Maple Weekends Canceled in New York State

Maple Weekend events in New York state have been canceled due to concerns with the coronavirus.

Here is the announcement form the New York State Maple Producers:

"Out of an abundance of caution, the New York State Maple Producers Association has decided to cancel the 2020 NYS Maple Weekend. This 25th anniversary festival was scheduled for March 21-22 and March 28-29 at 187 different locations across New York state. 

"Individual sugarhouses will continue to produce, stock and market their excellent crop of Maple Products. Please contact them directly to order your favorite maple products.  

"NYS Maple Producers Association is already preparing for an alternative series of open houses later in the year to showcase both producer and product. Consult MapleWeekend.com for future events.   

"If you have questions, contact us at mapleweekend@nysmaple.com"

Maple Weekend is an annual event in March in which maple producers throughout the state open their sugarhouses to show the public how they make maple syrup and other maple products. For many, it is their biggest source of revenue for the year.

Remember, as the statement says, the producers still are making syrup and New York residents still can buy all the maple products they need.

Schumer Announces $4 million for Maple Development Research

Good news for maple.

Check out https://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/schumer-announces-4-million-for-maple-development-research-grants-20190226

New York State Grown & Certified Expands to Include Maple

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

The New York State Grown & Certified program is expanding to include the New York maple industry. 

The program will increase exposure for New York's maple producers, who rank second in the nation (behind Vermont) in syrup production and generate an estimated economic impact of $141 million each year. 

Annual Maple Weekends scheduled for March 17-18 and March 24-25 will help spotlight the growing maple industry and boost awareness of producers in the Grown & Certified program.

 

"Maple production in New York is thriving once again and it continues to be a driving force for this state's agricultural industry," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "Expanding the New York State Grown & Certified program to include maple means we can promote more of New York's finest producers, connect consumers to high-quality products, and support the growth of local communities across the state."

 

To celebrate the addition of maple into the New York State Grown & Certified program and to kick off the upcoming Maple Weekends, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul participated in the first ceremonial tree-tapping of the season at Smith's Maple Farm in Hamburg, Erie County.

 

"As someone who has visited countless maple syrup facilities, I've seen the struggles faced by our farm community, particularly when Mother Nature wreaks havoc with the weather," Hochul said. "Maple syrup production in New York ranks second in the nation. This program will continue to build and support the syrup industry and we're proud to celebrate the producers' success with Maple Weekends in March."

 

Starting next week, maple farms across the state will open their doors to the public to offer tours and pancake breakfasts, sell maple products, and demonstrate the syrup-making process, which includes the traditional system of hanging buckets on trees or more modern methods of production using vacuum systems to increase the yield of sap per tree. 

 

Maple Weekends will take place March 17-18 and March 24-25 at 178 maple farms in 45 Upstate counties. Over 400,000 visitors are expected to participate in Maple Weekends activities. 

A list of Maple Weekend events is available at this link https://mapleweekend.nysmaple.com/

 

New York State Grown & Certified promotes New York's agricultural producers and growers who adhere to food safety and environmental sustainability standards.  

For maple, the syrup must be sourced from New York maple trees and processed in New York State. 

To meet the food safety standards, participants must have successfully completed a maple food safety class, developed in partnership between Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Western New York Maple Producers Association, and must follow food safety best practices that are subject to an onsite audit.

 

In addition, a maple producer must participate in an environmental management program that promotes sustainability and keeps forests healthy and productive, such as the New York State Agricultural Environmental Management program, which is administered through the Soil and Conservation Districts, or the Certified Tree Farmer, administered by the American Tree Farm System.

