THE SUGARMAKER'S TIMES

100% NATURAL MAPLE SYRUPS ARE BACK IN STOCK AT HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

2011-12-04T06:55:00.001-08:00

It's hard work boiling, filtering, and bottling 100% natural maple syrup. Hours of hot stoves and burners boiling down the syrup. Lots of steam. And every splash turns out to be a hard core stick mess!!!

But on the good side, after spending all day bent over giants pots of boiling, sticky sweetness, we have something good to show for it!

We're back in stock with Grade A, Grade B (Rustic Dark), Vanilla and Dirty syrups!

Come and get 'em for the holidays!

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY RELEASES NEW SYRUPS ON MARCH 26 & 27, 2011

2011-03-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

Hudson Chatham Winery is releasing there new swath of freshily bottled 100% natural maple syrups.

We have Grade A Light Amber and Vanilla Grade A Amber in stock now! Available for tasting.

Today, March 26th and 27th, 2011, we are filtering and bottling Grabe B Dark and our famous Dirty Syrup, a blend of Grade A and B with a little cinnamon and local honey thrown in, it's like French Toast in a glass!

Come on down and try them this Maple Syrup Weekend!

FURNACE BROOK WINERY MAPLE SYRUP WEEKEND MARCH 26 & 27

2011-03-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Maple Syrup Weekend

Richmond, Massachusetts
Saturday & Sunday, March 26-27th, 2011

download printable flyer

11:00AM
Noon & 3PM
Noon-4:00PM
Farm Winery Store opens, sit by the fireplace with some hot cider, hot cocoa and a fresh cider donut

* Learn now to “tap” a sugar maple tree to get sap
* Watch sap collection and see how this clear liquid turns into 100% pure and delicious maple syrup
* Watch how maple candy is made – a sweet and all- natural treat.
* Wine tasting all day! First taste is free.

Adirondack Maple Weekend March 26-27 to Offer Tours and Tastings

2011-03-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Adirondack Region, NY (Vocus) March 22, 2011
New York State’s Maple Weekend offers an extra sweet way to enjoy early spring in the Adirondack Region March 26-27, as sugar houses across the New York State Park open their doors for tours, tastings and more.

Each year, the Adirondack Region produces one-third of New York State’s maple syrup. Discover “Liquid Gold” during spring’s premier Adirondack festival weekend with free tastings, tours and plenty of sugaring.

Visit Adirondack Region sugar houses for a behind-the-scenes maple immersion. Top participating producers include:

The Adirondack Coast’s Park Family Maple Farm is a fifth generation maple operation. Take a horse drawn wagon ride, enjoy a pancake breakfast, take a tour and make maple cream and candy. Brow’s Sugarhouse will be open for free tours during Maple Weekend.

In the Adirondack Lakes Region, Friend Maple Products offers horse drawn wagon rides to the sugarbush, and samples of maple candy and ice cream. At Woods Maple Products, tours and boiling demos held.

Tour and taste around the Adirondack Tughill Region at Golden Maple Shanty, Pierce’s Sugar Spigot, Wayne & Glenn Zehr and Swiss’er Sweet Maple.

For a true Adirondack experience, Speculator’s McComb’s Oak Hill Farm staff will demonstrate tree tapping techniques and sap boiling.

From Fine-n-Dandy in Norwood, to Rutley Maple Farms in Potsdam, the Adirondack Seaway’s list of maple festivities are sure to delight any sweet tooth.

Lake George area maple festivities include a Winter Farmer’s Market, Sap to Syrup Maple Sugar Basics at Up Yonda Farm and town-wide sugaring demos and pancake breakfasts in Thurman.

Lake Placid’s Cornell University Uihlein Forest will provide guided tours of the entire syrup process, from sugarbush to sugarhouse.

The Adirondack Region is a six-million-acre New York State Park offering limitless recreation amid 2,000 miles of hiking trails and 3,000 lakes and ponds. Part of the largest temperate forest in the world, the Adirondack Region is also home to 100 towns and villages. The Adirondack Region is a unique park offering year-round recreation and events. Search Adirondack vacation packages, events and images at Visit Adirondacks.com.

Portland Herald Reviews Maple Sugar by Tim Herd

2011-03-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2011
Cookbook Corner: 'Maple Sugar'
By Meredith Goad mgoad@mainetoday.com

Staff Writer
Portland Herald

This is the time of year that you'll want to try maple syrup with everything, from the last of the butternut squash to your afternoon tea.

"Maple Sugar: From Sap to Syrup, The History, Lore, and How-To Behind this Sweet Treat" by Tim Herd, a Pennsylvania naturalist, is one of those "Everything you always wanted to know about" books. But in addition to the usual biology lesson and the primer on what the maple syrup grading system means, you'll find recipes for dishes such as maple sponge cake, pork chops with maple barbecue sauce, maple sugar biscuits and maple mousse.

There are also tips for how to substitute maple syrup for sugar in a recipe, and lots of nutritional information. (Did you know syrup has fewer calories than honey?)

