Fall Foliage at Our Farm

Here at the Carman Brook Farm we are fortunate to enjoy especially beautiful fall foliage.  If you haven’t looked us up on Google maps, we’re in the northwestern corner of Vermont, tucked against the Canadian border and Lake Champlain. When it comes to New England foliage the sugar maple tree is the king of the woods. With sugar maples covering much of our state, "leaf peepers" can expect a vivid display of color every autumn. However, we realize not everyone can make the trip, so we included a drone video for all to enjoy the beauty of Vermont in the fall.

Where the maple tree gets it color?

The maple leaf gets it green color from the chemical compound, chlorophyll.  The chlorophyll starts the photosynthesis process.  Photosynthesis is the process that leaves use to turn sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into plant food, or glucose.

When Labor Day passes, the nights quickly trend colder and sunlight begins to come at a premium. As the photosynthesis starts shutting down, the chlorophyll that was making the leaves look green, starts to fade. This allows the fall foliage  to bring its spectacular display of color to Vermont's landscape as the trees shutdown for the winter.

Colors of maple trees and fall foliage

The reds, oranges, yellows, and browns are the colors you come to expect when you think about New England fall.  The annual viewing of the colors bring many tourists to Vermont and throughout New England. You can't take home a maple tree, but pure Vermont maple syrup leaves the state daily with happy leaf peepers.

Maple trees turn these colors for a variety of reasons. Weather and survival tactics play a role, as does the chemical make up of the trees. Stressed trees may turn early and different types of trees change different colors.  Regardless, they all add their unique splash of color to the foliage. A strong wind or a cold snap may cause the leaves to fall earlier and all at once, so it's not easy to time your trip for "peak foliage".

Maple trees and fall foliage on our farm

The valley that we live in is surrounded by maple trees, giving the effect of living in a colorful salad bowl. We think we have the best fall foliage of any New England landscape. I hope that some day, you, too, get a chance to experience fall foliage in Vermont and to visit the Carman Brook Farm.

We look for a variety of excuses to get out of the sugarhouse and enjoy the outdoors.  Oftentimes, this is accomplished by taking the dogs out for a walk, or "checking on something" out in the woods. 

The last glimmer of summer leads me to believe that I live in paradise. Though I may not feel like I'm in paradise when it's 20 degrees below zero this winter!  Winter will eventually break in the spring, leading us into Mud Season. That's the season that's sandwiched between winter and spring. The dirt roads are so muddy that they're capable of swallowing up unsuspecting, mid-sized sedans. With all that aside, today, I'm going to soak up crisp air and enjoy it as best I can.

The sun shone brilliantly today, and the maple leaves, still clinging to the trees, are just about at peak foliage. I knew we had to act quickly and get our friends at Northern Vermont Aerial Photography over to capture the landscape and share with you all.