 

A current list of maple producers who have joined the New York State Grown & Certified program includes: 

• Adirondack Natural Products Inc - Croghan, Lewis County
• Brandy Brook Maple Farm - Ellenburg Center, Clinton County
• Brow's Sugarhouse - West Chazy, Clinton County
• Cedar Brook Farm Maple Confections - Malone, Franklin County
• Hamley's Maple - Barton, Tioga County
• Lakeside Maple - Chateaugay, Franklin County
• Maple Hollow Farm - Hannibal, Oswego County
• Mapleland Farms - Salem, Washington County
• Maxon Estate Farms - Attica, Wyoming County
• Silver Hill Maple - Turin, Lewis County
• Smith's Maple Farm - Hamburg, Erie County
• Sweetrees Maple Products - Berkshire, Tioga County
• Wohlschlegels Naples Maple Farm - Naples, Ontario County
• Zimpfer's Maple Products - Attica, Wyoming County

Maple Producers Visit Sugarhouse in Lewis, Jefferson Counties

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news04/state-maple-producers-visit-sugarhouses-in-jefferson-and-lewis-counties--20170816 to check out the story.

Maple Syrup Time is Coming!!

Can't wait!!

Taste NY Market Moves to Horticulture Building for New York State Fair

The all-new Taste NY Market at The Great New York State Fair was announced Aug. 4 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The market is part of the governor’s $50 million plan to transform the fairgrounds and improve the experience for visitors. 

Now located inside the landmark Horticulture Building, guests of the Taste NY Market will have the opportunity to enjoy everything New York, from artisan cheeses and gourmet nuts, to local wines, craft beers, spirits and more.
Visitors to the Taste NY Market will have the chance to try free samples of food and beverages from all 76 participating New York vendors and to meet the people behind those products. If you like what you try, you’ll also have the opportunity to buy it on-site directly from the vendor. 

For the first time this year, the operators of the Taste NY store at the Broome Gateway Travel and Tourism Center will also showcase and sell an array of products from their store, including: Bjorn Popcorn, Mini Honey Bears, Emmy’s Macaroons, Field Trip Beef Jerky, Saratoga Crackers and many others.
The vendors featured at the Taste NY Market will rotate daily, during all twelve days of the Fair. A complete list of participating vendors and a schedule of the vendor rotation can be found http://nysfair.ny.gov/food-drink/taste-ny/ at this link.

New York State Sees Huge Maple Season in 2016

From the USDA
 
The Northeastern region of the United Sates saw a “favorable” maple season in 2016, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 
The region, which encompasses New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont, saw maple syrup production in 2016 of 3.78 million gallons, up 27 percent from 2015’s production of 2.98 million gallons.
 
Vermont remained the top maple state in the Northeastern Region and the nation, producing 47.3 percent of the United States’ maple syrup, a record-high production.
 

Sap collecting buckets in Lewis County

New York remained number two in the region and nation with 707,000 gallons of syrup produced. Last year’s 601,000 gallons was the most in the state in 70 years.
 
Massachusetts also reported a record- high production for 2016.
 
Taps in the Northeastern Region totaled 10.8 million, up 5 percent from last year and accounted for 86 percent of the nation’s maple taps, with Pennsylvania reporting a record high number of taps in 2016. New York had 2,515 taps in 2016, up from 2,310 in 2015.
 
Producers were encouraged to tap earlier this season by the warmer-than-normal temperatures. The earliest sap flow reported was Jan. 1 in Pennsylvania, Vermont and West Virginia.
 

The number of taps was up in each of the states in the region, except for New Hampshire which was down from last year.
 
The season in the Northeast Region averaged 35 days, 10 days longer than in 2015. On average, the U.S. season lasted 33 days, compared with 26 days in 2015.
 
The average equivalent price per gallon for maple syrup varies widely across the Region depending on the percentage sold retail, wholesale, or bulk.
 
The 2015 all sales equivalent price per gallon in Connecticut averaged $87.20, up $16.30; Maine averaged $28.00, down $3.50; Massachusetts averaged $50.50, down $5.80; New Hampshire averaged $59.40, up $1.60; New York averaged $42, up $2.30; Pennsylvania averaged $31.90, down $3.20, and Vermont averaged $330, unchanged from last year.
 
The high percentage of bulk sales in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Maine kept average prices below the other states.

Maple Season Not Helped by Crazy Weather

Harry Komrowski tests his syrup for thickness.