Whitetop Mountain Maple Festival (Virginia/Tri-Cities Region)

2011-03-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

By Joe Tennis
Published: March 24, 2011
Bristol Herald-Courier

Tri-Cities.com

WHITETOP, Va. --
In the kitchen at the old Mount Rogers School, the calendar remains on June 2010.

That's when classes wrapped up at the landmark along U.S. Highway 58 in southwestern Grayson County, finishing with just three graduates for the year: Devin Reece Blevins, Kayla Dawn Hayes and Brandon Daton Roop.

Here, from the Great Depression to the Great Recession, classes remained in session at Mount Rogers School. The one-level school was also once the home of a unique string band, teaching students how to play bluegrass and old-time mountain music.

But school consolidation ultimately meant moving students elsewhere when the 2010-2011 academic year began. And, this year, that school stands empty.

The once homey setting of the K-12 school, still, feels cozy – well, at least as much as any schoolhouse could be.

Never mind a few dangling wires and empty bookshelves. With a little TLC, that brick-and-stone structure is slated for use again during the Whitetop Mountain Maple Festival on March 26-27, said organizer Buryl Greer.

Come Saturday, you'll find pancakes sizzling – then drizzling with syrup in the old school kitchen. Look for crafters packing the former classrooms plus storytelling and a nature slide show at the nearby Faith Lutheran Church.

Just down the road, bluegrass and old-time musicians will crank up tunes at the Mount Rogers Fire Hall.

And more fun can be found at the maple tree-tapping area of Elk Garden along the Smyth-Grayson county border.

Expect more than a good time.

This festival is also a fundraiser for the Mount Rogers Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, which serves parts of Smyth, Grayson and Washington counties as well as neighboring North Carolina and Tennessee.

Sticky Fingers

Musician or not, consider Buryl Greer a character on The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.

This mastermind of maple trees unites a tight band of volunteers at Whitetop.

He's also bound to have sticky fingers: For more than a decade, Greer, 69, has been instrumental in guiding February's tree-tapping ritual on Whitetop Mountain. There, he collects the sugar water that is ultimately boiled and made into syrup at the community's Sugar House.

It's not easy.

Especially when it snows, like it has so much during the past couple of winters, Greer said.

"We couldn't get to the trees until about the 15th of February. It was pretty bad but not as bad as last year when we couldn't get in the woods. The snow was so deep."

Getting to the lines to collect the sugar water has been one challenge. Another problem: waiting for the sugar water to actually flow.

A back-and-forth bounce between hot and cold is required: It takes just the right temperature combination of freezing at night then above-freezing temperatures during the day for the sugar water to gush from the maple trees, Greer said.

Then it takes long hours of boiling that sugar water to make syrup – the chief ingredient for the Whitetop Mountain Maple Festival, a tradition for decades.

"It's like a rite of spring," said festival volunteer Dean Richardson, 77. "The snow is leaving, and the leaves are going to start coming out, and we start tapping maple trees."

This year, the workload has been reduced – thanks to a $10,000 reverse osmosis machine, which leaves behind water with a higher sugar concentration, Greer said.

And what that boils down to, literally, is a reduced amount of time needed to work in the community's Sugar House: A shift can now span just two-and-a-half hours, instead of 10, allowing for more flexibility among the volunteer crew.

Shorter cooking time also saves burning oil that costs $3.63 a gallon, said volunteer Ken Kilby.

Musical Community

Gallon by gallon, Greer hopes to reclaim Whitetop's maple syrup heritage. This year, for one, Greer wants his band of maple men to produce at least 150 gallons of syrup – an increase of 25 gallons from last year.

Long gone, he said, are the days of importing extra sticky stuff from Vermont to pour across pancakes. Supplemental syrup, still, comes from Virginia's Highland County. But, Greer promised, that's now far less than half of what you'll find for sale at the festival. And, one day, he even hopes to do away with that.

Greer wants everything homegrown. Every ounce.

That's why he withstands winters at Whitetop – times of bone-numbing cold – to tap sugar maples and run their waters into a collection vat.

It's called sugaring.

Yet, it is not quite the old-fashioned chore it once was.

Today, you can still drift along the narrow lanes of the Whitetop community and see lines on trees leading to buckets – the time-honored way to collect sugar water – near the eastern terminus of the Virginia Creeper Trail. But back at Elk Garden, along the Appalachian Trail, Greer demonstrates his modern-day tools, including a gasoline-powered engine. It helps suck sugar water from tapped trees, like a vacuum, through gravity-fed lines.

Far from a four-lane highway, Whitetop lies near the center of The Crooked Road, a 253-mile-long marketing initiative launched in 2004 and designed to unite the towns and musicians of Southwestern Virginia – from Rocky Mount to Breaks Interstate Park.

Historically, Whitetop has been a musical place – even before the old Mount Rogers School was built on the eastern edge of the community in the late 1930s.

