HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM RUNAMOK!
A Note from our Founders:
How to sum up 2021? Hopeful. Frustrating. Just when it seemed we were heading for better times, covid would throw another curve ball and upend our plans. We had a very nice month or two without masks at the plant this summer before Delta had us dig them back out again. And we squeezed in a holiday bowling party just before Omicron showed up in the state. But if the theme for 2020 was “resilience” then this year could be called “stubborn resolution.” We WILL regain some degree of normalcy if we have to have every last meeting outside in the rain.
Pandemics aside, it was a rollercoaster in general. The winter saw some challenging conditions for tapping – lots of snow that was waist deep on the mountain. Despite the tremendous effort from the woods crew, the wonky weather resulted in a poor crop for maple syrup in the spring. This was true for the entire northeast, and even Quebec has had to tap into (sorry) their strategic reserve.
On the bright side, a big portion of our new sugarbush in Bolton was up and running for its first season. This fall, the woods crew finished up the installation which will add about 45,000 taps to our operation. They battled heat, rain, and bugs to get it done and if you are looking for an example of “stubborn resolution,” look no further.
The summer saw the exciting introduction of honey to Runamok. Working with our beekeeper, Todd Hardie, we rolled out our line of raw, infused, and hot honeys from family apiaries in New York, Florida, and Montana. The response from our customers and retail partners was tremendous. Everyone is buzzing (sorry, again) about their favorite versions (Chipotle Morita Chili Pepper and Hibiscus Infused, thanks for asking). We have just begun exploring the fascinating world of bees and will be introducing more recipes and blogs in the coming year.
This fall, like every other company, we tackled the supply chain debacle. We are pleased to report that for Runamok products we managed to stay just barely ahead of it and were able to fulfill our orders on time. There were tense moments tracking shipments of ingredients and bottle caps from their origins to our door, but as soon as they would arrive our team at the plant would turn them around into beautifully packaged goods with impressive efficiency.
We are nothing without our employees and a hearty thank you goes out to everyone at Runamok from the woods, to the plant, to the sales, and marketing teams. Thanks also, to our loyal customers who continue to support us, chime in on social media, and recommend us to their friends. This year indeed saw many moments of frustration but also hopefulness and, above all, gratitude.
Best wishes from the crew at Runamok.
– Eric, Curt, and Laura