This has been a bit of a crazy year for maple producers.

Temperatures need to be just right for the sap to start running in the maple trees so the producers can collect it and make maple syrup and other maple products.
 
At the beginning of February, the weather warmed up just enough for many producers to head out to their trees, tap and start harvesting sap. Temperatures need to be about 40 degrees or a little higher during the day to get the sap flowing and then down below
freezing (not too cold, in the upper 20s is best) at night.
 
As producers relished making syrup early in the season, their happiness was short-lived as temperatures plummeted in mid-February — even hitting single digits for highs Feb. 14 and lows way below zero for three straight days (Feb. 13, 14 and 15).
 
Now, toward the beginning of March, the temperatures have tempered a bit and producers are back to collecting sap.
 

Komrowski

Harry Komrowski, who has been running a maple operation on Tater Road in Lysander (just past Plainville) for more than 40 years, tries to make at least 1,000 gallons of syrup a year. This year, the weather has been so back and forth that he’s collected sap only three times.
 
“The weather’s been pretty bad,” he said. “It’s March and you can’t get any sap.”
 
Things should be much better this week (the week of March 7) as temperatures are supposed to rise, which forces the sap out of the trees. Once the sap is collected from the trees, the maple producers boil it to eliminate the water, leaving wonderful sweet syrup.

This past weekend, Komrowski, who also produced syrup on Comstock Road in Baldwinsville from 1969 to 1975, tested, filtered and bottled some of the syrup he has made so far this year.
 
The syrup was boiled again and then put into a cylinder to test how thick it is. If it’s the right thickness, it then is filtered and then bottled.
 
Residents of Onondaga County will have a number of opportunities to see how maple syrup is made in the coming weeks.
 
This Saturday, March 12, a special event is being held at Thornden Park in Syracuse.
 
Kristina Ferrare, resource educator for forestry with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County, said residents can come to the park to enjoy demonstrations of how syrup is made by the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill FFA organization, which is bringing its
mobile maple exhibit to the event.
 
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., attendees will be able to see trees being tapped with sap dripping into buckets, check out a modern tubing system for collecting sap, take a minihike across the football field to see the sugarbush of maple trees, see how a maple evaporator works and enjoy some maple goodies such as cotton candy.
 
There also will be activities for children and some indoor events like maple coloring books and reading the book “Sugarbush Spring.”  
 
“We are celebrating that passage of spring,” Ferrare said. “And it’s great that we can use a city park to show something that traditionally is a rural enterprise.”
 
There also is another maple presentation from noon to 2:30 p.m. March 12 at the Old Administration Building at Green Lakes State Park. 

Attendees to this free event will be able to learn about the maple syrup making process, go on a guided tree identification
hike and see different styles of taps in action and enjoy maple treats and hot beverages.
 
If weather conditions are poor March 12, the Green Lakes event will be Sunday, March 13.
 
Other events being held are during the statewide Maple Weekends March 19 and 20 and April 2 and 3. Go to http://www.nysmaple.com/maple-weekend/About-Maple-
Weekend/1 to find out about Maple Weekends and find a maple producer near you that is having tours and possibly, even a pancake breakfast.  
 
Most recent figures for value of maple syrup production in New York:
2005: $7,037,000
2006: $8,020,000
2007: $7,638,000
2008: $13,907,000
2009: $17,820,000
2010: $12,293,000
2011: $22,052,000
2012: $15,660,000
2013: $25,026,000
2014: $21,676,000
2015: Figures will be available in June 2016
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service

Croghan-Based Maple Minis Offer Unique Way to Enjoy Maple

Great story by colleague Steve Virkler.

Go to http://www.journalandrepublican.com/news04/croghan-based-maple-minis-offer-unique-way-to-enjoy-maple-20151122?utm_content=buffercf33d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer to check out the story.

Buy Local Onondaga Grown Campaign Kicks Off

Onondaga County Legislature chair Ryan McMahon and Legislator David Knapp kick off the Buy Local Onondaga Grown campaign at Reeves Farm Wednesday morning.

