Barry Carver pats his 4-year-old golden retriever, Cooper, while checking his 900-gallon tanks of maple sap in Bethel. He leases a sugarbush in Rumford and hauls the sap to Bethel to boil. The syrup is available at Community Quik Stop in Rumford and Brooks Brothers in Bethel. Rose Lincoln/The Bethel Citizen

Jars of maple syrup line a windowsill Wednesday at Carver’s Maple Farm in Bethel. The grades are golden, amber, dark and very dark signifying light, rich, robust and strong flavor, respectively. Owner Barry Carver leases a sugarbush in Rumford and hauls the sap to Bethel to boil. The syrup is available at Community Quik Stop in Rumford and Brooks Brothers in Bethel. Rose Lincoln/The Bethel Citizen