Tapping Into Success

Steve and Lynette Henson bought a farm in Blanchard, Michigan in 1998 with one goal in mind: to enjoy the peace and serenity of living in the country. 

What they didn’t expect is that the farm would give them a brand-new hobby-turned-booming business.

The previous owners of the farm left tree tapping supplies behind, so when Steve and Lynette got settled, they gave it a go. They soon began producing more and more maple syrup – and eventually decided to sell it. 

“It was kind of a hobby at first, and then we enjoyed making it and had fun,” said Lynette. “There were a lot of maple syrup producers around us when we started, so there wasn’t a huge market. We had to go to Detroit to sell our products.”

Sweet Dreams

25 years later, their business, Doodle’s Sugarbush, has taken the market by storm. You can find their syrup in more than 200 grocery stores and restaurants across the state and country.

Doodle’s Sugarbush, LLC isn’t just known for their wide variety of syrups, but also maple-based products like maple cream, maple coffee and maple pancake mixes. 

Steve and Lynette have utilized farm real estate loans, operating loans and equipment loans through GreenStone Farm Credit Services to help in the expansion of their business. 

“GreenStone took us seriously and knew we had a full-fledged business,” said Lynette. “GreenStone has been really great to work with to help us pursue our dream of helping make it bigger and better.

GreenStone Financial Services Officer John Grassley works with Doodle’s to find finance options to help grow the business.

“They have a passion for their business, and you can tell that when you meet them. They put their all into their products, and they’re loving what they do,” said John. “They’re taking something from nature and turning it into a product. It’s a unique product, and you can see it and taste it right at their farm.” 

This article was originally published in GreenStone Farm Credit Services’ Partners Magazine.