The Onondaga County Agriculture Council kicked off the county's "Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown" campaign Wednesday morning at Reeves Farm in Lysander.

The campaign will help educate the public on all that Onondaga County has to offer through its agriculture industry. 

The county's more than 700 farms each year pumps about $152 million into the local economy, preserves pristine farmland for all the enjoy and provides consumers with the freshest vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meats, poultry and eggs, honey, maple, flowers and Christmas trees than they can find anywhere.

"What sets this campaign apart is that it provides a direct link between what the community will hear on local media and what they will see at retailers across Onondaga County," said county Legislator David Knapp, who also is co-chair of the Agriculture Council. 

The campaign includes billboards, radio spots, a blog on I Heart Radio stations (http://www.b1047.net/features/onondaga-grown-837/) and stickers boasting the Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown. on produce and products at area grocery stores. 

Since now is the middle of strawberry season, the kickoff event includes Reeves Farm strawberries served over Byrne Dairy ice cream.

To keep engaged with the Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown. campaign, go to Twitter at twitter.com/OnondagaGrown, Facebook at facebook.com/OnondagaGrown or to the website at wsyr.com/features/onondaga-grown-837/ 

Sunday March 29 is Your Last Chance to Experience Maple Weekend

Just look at those pancakes

Your last chance to hit a spot for Maple Weekend is Sunday, March 29.

I mad the trip out today for pancakes and sausage at Red Schoolhouse Maple in Palermo, Oswego County. Then checked out the FFA students and their maple operation at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School, Oneida County.

Go to nysmaple.com for information.

The VVS FFA evaporator boiling away making syrup

New York State Senate Budget Adds Money for Agriculture

The state budget that has come out of the state Senate includes an additional $20 million for agriculture.

Ritchie

State Sen. Patricia Ritchie, chair of the Senate agriculture committee, said the additional money includes full support for her “Grown in New York” plan that links consumers and local farms and preserves the future of family farming in the state.

The senate’s budget plan (S.4203) increases support for agriculture by more than $20 million above the governor’s proposal. 

Included is additional funding for programs that have proven critical to the success of farmers in Central and Northern New York, including restoration of funding cuts to the well-regarded Farm Viability Institute and the Northern New York Agriculture Development Program, as well as for research and promotion of key farm products, from apples to dairy, maple syrup to onions.

The restorations and new funding are more than five times the amount included in the Assembly’s agriculture plan (A.6003), which restored about half of the cuts in the governor's budget.

The senate’s budget also includes new funding to expand the Senate’s “Young Farmers” initiative, a 2014 program designed by Ritchie, to encourage new careers in agriculture and to address a looming crisis facing agricultur when today's aging farmers begin to retire.

Below are some programs that are funded, with governor's budget amount followed by senate amount and then total in senate budget. A final budget is due April 1.

New York Farm Viability Institute: $400,000.....$1.5 million........$1.9 million

FFA:    $192,000.......$700,000,,,,....,,,$892,000

Maple Producers Association:  0..........$200,000..............$200,000

Apple Growers Association: $206,000............$544,000..............$750,000

Northern New York Agricultural Development: 0......$600,000..........$600,000

Berry Growers:    0..............$320,000.............$320,000

Christmas Tree Farmers: 0............$100,000...........$100,000

EEE-mosquito control: 0..............$175,000..............$175,000 

Pro-Dairy: $822,000..............$378,000          $1.2 million

Core Diagnostic Laboratory: $4,425,000.......$1 million....$5,425,000

Barley and Hops research: 0............$160,000.............$160,000

Integrated Pest Management: $500,000........$550,000............$1.05 million

FarmNet: $384,000.............$691,000.............$1.075 million

Maple Producers Awaiting Good Weather

I did this story last week and it ran Saturday, March 7, 2015. If temperatures stay in the 40s during the day and down to the 20s at night, all might be saved!

If this horrible winter weather doesn’t shape up fast, the wonderful sweetness of Maple Weekends could be in jeopardy.

