Meet Our Farm Partners: Seldom Seen Farm Takes Its Maple Syrup from “Tree Tap” to “Table Top”

In 2008, when Kevin and Morgan Holy bought their Geauga County, Ohio, farm, they simply intended to stable their horse named “Seldom Seen.” Little did they know Seldom Seen would be their inspiration for a family-owned and operated maple syrup farm now producing award-winning products.

At the time they purchased the farmland and horse barns, Kevin was working with the county engineer office as a construction operator. A few years later, he started making maple syrup as a hobby, tapping about 10 trees on the property, boiling sap on the kitchen stove, and selling to family and friends.

Today, sapping and production is his full-time career, along with Morgan and their two children Chase and Cora, with roughly 4,000 maple trees on tubing over 60 acres of land. “As we grew, we moved outside to a small evaporator and added trees each year,” says Kevin. The business is a year-round production: tree sapping and gathering is generally done January – March; then it’s boiled and finished in stainless steel drums; and finally bottled throughout the year. And the farm maintenance and prep for the next year never ends!

“Our farm is in the heart of the snowbelt,” says Kevin. “The weather conditions and soil types make it a perfect spot for maple syrup.” In fact, Northeast Ohio, where Geauga County is located, is widely recognized for producing 60% of the state’s syrup.

Kevin tells us it’s a slow, methodical process to make maple syrup. “I have learned patience developing this craft … there’s no rushing,” he says. It takes about 60 gallons of tree sap to make just one gallon of syrup. And the Holy’s have been recognized for producing some of the best out there. In 2024, Seldom Seen received the Good Food Award in San Francisco for its Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup (a favorite among Moser Farm Market customers!). Seldom Seen was also named the Grand Champion at the 2021 Geauga County Maple Festival. “It was like winning the World Series of Maple,” adds Kevin.

While there are many reasons for their success, the Holy’s focus on producing their syrup using high standards, “We pay attention to the little things and always strive to be clean and precise,” says Kevin. “We owe that to all the other producers who have helped us along the way.”

Kevin says he found Moser’s online shortly after they opened. “I thought their market would be a good fit for our product,” he says. Kevin took a risk, never having met Brad.

And now, after several years of partnership, they’ve “also become good friends”.

“Meet Our Farm Partners” features the people and products that make Moser’s Farm Market unique. Located in Montville, Ohio, Seldom Seen Farms is helping to satisfy our customers’ maple cravings with their pure maple sugar, traditional maple syrup and specialty Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. They also make maple confections. Follow them on Facebook #Seldom Seen Farm and on Instagram @seldom_seen_farm.