By Emilie Hackett, Special to the Record – The sugaring season has yet to start for most of the maple producers in the Eastern Townships because of the inconsistent weather, resulting in one of the latest starts in recent years. “You just have to go through the motions,” said Amy Lavallee, who produces maple syrup in Cookshire-Eaton with her husband, Jason Hafford. “It’s an industry that really depends on Mother Nature, on every single aspect.” Lavallee is a social work technician at Alexander Galt Regional High School but also looks after a 25-hectare sugar bush every spring. Her 3,500-some taps allow for her 60-seater sugar shack, Le Jardin Sucré, to be booked out every weekend. “We’ve been in operation for about 20 years. My huband’s family farm was right down the road from a sugar cabin that had gone up for sale, so we decided to dive into the maple industry!” she explained. See full story in the Friday, March 22 edition of The Record.