To date, it’s been too cold and too snowy for most maple syrup producers to get into the woods and tap their trees. And even if they could tap, it’s been too cold for the sap to run.

“Right now, some of the producers are getting things together and getting things ready,” said Michele Ledoux, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County — the state’s largest maple producing county.

“They are all waiting for the weather to break,” she said.

Maple producers need temperatures in the 40s during the day and in the 20s at night for the best sap extraction. The Weather Channel forecast for Lowville from today through Thursday shows highs of 32 today and Wednesday and a high of 36 on Monday.

But that’s it. All of the other days have highs only in the 20s or teens. The lows aren’t any good either, ranging from 19 tonight to 13 on Sunday and Thursday nights.

Maple Weekends, New York’s annual celebration of all that is maple, are being held March 21 and 22 and March 28 and 29. 

On those weekends, many producers throughout the state open up their operations so the public can see how trees are tapped, how sap is collected and how sap is boiled down to make syrup. Some producers even operate pancakes breakfasts featuring their fresh maple syrup.

“This is a good question,” said Dale Moser, of Moser’s Maple in Beaver Falls, Lewis County, when asked if anyone will have sap to boil for Maple Weekends. “It’s just wait and see.”

Usually by this time of year, producers have tapped and have already been making syrup. 

According to statistics from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, the earliest  a maple season began was Jan 10 in 2011. The latest a season began was April 1 in 1940.

Mr. Moser, who is the fourth generation of maple producers on his farm, said he remembers one year back in the late 1950s or early 1960s when he didn’t tap his trees until late March and didn’t have syrup until Easter weekend in April.

For 2014, the season was short — beginning March 13 and ending April 14 — a total of 32 days. In 2013, the season was 40 days long from Feb. 27 to April 9.

But Helen Thomas, of Syracuse, executive director of the New York Maple Producers Association, said while last year’s season was a bit short, the quality and quantity of the syrup was excellent.

A total of 546,000 gallons were made in 2014, down just slightly from 2013’s record production of 574,000 gallons.

The biggest problems this year are the cold and snow pack. 

“All the feeder roots to the trees are frozen, the ground is frozen and in some places, the snow is waist deep or deeper,” Mr. Moser said. “And for the sap to be sweet we need a lot of wet weather and moisture on the ground.”

He said New York needs about three to four days in the 40s and then a light rain “to take the snow down.” The ground has to thaw so the moisture from the snow and rain can seep into the soil.

“The ground is so frozen, nothing is moving,” Ms. Ledoux said of the sap.

Mr. Moser said some maple producers may have some syrup to sell at Maple Weekend festivities if the weather doesn’t cooperate. But others might be out of luck.

“We just keep checking the forecasts and then checking the Farmers’ Almanac,” Mr. Moser said.

Wish I had a crystal ball,” Ms. Thomas said.

Bus Rides Available for Maple Weekend Events in Lewis County

News from the Lewis County Maple Producers:

It will be easier to get around during Maple Weekend events in Lewis County this year.

Lewis County Maple Producers Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension are sponsoring rider fares aboard Lewis County Public Transportation buses that will take visitors to Maple Weekend sites March 21-22 and 28-29. 

Bus schedules will be posted at the American Maple Museum in Croghan and at the five participating sugarhouses. The handicapped-accessible buses will start at the American Maple Museum in Croghan, and leave the museum about every 30 minutes.

Buckets at a Lewis County sugarbush

Two buses will travel the North Loop from the museum to Swiss’er Sweet Maple in Castorland and Pierce’s Sugar Spigot and Moser’s Maple in Croghan. The North Loop buses will begin at 9:40 a.m. and 10:10 a.m., and are scheduled to run throughout the day.

Another bus will travel the Long Pond Road Loop from the museum to the Oswegatchie Educational Center both weekends and to Yancey’s Sugarbush in the Belfort area of Croghan March 28-29. The Long Pond Road Loop bus begins at 9:20 a.m. and runs throughout the day.

