56.134
on ten-gauge, high-tensile,
electric fence wire, um.

20:56.234 --> 20:59.935
So we probably
got two miles of this--

21:00.035 --> 21:03.634
this is what really transports
all of our sap.

21:03.735 --> 21:06.634
Then we, uh, bought some
of this blue tubing.

21:06.735 --> 21:09.167
It's food-grade,
maple sap tubing,

21:09.267 --> 21:10.701
and it's flexible,

21:10.801 --> 21:14.300
and we run it
from tree to tree.

21:15.735 --> 21:18.134
What we're looking for
in a tappable tree

21:18.234 --> 21:21.501
is something with a big,
healthy crown, uh,

21:21.601 --> 21:25.601
somethin' bigger than
12 inches, in general, uh.

21:25.701 --> 21:27.334
But what
we're actually doing is,

21:27.434 --> 21:29.368
we're gonna take
a drill bit

21:29.468 --> 21:32.801
and drill in
and sever the vascular cells

21:32.901 --> 21:35.735
that are moving liquid
up and down through the tree,

21:35.835 --> 21:38.900
and, uh, then we stick
in this little, uh, tap here,

21:39.001 --> 21:41.034
hammer it in tight,
and let it seal

21:41.134 --> 21:42.968
around the outside
of that hole

21:43.068 --> 21:46.534
so that any liquid in there
backs up and runs out--

21:46.634 --> 21:48.834
runs out through
this little plastic tap

21:48.934 --> 21:50.735
into our tubing system.

21:50.835 --> 21:53.800
When it warms up
to a nice, warm day--

21:53.900 --> 21:56.034
say, 40, 45, 50, uh,

21:56.134 --> 21:59.034
sap begins to move up
the tree trunk, but, uh,

21:59.134 --> 22:00.900
it needs a freezing night

22:01.001 --> 22:02.735
to make
the tree trunk contract

22:02.835 --> 22:05.368
and push the sap back down
into the root systems.

22:05.468 --> 22:08.701
So what we really want
is a 20-degree night

22:08.801 --> 22:13.434
to a 50-degree day
every day for a week.

22:13.534 --> 22:14.934
We're collecting sap

22:15.034 --> 22:17.835
from maybe 400 trees
on the property,

22:17.935 --> 22:21.834
and we've strung
about four miles of tubing,

22:21.934 --> 22:23.735
and we
collect it here.

22:23.835 --> 22:25.568
The sap--
especially in warm weather,

22:25.668 --> 22:27.801
sap will spoil
pretty quick, uh.

22:27.901 --> 22:30.468
There are bacteria that like
to eat the sugar, uh,

22:30.568 --> 22:32.534
so the best thing
for us to do

22:32.634 --> 22:35.634
is to turn it into syrup
just as fast as we can.

22:35.735 --> 22:38.234
You wanna bring me an armload
of bigger stuff, Richard?

22:38.334 --> 22:39.767
[wood clattering]

22:44.768 --> 22:46.401
(narrator)
And that's when another bit

22:46.501 --> 22:48.734
of New England technology
is put to good use--

22:48.834 --> 22:50.334
an evaporator that stands

22:50.434 --> 22:52.334
in all
its stainless steel glory

22:52.434 --> 22:55.167
one level below
the storage tanks.

22:55.267 --> 22:57.034
(Sanders)
It's kind of hard to find

22:57.134 --> 22:59.401
one of these things
in North Carolina.

22:59.501 --> 23:02.234
John and I drove
to New Hampshire, uh,

23:02.334 --> 23:04.401
after our first year
of production,

23:04.501 --> 23:07.102
and then we decided
it was worth investing

23:07.202 --> 23:10.868
in this, uh, really, very
specialized piece of equipment.

23:10.968 --> 23:14.267
This whole unit's called
a continuous-flow evaporator.

23:14.368 --> 23:16.468
That runs
from our storage tank

23:16.568 --> 23:20.234
into this copper pipe,
and it's gonna be at, uh,

23:20.334 --> 23:23.368
close to freezing, usually,
when we start up.

23:23.468 --> 23:25.568
And it runs
back and forth

23:25.668 --> 23:28.201
through these copper pipes
here, um,

23:28.301 --> 23:31.367
and all these pipes
are bathed in hot steam.

23:31.467 --> 23:33.433
[crackling]

23:35.368 --> 23:37.368
(narrator)
Once the fire
gets fully cranked,

23:37.468 --> 23:40.368
the sap can be boiling
in about 20 minutes

23:40.468 --> 23:42.234
but then takes
constant attention

23:42.334 --> 23:45.367
to both the fire
and the condition of the sap.

23:47.368 --> 23:49.767
As the sap winds its way
back and forth

23:49.867 --> 23:51.267
through
the evaporator channels,

23:51.368 --> 23:53.034
it gets sweeter and sweeter--

23:53.134 --> 23:55.367
from 2% sugar
at the start

23:55.467 --> 23:57.368
to 67% sugar

23:57.468 --> 23:59.867
after most of the water
is evaporated.

23:59.967 --> 24:01.967
At its peak,
the water evaporates

24:02.067 --> 24:05.334
at the rate
of 40 gallons an hour.

24:05.434 --> 24:07.067
It will be
several hours now

24:07.167 --> 24:08.801
before the pure maple syrup

24:08.901 --> 24:11.967
is ready to be drawn off
in small batches.

24:14.267 --> 24:16.934
John's goal
is to make Maple Creek Farm

24:17.034 --> 24:18.935
financially self-sufficient,

24:19.035 --> 24:22.434
so maple syrup is only one
of their enterprises.

