Our Story

The Sugar Shanty’s pure maple syrup is harvested and produced from the hard maples that shelter the shore of the Minnesota River right outside of New Ulm. The property, and Sugar Shanty, was originally built by the Reim family, natives of New Ulm. The Reim’s did not live on the property full time, so they hired a caretaker from upstate New York, Fred Schaefer, to take care of the property while they were away. Fortunately, Fred was familiar with maple syrup and its production process; it was all over upstate New York. He was thrilled to be taking care of a property so abundant in hard maple trees; thus, the production of maple syrup on the Reim’s property began. Fred graciously continued the syrup production until the 80s when Dave and Sharon Besemer acquired the property. The Besemers were intrigued by the process and learned the trade from Fred, continuing the tradition until Dave’s passing in 2000. After losing a beloved father, the Sugar Shanty sat dormant until 2017, when we were given the opportunity to revive the 80-year-long tradition of producing maple syrup on the property. To our surprise, we didn’t have to wait long as the initial spring of 2017 came earlier than normal; we started tapping trees in early February and produced our first gallon of syrup shortly thereafter!

As we look to the future, we hope to offer soon more maple products, including maple cream, maple sugar, and maple candy. We are known for a high-quality product held to a very high standard for the past 80 years. Maple Syrup production started at the Sugar Shanty out of love for being outdoors, where one is close to nature and friends, which is why it continues today! We owe everything we can do with the Sugar Shanty to a few close friends; Matt Dummer, a second-generation maple syrup maker who taught me how to do the work, Andy and Laura Reinarts, and sisters; who have so generously allowed us to use their property and equipment. We look forward to spending the future sapping seasons meeting our customers and spending time with family and friends along the shores of the Minnesota River, making the world’s best pure maple syrup!