The long-gone White Top Folk Festival of the 1930s once attracted thousands to the grassy plain of the mile-high peak called Whitetop Mountain, rising above the village at the tri-county corner of Washington, Smyth and Grayson counties. Famously, too, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt paid a visit to the White Top Folk Festival on Aug. 12, 1933, and as many as 20,000 people came out to see her.

Kilby, for one, simply hopes the Whitetop Mountain Maple Festival exceeds last year's attendance of about 5,000 people.

And the music?

Oh, yes, he said, there will be music.

"We've got the bands that participate in this," said Kilby, 74. "But we've had them even before The Crooked Road."

jtennis@bristolnews.com (276) 791-0704

64th Pennsylvania Maple Festival

2011-03-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

64th Pa. Maple Festival showcases maple industry

Philip Hershberger of Meyersdale and some of his family members performed with the Wheelers-And-Dealers square dancing group at last year's Pa. Maple Festival. This year, the group is set to entertain this Sunday afternoon on the stage in Festival Park. (Photo by Sandra Lepley)
64th-pa-maple-festival-showcases-maple-industry-20110324

MEYERSDALE - — This year’s 64th annual Pa. Maple Festival comes on the heels of one of the most successful sugar seasons ever.

Set to begin this Saturday and Sunday and resume March 30 and 31 through April 1-3, the Pa. Maple Festival will not only deservedly have “bragging rights” about Somerset County’s sugar season, but also be able to update travelers as to the technology of the industry.

That’s because the Sugar Shack has gotten a facelift of sorts. In the past few months, Ron Brenneman, a longtime maple producer, and Perry Yoder and Harold Nicholson spent countless hours renovating the Sugar Shack to better educate the public about the maple industry.

The Somerset County Maple Producers Association led the effort by first providing funds for a drop flue, two by six-foot Leader evaporator. Then the work crew of Brenneman, Yoder and Nicholson paneled the walls with cedar siding and afterward, shelving was installed. The windows were redone and new sliding doors were also put in.

The new Sugar Shack shows a little bit of the old along with the newer way of producing maple syrup.

“The Maple Producers not only had a good year of producing, they also made a difference in what we do at the festival by funding this major project for Festival Park,” said Matt Caton, festival president. “It’s going to be great for our tourists to see how the maple industry evolved into what it is today.”

At noon April 2, shortly before the Grand Feature Parade which starts at 3 p.m., festival officials will dedicate the renovated Sugar Shack and pay tribute to the Somerset County Maple Producers Association for their support through the years.

Caton pointed out the rich heritage of maple production along with the strong community volunteerism make this traditional event like none other.

“It’s a two-week time period where people come together and work together with community spirit and pride,” he said. “There’s nothing else like it and we are fortunate enough to have second, third and fourth generation volunteers.”

This year at the festival, some new things and some old favorites are mixed together for family entertainment.Again this year in Festival Park, the Civil War and World War II re-enactors will be back along with Terry Dively at the blacksmithing display and Todd Johnson as the Ghost in the Head Native American demonstrator.

At Festival Park, Maple Manor will once again be open as thousands of visitors pour through the historic home full of antique furnishings. Maple Manor and its grounds is the historic cornerstone of the community that once where the founder of Meyersdale, Peter Meyers, lived and worked.

And, crafts vendors of all kinds and foods of many varieties will be available inside the park, as well as stage entertainment which include singing, dancing and musical acts.

Children of all ages will be able to drill holes with augers in an area with assimilated trees and at another area, they can enjoy crafts with their parents.

Also, the maple festival office will supply visitors with a list of local maple producers opening their camps for local, out-of-town and bus tours.

As a member of PSACF (Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs), the maple festival houses a large variety of fair items, except for livestock, in one of the main buildings in Festival Park.

Even beyond the borders of the historic park, there are countless activities throughout the community.

Every year, a whole host of community members cast as characters from Maple City history and present-day times step onto the stage at Meyersdale Area High School for “Legend of the Magic Water.” The production is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, March 30, April 1 and 2.

Every year for 44 years, hundreds of members from the Meyersdale Lions Club serve up hot pancakes and sausage and plenty of maple syrup for visitors near and far. The Pancake House opens at 8 a.m. each day of the festival at the Meyersdale Community Center. There will be a community pancake dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Every year, visitors to the Pennsylvania Maple Festival are attracted to the Annual Quilt Show. Quilters from all over have their quilts on display at the Meyersdale fire department’s social room, across from the Lions Pancake House. The quilt show is open to the public throughout the festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.On Sunday the festival will once again hold its annual Street Rod and Classic Auto Show on Main and Center streets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This car show began in 1983.

On the following Sunday, April 3, the festival will welcome entries for the Antique Auto Show, also on Main and Center streets. The antique car show opened at the maple festival in 1961. It will also be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At 6 p.m. April 1, classic car lovers bring their cars to the Maple City and cruise the streets. The Classic Car Cruise is a nostalgic night for many who enjoyed the times of poodle skirts and 1950s music. Following the car cruise, the annual festival dance will be held at 9 p.m. at the American Legion.The Grand Feature Parade will be set for 3 p.m. April 2, on Center Street in Meyersdale.

