The sap is flowing from a few hundred tapped maple trees at Black Dog Bees & Maple Trees in Lebanon.The wooded farm is boiling basically every day, creating a syrup that’s proven to be the best in the state. “It’s kind of unreal,” Jennifer Mercer said of the accolades. She and her husband Jason Weale have produced syrup that won the 2025 Carlisle Award from the NH Maple Producers Association for the best in the state, and followed that up with a second place finish in 2026.”I think we both just really love the connection to the land and food production,” Mercer said, adding they also feel connected to the farming community and their customers.As their name suggests, their two main products are syrup and honey.Mercer has a Ph.D. in earth science, and is a Cornell certified master beekeeper. Her grandfather and parents kept bees, too. “It’s just this great thing to be their steward and caretaker,” she said.She estimates the farm will produce several hundred pounds of honey, and roughly 100 gallons of syrup this year. They’re focused on sustainable practices, for example, only harvesting honey when there’s excess, and only tapping mature, healthy trees.Customers can find them at summer farmers markets in Lebanon and Norwich, Vermont, where they will also sell eggs from their Icelandic chickens, and shitake mushrooms when they have them. You can also message the farm for local pickup of honey and syrup and also order items through their website to be shipped.NH Chronicle first featured the farm a few months back for a story about Japanese tiny trucks, which are increasingly popular options for businesses. Black Dog Bees & Maple Trees has a 1990s Honda, which they take to markets. It even has a maple creme machine in the back. Attached to the sugarhouse is Jason’s shop, where he combines his modern engineering training with historical blade-smithing traditions. He had a distinguished career as a polar engineer, and later studied at the New England School of Metalwork.His products, mostly culinary knives, are functional works of art. After buying one for herself, one customer reached back out to buy several more for her family members.”For me, that’s the ultimate feeling,” he said. “And I think it’s a testament to people still valuing, even in this day and age, something that you don’t buy and throw away.”He forged his first knife at 12 years old, beside his uncle’s forge. He said he tells people when he would try to make things, he would end up making knives. “For whatever reason, maybe I knew what I wanted to do in the end, and it just took a while to get there,” he said. He works with different types of metals, including Damascus and copper. Many of the wooden knife handles come from New Hampshire forests.Find more information about Viking Made Forge at https://vikingmadeforge.com/.
LEBANON, N.H. —
The sap is flowing from a few hundred tapped maple trees at Black Dog Bees & Maple Trees in Lebanon.
The wooded farm is boiling basically every day, creating a syrup that’s proven to be the best in the state.
“It’s kind of unreal,” Jennifer Mercer said of the accolades.
She and her husband Jason Weale have produced syrup that won the 2025 Carlisle Award from the NH Maple Producers Association for the best in the state, and followed that up with a second place finish in 2026.
“I think we both just really love the connection to the land and food production,” Mercer said, adding they also feel connected to the farming community and their customers.
As their name suggests, their two main products are syrup and honey.
Mercer has a Ph.D. in earth science, and is a Cornell certified master beekeeper. Her grandfather and parents kept bees, too.
“It’s just this great thing to be their steward and caretaker,” she said.
She estimates the farm will produce several hundred pounds of honey, and roughly 100 gallons of syrup this year. They’re focused on sustainable practices, for example, only harvesting honey when there’s excess, and only tapping mature, healthy trees.
Customers can find them at summer farmers markets in Lebanon and Norwich, Vermont, where they will also sell eggs from their Icelandic chickens, and shitake mushrooms when they have them. You can also message the farm for local pickup of honey and syrup and also order items through their website to be shipped.
NH Chronicle first featured the farm a few months back for a story about Japanese tiny trucks, which are increasingly popular options for businesses. Black Dog Bees & Maple Trees has a 1990s Honda, which they take to markets. It even has a maple creme machine in the back.
Attached to the sugarhouse is Jason’s shop, where he combines his modern engineering training with historical blade-smithing traditions. He had a distinguished career as a polar engineer, and later studied at the New England School of Metalwork.
His products, mostly culinary knives, are functional works of art. After buying one for herself, one customer reached back out to buy several more for her family members.
“For me, that’s the ultimate feeling,” he said. “And I think it’s a testament to people still valuing, even in this day and age, something that you don’t buy and throw away.”
He forged his first knife at 12 years old, beside his uncle’s forge. He said he tells people when he would try to make things, he would end up making knives.
“For whatever reason, maybe I knew what I wanted to do in the end, and it just took a while to get there,” he said.
He works with different types of metals, including Damascus and copper. Many of the wooden knife handles come from New Hampshire forests.
Find more information about Viking Made Forge at https://vikingmadeforge.com/.