In 2013 our family moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, a four and a half year adventure that will always be remembered as some of the best times of our lives. Living overseas was somewhat magical, but it did present one small problem: our little army commissary only sold tiny bottles of organic maple syrup for some obnoxious price of like $13 or some nonsense like that, and real syrup supplies were otherwise non-existent. Dusty, being the problem solver he is, quickly took to the internet in search of someone who would send syrup to APO addresses. By some twist of fate, he stumbled upon Slopeside Syrup, a fairly new maple syrup company out of Vermont. The About section on the site told of the Cochran family’s mom and pop ski slope that produced family World Cup and Olympic Gold Alpine Skiing accolades. After decades of success on the slopes, a new generation of Cochran grand children were finding other ways to live off the land. Back in the day, Slopeside’s online ordering system didn’t show “APO” as a shipping option, so Dusty emailed the company, explained that he was in the Army and stationed overseas and wondered if they would be willing to ship. In no time at all, we had a half gallon of syrup in our mailbox with a message from Doug saying, “This one is on us. Thank you for your service.” To say we were appreciative is an understatement. Before long, we emailed Doug with another order request. When asked how we should pay, he told us, “Just send a check whenever you get the package.” Who does that anymore!?!? That was about ten years ago. Over the last decade, this very trusting business arrangement grew into a friendship. Emails to and from Doug always involve a little “catch up” with how life is going. He always gets us the best deals on bulk orders and shipping. It’s not uncommon for four gallons of syrup to grace our doorstep! (Yes, we go through that much syrup--and sometimes we even share.) Our family is practically religious about our Slopeside; it is a necessary staple in our pantry that we can not run out of.
For years we have talked about a family vacation to Vermont, but that trip never happened. Upon moving to New England, a visit to finally meet these long time friends became top priority! Last week we took a week to explore the Green Mountains, and fortunately, we were able to catch Doug between company trips to Texas, Massachusetts, and Kansas. Just before closing on a Friday, we met the UnTapped crew. Dakota, our 4 month old puppy, was exceptionally pleased to find dog lovers and played with the office golden retriever and the office guys while we toured the bottling facility and warehouse. We met the family and others who make the sugary magic happen. A quick visit wasn't enough time, so we made plans to have dinner with Doug. As we were headed to the restaurant, he texted and asked if we would like to come have a cookout at his place so Dakota could be more comfortable and we could just chill. This thoughtful offer made for a fantastic night (with maple soda and delicious maple coleslaw, I might add!) We had a great time and feel so blessed to have developed this friendship over the years.
Someone recently asked me what we're going to do about syrup now that we live in New England and can buy syrup in our own town--or make our own. The choice is clear though: Slopeside for life. LOL! Thank you, Doug and the Slopeside crew, for making such a quality product, but mostly for being the kind of business that people are proud to hold onto. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
October 2022
Categories |