24:22.534 --> 24:24.267
There's always
a dozen or so

24:24.368 --> 24:25.868
of these plump
characters around

24:25.968 --> 24:28.868
to assure a steady supply
of popular pork products.

24:28.968 --> 24:31.201
(Swann)
We do, uh,
pastured pork and lamb,

24:31.301 --> 24:33.901
as well as, uh,
sorghum syrup, uh,

24:34.002 --> 24:36.668
as well as maple syrup
and seasonal vegetables,

24:36.768 --> 24:39.468
and a little bit
of apple cider.

24:39.568 --> 24:41.134
(narrator)
These Dorper sheep

24:41.234 --> 24:44.134
are well suited
to mountain life.

24:44.234 --> 24:45.901
[bleating]

24:46.002 --> 24:48.601
(woman)
The Dorper sheep were--
were bred specifically

24:48.701 --> 24:50.201
for meat production
and, uh,

24:50.301 --> 24:53.967
have a really rich,
mild meat.

24:54.067 --> 24:55.667
And they do really well

24:55.767 --> 24:57.301
on poor-quality pasture,

24:57.401 --> 24:59.735
which we have a lot of--heh!

24:59.835 --> 25:02.634
(Sanders)
So we raise 'em for lamb,

25:02.735 --> 25:07.368
to produce up to six lambs
per ewe every two years.

25:07.468 --> 25:10.434
So we have
about 30 ewes now,

25:10.534 --> 25:12.800
and we breed 'em
in the fall,

25:12.900 --> 25:14.735
and we lamb 'em
in the spring.

25:14.835 --> 25:18.233
And then we'll start selling
lamb meat this fall.

25:19.501 --> 25:21.001
(narrator)
Back at the evaporator,

25:21.101 --> 25:22.867
the first batch
of syrup is ready.

25:22.967 --> 25:24.134
(Swann)
Yep!

25:24.234 --> 25:25.633
(Sanders)
We're there, OK.

25:25.734 --> 25:27.134
We're gonna draw off.

25:27.234 --> 25:30.633
We're just gonna crack
that valve a little bit.

25:30.734 --> 25:32.335
Let it pour on out.

25:32.435 --> 25:35.601
(narrator)
This process of drawing off
a small amount at a time

25:35.701 --> 25:37.600
continues until there's
a practical amount

25:37.700 --> 25:40.067
to be bottled.

25:40.167 --> 25:43.067
[ambling banjo tune]

25:43.167 --> 25:45.201
Maple Creek Farm defies

25:45.301 --> 25:47.768
the "bigger is better"
idea of farming.

25:47.868 --> 25:49.868
Their success
is measured in demand

25:49.968 --> 25:52.633
for fresh-from-the-farm,
locally grown products

25:52.734 --> 25:54.801
of superior quality.

25:54.901 --> 25:58.767
Maple syrup in spring
and sorghum syrup in the fall

25:58.867 --> 26:00.935
are sold
at local farmer's markets

26:01.035 --> 26:04.368
and are available directly
from the farm as well.

26:04.468 --> 26:06.135
(Swann)
Increasingly,
in this market,

26:06.235 --> 26:08.701
the consumer likes to know
where their food comes from.

26:08.801 --> 26:11.768
They like to go to market
each week and know the farmer

26:11.868 --> 26:13.634
and know the story
behind the food.

26:13.735 --> 26:16.201
There's a comfort in knowing
where your food comes from

26:16.301 --> 26:18.267
and the conditions
under which it was grown.

26:18.368 --> 26:21.034
(narrator)
So if you want the real thing,

26:21.134 --> 26:23.900
right here
is where to find it.

26:24.001 --> 26:25.901
And we hear
it goes pretty well

26:26.002 --> 26:28.700
with some of that
homegrown sausage too.

26:32.600 --> 26:34.600
[stream gurgling]

26:44.001 --> 26:45.900
[bouncy trumpet
and clarinet tune]

26:46.001 --> 27:00.967
♪

27:01.067 --> 27:12.934
♪

27:13.034 --> 27:22.401
♪

27:22.501 --> 27:24.701
Caption Editors
Erin Gibbs and Will Halman

27:24.801 --> 27:28.433
Caption Perfect, Inc.
www.CaptionPerfect.com

27:28.533 --> 27:35.333
♪

27:36.601 --> 27:39.234
(male announcer)
To subscribe
to "Our State" magazine,

27:39.334 --> 27:43.066
visit the Web
site www.ourstate.com or call...

27:48.267 --> 27:50.601
[gentle piano melody]

27:50.701 --> 27:54.101
From the time BB&T
opened its doors in 1872

27:54.201 --> 27:56.202
in the town of Wilson,

27:56.302 --> 27:59.434
we've supported the people and
communities of North Carolina

27:59.534 --> 28:03.601
from the Outer Banks
to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

28:03.701 --> 28:05.534
Our long history of service

28:05.634 --> 28:08.768
makes us North Carolina's
oldest bank.

28:08.868 --> 28:10.668
We're proud
of this distinction,

28:10.768 --> 28:13.433
and we're also very proud
to provide funding

28:13.533 --> 28:15.867
for "Our State."

28:18.368 --> 28:20.368
Quality public television
is made possible

28:20.468 --> 28:21.867
through the financial
contributions

28:21.967 --> 28:23.334
of viewers like you,

28:23.434 --> 28:26.700
who invite you to join them
in supporting UNC-TV.

28:26.800 --> 28:30.800
♪