The Antique Tractor and Farm Machinery Show will be held at the Caton’s Old Time Tractor Repair, 321 Grant St., across from the old BP gas station. At 10 a.m. Saturday and the following Saturday and Sunday, there will be a tractor show. And, at 1 p.m. April 3, there will be Tractor Games, which will test a driver’s ability in how he or she can handle their tractor.

Also, the Maple Race 8K run/5K walk begins at 10 a.m. April 2, at the Western Maryland Train Station. This year, the race will be held the second Saturday instead of the first Saturday as it is usually scheduled.

The community worship service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.The horse pulling contest at the Somerset County Fairgrounds will once again be held at 1 p.m. April

For more information on any of the events, call the Maple Festival office at 814-634-0213 or tollfree at 866-858-0213.

Maine Maple Sunday from the Free Press (Maine)

2011-03-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

Maine Maple Sunday
3/24/2011 1:18:00 PM
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Always the 4th Sunday in March

The cold nights and warm days of early spring bring the sap run that produces Maine's maple syrup. The state's maple producers are gearing up for Maine Maple Sunday, observed this year on Sunday, March 27.

Maple producers around the state open the doors of their sugarhouses for the public to see firsthand how 40 gallons of maple sap are turned into just one gallon of Maine maple syrup. Most sugarhouses offer tastings and live demonstrations of how syrup is produced, from tap to table, and other treats and activities. Many sugarhouses will arrange special tours and demonstrations for groups on other days as well - call them to make arrangements.

Midcoast sugarhouses planning to participate in Maple Sunday, according to the Maine Deparment of Agriculture, are listed below (a full statewide list is available at http://www.getrealmaine.com/).

• In Knox County: Freyenhagen's Family Farm, 51 Wotton's Mill Road, Union, 785-4559; Golden Nugget Sugar Shack, 328 Gurney Town Road, Appleton, 785-2518; Maine Gold, 229 Park Street, Rockland, 593-0090; and Rock Maple Acres, 2565 Burkettville Road, Appleton, 845-2865.

• In Lincoln County: Goranson Farm, 250 River Road, Dresden, 737-8834; Ragged Rock Farm, 79 Wiscasset Road, Whitefield, 549-3459; Rice Farms Maple Syrup, 36 Split Rock Road, Wapole, 563-6023; Sproul Homestead, Walpole, 563-5316; and Spruce Bush Farm, 101 Old Madden Road, Jefferson, 549-7448.

• In Waldo County: Kinney's Sugarhouse, 200 Abbott Road, Knox, 568-7576; Heal's Sugar House & Orchard, 144 Heal Road, Lincolnville, 763-3150; Hillcrest Orchards, Winterport, 223-4416; Sugar Mountain Maple Farms, North Palermo Road, Freedom, 993-6070; Wentworth Hill Farms, 1805 Webb Road, Knox, 322-3081; Simmons and Daughters Maple Syrup, 261 Weymouth Road, Morrill, 342-2444; and Winterport Hills Farm, 269 Goshen Road, Winterport, 223-5485.

Camden-Rockport Historical Society Open for Maple Sunday

The Camden-Rockport Historical Society will join the statewide celebration of Maine Maple Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 27. The society operates the Cramer Museum complex and will offer demonstrations of maple syrup making in its 1820s sugarhouse. Free maple syrup ice cream sundaes will be available in the museum, along with maple-flavored donuts.

Society Director Marlene Hall says, "We'll also have an Old Fashioned Taffy Pull - maple flavored, of course - and visitors can try their hand at hand-cranking ice cream.

"There'll be free samples of open fire pit cooking - Maynard Stanley's famous chuckwagon beans - and a blacksmithing demonstration in the smithy's shop. People can also try their hand at rope making and hatchet throwing. The Breakers jazz group will entertain. Donations will be gratefully accepted, and the gift shop will be open, with maple products for sale as well as other handcrafted items.

The museum complex is at the Camden-Rockport town line on Route 1. For more information, contact Hall at 594-8047 or e-mail crmuseum@midcoast.com.

2011 NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL MARCH 12 & 13

2011-03-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

A little late with this news, so, so sorry. Unfortunately, it's been a busy winter. Here's the URL for the festival in Indiana, sponosored by King Arthur Flower.
http://www.nationalmaplesyrupfestival.com

CLICK THIS URL TO WATCH COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF29O7lLSZg

Tree Tapping Ceremony in Chataqua County 2011

2011-03-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

(Assemblyman Andy Goodell, left, taps a maple tree at MRC Farms in Sinclairville with the assistance of co-owner Ken Morley during Chautauqua Maple Promotion Day on Friday.P-J photo by Dave Emke)

Sweet Ceremony
Maple Season Kicked Off With Tree-Tapping Event
March 12, 2011 - By Dave Emke demke@post-journal.com
THE POST-JOURNAL, Jamestown, NY

SINCLAIRVILLE - Though at least some of the county's 50-plus maple producers have already made syrup this month, a ceremonial tree-tapping officially began the 2011 maple season in Chautauqua County on Friday.