Pancake breakfasts and maple coffee will be available for purchase at the museum each Maple Weekend day from 7 a.m. to noon. The museum will be open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. complete with three floors of exhibits (accessible by elevator) showcasing a collection of sugaring artifacts from across the United States and Canada.

At the sugarhouses, visitors will see different types of maple operations from buckets to the most modern equipment. There will be syrup and maple confections tasting, products for purchase, and walk-it-yourself or guided tours. Some producers may be demonstrating how they make sugarcakes, maple cream or hard candy.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball will be at Moser’s Maple for a tree tapping ceremony at the sixth-generation maple farm at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 21. Visitors will see sap ladders that raise sap 18 feet in height and carry it overhead to the collection tank.

Pierce’s Sugar Spigot is a Maple Weekend sweet treats wonderland with everything from maple syrup, sugarcakes, maple cream to maple butter, lollipops and hard candy, maple-coated peanuts, maple cotton candy and snocones. Karen and Carl Pierce operate the business with three generations of family with more than 40 years of maple experience. They built their sugar shanty in 2004.

Swiss’er Sweet Maple is a Zehr family tradition more than 100 years old. Jason and Barbara Zehr, named NYS Young Sugar Makers in 1999, manage 1,500 taps of their own and process syrup from another 2,000 taps managed by other sugarmakers. They package confections individually, in gift baskets, and as wedding favors and custom-branded corporate gifts. Their latest specialty product is maple walnut cream cheese.

The Oswegatchie Education Center will open its Maple History Trail on Maple Weekends for hands-on activities including using deer antlers to move hot rocks used by Native Americans to heat sap, wearing a yoke to carry sap buckets, and measuring trees to know which are ready to tap. The Center is operated by NYS FFA Leadership Training Inc. as a youth camp and year-round retreat and educational center for all ages.

Yancey’s Sugarbush, established in 1844, will be open only on March 28-29. The operation is beloved for maintaining maple traditions, collecting sap in buckets and drawing it to the sugarhouse by horse-drawn wagon or sled. Some original maples are still on the property. Jane and Haskell Yancey are in their 33rd season of making syrup and maple confections. Haskell says, ‘People tell us they enjoy the way we make syrup with the wood-fired evaporators, maple aroma and quiet family atmosphere that lets you hear the jingle of the horses bringing the sap in.’

Moser’s Mapleridge Farm in Copenhagen will be open for visitors March 21 and March 28. This family operation since 1981 uses buckets on more than 5,000 taps. Visitors can try snowshoes and gathering sap here. There will be syrup, sugar shapes, granulated sugar and maple cream for purchase. Aspiring sugarmakers can purchase equipment here.

Maple Weekend enthusiasts can also drive themselves or follow the Lewis County Maple Trail on ‘The Adirondacks Tug Hill Region. Our backyard. Your Adventure.’ App to sugarhouses in the county. The app is available for download at http://www.adirondackstughill.com/index.php/mobile-apps.

Maple Weekend hours of availability are posted at www.mapleweekend.com or contact the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce at 376-2213, 800-724-0242.

New York Agri-Women Plan Retreat in Chazy in late March

From New York Agri-Women:

Women involved in agriculture from around New York state will meet at the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 for a mid-year retreat. 

Miner

The group will learn about William Miner, his contributions to agriculture and the lasting impact of his vision 85 years after his death.

The keynote speaker for the meeting is Heather Dann, a research scientist at Miner Institute and the 2014 recipient of the Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award. Dann will give a talk on the importance of agricultural research and highlight the research program at Miner Institute.

Other topics on the meeting agenda include:

** An informal reception with Clinton County farmers

** Bonnie Collins, resource educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County and co-coordinator of Annie’s Project, will give a talk on building connections for the wellness of women

** The group will tour Miner Institute’s dairy and equine facilities and visit the Miner sugarhouse and hear about maple production from Robert Atwood.

Women play a significant role in New York agriculture, which was valued at $5.7 billion in 2012. Just less than 20 percent of New York farmers are women, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. 

