The Driftless Gold Story

The story of Driftless Gold began over 150 years ago, when our ancestors Henry and Lydia Walter settled in a small corner of what was then the wilderness of the Kickapoo Valley.  These pioneers cleared, cultivated, and pastured this land to sustain a farming lifestyle, and signs of their work still exist on our farm today.  Little did they realize that their efforts would spawn a love for the land and the Kickapoo Valley that would span seven generations (and counting!).  

Many annual traditions served to connect our family to the land, some of which- from berry picking to morel mushroom hunting- have trickled down through the years and still bring family members together on our farm.  Prominent among these activities is the spring sugaring season.  

For years, our family made syrup the “old-fashioned” way, collecting maple sap in buckets and boiling it down in a flat syrup pan over an open fire.  Generations of friends and family gathered together to sit around the fire, sharing stories as the syrup thickened in the pan.  

In 2008, current owners Scott and Erica Walter installed a tubing system in one of the farm’s maple stands and began to sell sap to local syrup producers Phil & Sarah Gudgeon from Kickapoo Gold organic maple syrup.  Through this relationship, Scott and Erica became increasingly interested in modern maple syrup production and in 2015 were inspired to partner with Scott’s brother Tim and sister-in-law Lucy to build a sugarhouse, purchase an evaporator, and expand their sap collection system.  Driftless Farms Pure Maple Syrup was launched!  For the next 6 years Scott, Erica, Tim, and Lucy worked together to maintain their sugarbush and to produce and market their maple syrup to an ever-expanding customer base.  

In 2020, Scott and Erica purchased Kickapoo Gold from Phil and Sarah, and blended the two local, family-run maple syrup operations into Driftless Gold Pure Organic Maple Syrup.  We strive each day to ensure that only the highest-quality maple syrup, meeting exacting state and organic certification standards, makes its way into our customers’ kitchens.