Assemblyman Andy Goodell was assisted by MRC Farms co-owner Ken Morley in driving a tap into a tree just outside the maple producer's sugarhouse on Water Street in Sinclairville. The ceremonial event took place at the conclusion of Chautauqua Maple Promotion Day, an event designed to promote and raise awareness about the maple industry in the county.
Prior to the ceremony, Goodell said that the maple industry is a valuable part of the county's makeup.

''The agriculture industry is very important in Chautauqua County, and the maple syrup industry is an important part of that,'' he said. ''I keep Chautauqua County maple syrup on hand not only because I like it, but when I have guests from out-of-town, it's a special treat to give them pure maple syrup made from right here in Chautauqua County.''

Maple producers from across the county were represented at the event, including Big Tree Maple from Lakewood, Fairbanks Maple from Arkwright, Maple Cider Farms from Bemus Point, Fred Croscut from Sherman, and Don Mansfield from Fredonia. Each was given an opportunity during the morning to speak about their operation and discuss the intricacies of maple production with those gathered for the event.

Croscut said that the Maple Producers Association of the Chautauqua Region, which was well-represented at the event, is a close-knit organization that does well to promote the industry.
''I'm very proud to be a part of it as we all work together toward a common goal,'' he said. ''I enjoy the camaraderie - I don't think anybody's going to make a lot of money doing this, but it's just good to get up and keep moving.''

Morley, who co-owns MRC Farms along with Keith Carlson, said that it is a third-generation operation that has been in his family since the 1950s. It is now among the largest maple farms in Chautauqua County, with about 7,000 taps producing between 18,000 and 22,000 gallons of maple syrup during the season.

He said that it's a business that has been in his blood since he was a child, and something he has always found enjoyment in doing with his family.

''It's something we love doing,'' he said. ''I have two nephews who are a great help - they're laid off in the wintertime and need something to do.''

The maple outfit gives everyone plenty of work, bringing in approximately 100,000 gallons of sap during the four-week production season, Morley said. In addition to maple syrup, MRC Farms produces maple cream and maple sugar pieces.

Morley said that he enjoyed the opportunity Friday to meet with fellow producers and others from the community to talk about the business and share information. He also said that local producers should be proud of the maple syrup they produce and distribute to customers.
''It's all-natural and basically 100 percent organic,'' he said. ''The heck with Mrs. Butterworth.''

For more information about MRC Farms and its maple products, call Morley at 499-0481.

Chautauqua County's maple producers will be spotlighted once again during upcoming Maple Weekends, which will be held March 19-20 and March 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, at both Big Tree Maple and Fairbanks Maple.

At Fairbanks Maple Products, 9265 Putnam Road in Arkwright, the Fairbankses will be collecting and boiling sap, as well as making their products for interested visitors. They also plan to offer an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at a cost of $6 for adults and $3 for children. Free samples of their products will be given out, and horse-drawn wagon rides will be offered on Sundays.

At Big Tree Maple, 2040 Holly Lane in Lakewood, the Munsees will also be collecting, boiling and making products. Pancake breakfasts are planned there as well, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at a cost of $7 for adults and $3 for children. Free samples will be offered up, and cream and sugar will be made if possible.

Festivities will also be taking place at the same time at more than 100 other maple producers in 44 other counties across the state during the 16th annual event. For more information about Maple Weekend, including a complete listing of all producers in the state who are participating, visit http://www.mapleweekend.com/.

READ IT ALL AT:

http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/581067/Sweet-Ceremony.html?nav=5192

WALL STREET JOURNAL SAYS ITS A BANNER YEAR FOR SYRUP!

2011-03-12T03:46:00.001-08:00

WALL STREET JOURNAL
MARCH 12, 2011
Maple's Moment
From scrambled eggs to side salads, a guide to all the marvelous places the golden syrup can go.

Thanks to the historic lashings of snow that hit the Northeast this winter, we're poised, pancakes stacked, for what's likely to be a banner year in maple production. Icy nights and warmer days are essential to a good syrup season—the end-of-winter rhythm of freeze and thaw coaxes sap from the trees for as long as they can resist the urge to bud, usually four to six weeks. Last year overheated prematurely, leaving some producers with a maple bust. But it's been a snowy season, and chances are good that the sugar bush (as tapping areas are cheerily called) will stay chilled and the sweet sap will flow.

With a glut of nature's most bewitching sweetener headed our way, it's high time to break maple out of its brunch hour rut. Under that sticky toffee veneer are layers of smoke and tannin that play just as well at dinner or cocktail hour. In search of a few unexpected ways to use the spoils, we turned to chefs across the Northeast.

—Kristen Miglore

READ THE REST AT:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580004576180583301067532.html

MAPLE WEEKEND SET FOR NEXT TWO WEEKS

2011-03-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

Maple Weekend set for next two weekends
March 12, 2011 - By JENNA LOUGHLIN
THE OBSERVER, DUNKIRK, NY

Ever wondered how exactly sap from a maple tree becomes the tasty, sticky syrup on your pancakes? Now you can see for yourself.