Members of NY Agri-Women are involved with numerous facets of New York agriculture, including dairy farming, vegetable production, wine production, agribusiness, extension and maple production.

For more information about NY Agri-Women or attending the retreat at Miner Institute, contact Rachel Dutil at dutil@whminer.com or call 518-846-7121, ext. 115.

Maple Expo Saturday in Gouverneur

The 2015 Northern New York Maple Expo is set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31 at Gouverneur High School.

The program is put on by Cornell Cooperative Extension and includes lunch and classes. The cost is $16.

The school is at 133 E. Barney St. For more information, call 379-9192.

Canton Native Opens Maple Syrup Equipment and Consulting Business

Good story about a maple company in the North Country.

Check it out at http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20150113/DCO/150119557

New York Still Number 2 in Maple Production

New York again is the second largest maple syrup producer in the country.

Figures released Friday June 27 show New York producers in 2014 made 546,000 gallons of syrup with 2.2 million taps. New York edged out Maine for the number 2 spot – Maine syrup makers made 545,000 gallons in 2014.

Number 1 is still held by Vermont, with 1,320,000 gallons of syrup made.

Production this year is down a bit from 2013 when producers made 574,000 gallons. The weather was challenging this year because the cold weather held on longer this late winter and early spring, resulting in a late start to the sap flow.

Producers with newer vacuum equipment had an easier time of it as they were able to get more sap out of the maple trees than those producers who rely on regular sap flow into buckets.

“Every year, we are reminded that Mother Nature is in charge and the percentages of maple syrup colors produced in largely determined by environmental factors,” said Dwayne Hill, president of the New York State Maple Producers Association. “This was, there was a low percentage of light amber syrup, with most of the crop comprising medium and dark colors. This is a good thing for consumers as the most popular flavors of maple are medium and dark amber.”

The maple association always has a large booth inside the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fair. The association announced this week it will have two new exhibits in its booth this summer.

For more information, go to www.nysmaple.com

New Exhibits Planned for Maple at New York State Fair

Buckets hang from maple trees collecting sap.

The New York State Maple Producers Association will have a new exhibit at the New York State Fair this summer.

Association Executive Director Helen Thomas said the exhibit, in the Horticulture Building, will feature a working tubing system with water (representing sap) so people can see how the sap moves from the tree into a collection releaser. The releaser will periodically fill and dump, creating a noise and splash.

The association also is designing a cutaway of a tree to show how the sap flows up and down in the maple tree as the temperature changes.

“These two features will highlight a brand new interactive display that will make folks feel like they are standing in the maple woods,” Thomas continued. “This display will also provide fairgoers with free samples of maple syrup. We hope that these new features will entice people to stop at the maple center where we make all sorts of confections on the premises, and where they can meet and talk with the hard working maple producers of the Great State of New York.”

New York state ranks second nationwide in maple syrup production (Vermont is number 1) and accounts for 18 percent of the nation’s output with 574,000 gallons produced in 2013.  

“This year, we want fairgoers to encounter the mystery of maple’s sweet sap,” Thomas said. “How does the maple tree share its tasty sweetness?  How do they get all that sap out of the woods and over to the sugarhouse?  How does the sap become the great sweetener we know as maple syrup?  You can experience these mysteries first hand by stopping by the new maple display in the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fair beginning Aug. 21.”

 “Maple syrup is such a hugely important agricultural industry here in the state,” said state Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball.  “The primary focus of the Great New York State Fair is to educate fairgoers about the breadth of New York agriculture and we are pleased that the New York State Maple Producers Association will be ramping up their educational efforts at this year’s fair.”    

For more information about New York’s huge maple industry, please visit www.nysmaple.com.

Get Out and Visit a Maple Producer

The last of two Maple Weekend events begins today.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, many maple producers across the area will open for tours. People can sample products and learn how maple syrup is made. Some even will have pancake breakfasts.

Go to www.mapleweekend.com to find a maple producer near you.