New York state is putting on its 16th annual Maple Weekend during the last two weekends in March, the 19-20, and 26-27. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., participating sugar houses will open their doors to those interested in the maple syrup process.

One of the regional farms taking part in the celebration is Maple Glen Sugar House in Gowanda. Owner Paul Lesefske will have his farm open both weeks, complete with a demonstration of how maple syrup is made from tapping the tree, to boiling the sap in the sugar house which hosts a more modern method of sap collection using a tubing system. Kids can even have a hands-on experience tapping trees and hanging buckets.

"It's educational for the public," Lesefske said. "You can get out and see different sugar houses and how everybody does things a little different."

In addition, Maple Glen Sugar House will offer free samples of all of the products it sells, such as maple syrup, maple candy, granulated sugar, maple cream, maple peanuts, maple jelly, six to eight flavors of pancake mix, maple drops, maple mustard and maple barbecue sauce and free horse-drawn wagon rides down through the sugar bush and back.

One of Lesefske's specialties is hot dogs that he will have for sale that have been boiled in maple sap.

"As the sap becomes more concentrated, by the time you take the hot dogs out, there's a slight glaze of syrup on them," Lesefske said. "We sell a lot of them."

Lesefske has been in business for 14 years and this year's season began for him on Feb. 12 with the tapping of trees. The first boil of the year occurred on Feb. 17 and he expects to continue making syrup four to six weeks from then.

"We've got a pretty good start on (the season)," Lesefske said. "We need freezing nights and back in the 40s during the day."

Also taking part is Fairbanks Maple in Forestville. Co-owners Linda Fairbanks will be having a pancake breakfast on top of opening up her sugar house to curious folk. The breakfast will be $6 for adults, $3 for kids over six, and six and under eat free. The meal will consist of all-you-can-eat pancakes, two sausage patties, scrambled eggs and a drink.

There will also be samples available from the many products that Fairbanks Maple produces from maple syrup to maple mustard to maple fluff, similar to cotton candy but made from granulated maple sugar. For those who visit the farm on either Sunday, there will be horse drawn wagon rides.

Big Tree Maple in Lakewood, co-owned by brother Dave and Lloyd Munsee, will also be hosting a pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. all four days that features buttermilk maple pancakes, Munsee Farm fresh, farm raised pork sausage and a beverage. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for kids over two years old and two and under eat free. Big Tree Maple can be found at http://www.bigtreemaple.com/.

Lastly, the Gowanda Fire Hall on Aldrich Street will be hosting a pancake breakfast of its own both weekends from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information on Maple Weekend and a full list of participating sugar houses, visit http://www.mapleweekend.com/. Happy sugaring!

READ ORIGINAL AT:

http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/

556976/Maple-Weekend-set-for-next-two-weekends.html?nav=5047

Albany Union Times Reports About Disappointing 2010 Maple Surgar Season

2010-07-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Maple syrup flow slowed
Warm spring weather cut state's production nearly a third this season
By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
First published in print: Friday, June 11, 2010

ALBANY -- An unusually warm spring injected a sour note into the maple syrup season in New York, where nearly a third less syrup was produced compared with last year.

"Production was down in New York, and across the board in the entire northeast, including Canada and Quebec," said Helen Thomas, executive director of the New York State Maple Producers Association.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released maple syrup production figures that confirmed what operators of local sugar shacks already knew -- too much heat and too little freezing this spring put a damper on the sap flow.

"The season started late and ended early this year," said Thomas. "But it is not down as much as we initially thought." And the good news, she said, is that New York remains the nation's second-largest syrup producer, edging out Maine but trailing well behind Vermont.

The government figures tell a story of more taps into maple trees, of heat-stressed trees giving less sap, and the shortage resulting in higher prices.

While the state produced about 312,000 gallons of syrup, down 29 percent from the year before, the syrup sold for about $17.8 million, up about 28 percent. Overall, the average price for a gallon of syrup was slightly more than $40.

"In general, temperatures started out too cold for sap flow and quickly turned too warm. The lack of below-freezing nights and above-freezing days resulted in a very short season," according to the USDA.

A warming trendhas been taking a toll on the Northeast's sugar maple trees, which prefer a wintry climate, and a spring cycle of below-freezing nights, and above-freezing days, which fosters a natural pressure within the trees to push sap out of the taps.

Sap season now starts a week earlier and ends 10 days sooner than in the 1960s, according to the Proctor Maple Research Center at the University of Vermont.

In New York, as winter retreats, sap is running ever earlier, according to figures from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. In the five decades between 1940 and 1989, sap season began in February only twice, with the season traditionally beginning in mid- March. Since 1990, sap has started flowing in February six times.

Last year, the warm spring affected most of the maple-producing regions across the U.S. National syrup production was down about 19 percent to slightly less than two million gallons.
Vermont accounted for the lion's share of that, at 890,000 gallons. Closely trailing New York for the second spot was Maine, which produced 310,000 gallons, a decrease of 22 percent from last season.

Maple operators who invested in costly vacuum tube collection systems -- which can costs tens of thousands of dollars -- reported they were able to get more sap than those who relied on the natural temperature-driven process of trees to push sap, according to the USDA.

Brian Nearing can be reached at 454-5094 or bnearing@timesunion.com.Read more: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jFHAMbHIUKEJ:https://secure.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp%3FstoryID%3D940060%26newsdate%3D7/24/2010%26BCCode%3DMBTA+maple+syrup+season+ny+2010+less&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us#ixzz0v7P44vZg

ASBURY PARK PRESS TELLS ABOUT NEW JERSEY SYRUP SEASON

2010-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

From sap to syrup: Maple-tapping season only 3 weeks in N.J.
By AMANDA OGLESBY • STAFF WRITER • February 17, 2010

ASBURY PARK PRESS
Forester Bob Meierjurgen is seeking sweetness armed with a power drill. It is maple tree-tapping season, and Meierjurgen and forester John Burkle are drilling into maple trees at the Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson and Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan.

Maple syrup is maple sap boiled to remove most of its water. The process requires days of boiling in the Education Center's Sugar Shack, a wooden one-room building in the woods off East Veterans Highway.

Out of the tree, the sap contains about 1.8 percent sugar, Burkle and Meierjurgen say. To become table-ready maple syrup, the water must be boiled out to concentrate the sugar, which will make up about 62 percent of the syrup.

For years, the foresters tapped the local red maple trees at the Education Center.
"We used to have to collect 80 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup with red maple" says Burkle.

Now, the two tap sugar maple trees at Monmouth Battlefield instead, which produce a higher-sugar sap.

"It cuts 40 gallons of water that we don't have to boil off," Burkle says.
To tap a maple, Meierjurgen approaches the warm, south-facing side of the tree with a power drill. Angling the drill bit up slightly, he makes a two-inch hole into the trunk. He inserts a "spile," a metal tube that directs the sap into a hanging bucket. Clear, watery sap begins to drip within minutes.

Just one tree can fill a large metal bucket within 24 hours, they say. Burkle and Meierjurgen have a limited time to collect sap, because the tapping season lasts about three weeks in New Jersey.
"We're kind of outside the natural range where sugar maples grow right here," Burkle says, adding that sugar maples grow naturally in colder or northern parts of the state.
The season is limited by the environmental conditions required for sap collection. Freezing nights and warmer days provide the best conditions, Meierjurgen says.

"Once the weather breaks, you're getting that perfect freeze and thaw scenario for the pumping action from the sap," Meierjurgen says. "That's what we need, above freezing and below freezing."

They are unable to precisely predict how much sap they will collect each season. Drought, tree disease and mild winters all decrease sap production, they say.

Wild animals pose problems, too. Deer, mice, rabbits and woodchucks have eaten some of the sugar maple saplings planted at the Education Center.

"Maples are sweet. They know it, too." Meierjurgen says. "They're like little beavers."
By the end of February, the harvest season is over.

The foresters take their gallons of the sap back to the Sugar Shack, where with the help of seasonal employee Rick Bentz, they boil it over a wood-burning brick fireplace. Clouds of white steam billow up to the ceiling and escape through a screened cupola.

"This is a basic evaporator, (with) a wood fire," Burkle says. "It's sap in and syrup out."
"We're evaporating the water from the sap, so the sugar amount is stronger," Meierjurgen says.
The cold sap sits in a warmer before it moves to the tray above the flames.
"You don't want to pour something cold, almost slushy, into something boiling," Meierjurgen says. "We (would) lose the potential power of the boiling water.

"It's kind of a fun science," he adds. "We can have it drip in as fast as it's evaporating, so it's kind of a safe equilibrium."

The boiling sap is never left untended, because within a minute, it can boil over the sides of the evaporator and be ruined, they say.

Once the syrup nears the desired consistency, they move it to a finishing pan powered by propane. The pan gives them more control over the temperature in its last phase of the process. They measure its sugar content using hydrometers, and after confirming that sugar comprises about 62 percent of the syrup, Meierjurgen bottles it. It is used for education purposes at the center.

"It's a very simple process, but you have to think about the acreage," Meierjurgen says. "You need a lot of trees, heat, (and) dedication. It's a very expensive practice."

READ THE SOTRY AT:

http://www.app.com/article/20100217/LIFE01/2170329/1044/LIFE

FOX NEWS ASKS: IS MAPLE SYRUP THE NEW SUGAR?

2010-01-27T05:59:00.000-08:00

Maple Syrup, the New Sugar?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

By Elena Ferretti
FOXNEWS.com

While we think of honey as both a stand-alone sweetener and an essential ingredient in things like marinades, salad dressings and glazes, we don’t view a similar sugary liquid, maple syrup, in the same way at all. Instead the treat from trees is relegated primarily to being sopped up by the breakfast trifecta of pancakes, waffles and French toast.
Yummy, but limited.

Yesterday’s news, says Chef Kathleen Daelemans. “Forget pancake and think ‘pan-sear.’ Maple syrup goes way beyond just sweet. Once you get it, you’ll start thinking of it in the savory category as well as the sweet.” Affiliated with the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and its 8600 businesses, Daelemans, star of “Cooking Thin” for three seasons on The Food Network and author of “Cooking Thin and Loving Food”, is in love with maple syrup. Chefs always enjoy using ordinary ingredients in unexpected ways to create extraordinary things. For Daelemans, that everyday thing is maple syrup.

Daelemans thinks that “it’s much more versatile than people expect and has a depth of flavor that you want to incorporate into your cooking.” Whether it’s the economy, wanting to take responsibility for our own health, or simply culinary curiosity, more people today are cooking at home.

We all share the desire to eat healthy, says Daelemans, who knows from eating healthy. At the age of 22 she became the spa chef at a Hawaiian resort, all 205 pounds of her. Eating her own award-winning food she lost a staggering 75 pounds, and has kept it off ever since.

“It’s easy to eat healthy when what you eat tastes great,” explains Daelemans. “What sounds better: Poached Fish with Steamed Vegetables or Pan-Seared Salmon with a Maple Glaze with Green Beans with Parmesan and Lemon?” It’s easy, she says, and quick. Salt and pepper the salmon, pan-sear it with two teaspoons of olive oil in a good quality, non-stick pan with a heavy bottom. Cook skin side up over medium heat for five minutes. Turn over, cook a few more minutes. Remove fish. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock, the juice of half an orange (a few tablespoons) and one tablespoon of pure maple syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until thickened. Turn off heat and add fresh thyme, parsley or any herb you choose. Pour over fish. Toss the steamed green beans with lemon, freshly grated Parmesan, and a little olive oil and you’re done.

Eating well-flavored food, Daelemans says, makes you less likely to want dessert. “If there’s a lack of flavor in your dinner, you automatically start looking forward to dessert, thinking ‘My dinner was terrible, I deserve dessert.’” That’s when you run into problems. “We all have an emotional need for flavor and nutrition and when we satisfy that need, we generally eat better.”
Daelemans hails from a family of artists, but she didn’t share their talents and envied their creative outlets until she found hers in food. Her mom read cookbooks like novels and was an adventurous, inventive cook who rarely cooked the same thing twice. “I think my Dad had only a handful of repeat meals,” she remembers. “Mom always made something different.”

Her first job, in the kitchen of the Ahwahnee Hotel, the resort lodge and national historic landmark in Yosemite National Park, was to earn money for photography school. There, she discovered Ahwahnee’s “Chefs’ Holidays”, where acclaimed visiting chefs created special menus. Only two cooks were chosen to work with them, she explains. That became her goal. It took two years to get there, but once she did, she worked with such chefs as Ken Frank, Larry Forgione, Marcel Desaulnier and Joyce Goldstein.

Syrup’s rich, caramel-like, clean flavor goes a long way. Real maple syrup, that is. Some brands have negligible amounts of maple syrup, if any at all. You want the real stuff, the kind that’s made from the sap of maple trees that thrive in cold climates. When the sap thaws in the early spring and begins rising, syrup producers drill a hole and insert a “tap” allowing the sap to trickle out into a bucket. It’s then boiled down. Way down. “It takes 10.5 gallons of sap to make one quart of syrup,” explains Daelemans.

While Vermont conjures images of snowy maples trees festooned with buckets, Quebec, Canada produces a staggering 80% of the world’s maple syrup supply. And that’s from a brief harvest season of just 12 to 20 days. Quebec actually maintains a “strategic maple syrup reserve” which is what allowed it to export 67.7 million pounds of maple syrup in 2007 when it only produced 67.6 million pounds. The United States is the only other major producer and we are, proudly, the leading consumer.

READ THE REST AT:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582824,00.html

Hudson-Chatham Sugarmaker's Reserve Now at The Berry Farm in Chatham, NY

2009-05-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

The Hudson-Chatham Winery is proud and pleased to announce that Hudson-Chatham Sugarmaker's Reserve 100% All Natural Maple Syrups are now available at The Berry Farm.

They proudly feature produce from Little Seed, Farm at Millers Crossing, Stanton Farm, Klinger Farm, Meade Orchards, Migliorelli Farm to name a few. They are also pleased to be able to offer meats and poultry from Northwind Farm and Grazin Angus Acres.

The Berry Farm
2309 Rt 203, Chatham, NY
Between Chatham & Valatie
518 392 4609
Open:
Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, 9 am - 6 pm
Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, 9 am - 7 pm

SUGARMAKING AT HUDSON-CHATHAM

2009-03-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. Sugarmakers all over the state are boiling sap and making syrup. That means were firing up the burners and filtering our gold grade A Amber and our Grade B Dark.

And in a few weeks we'll start boiling vanilla and raspeberry syrups as well.

Here's an interview with Mike Bennett, one of our sugar makers talking about the season.

UPPER HUDSON MAPLE PRODUCERS MAPLE SYRUP WEEKEND

2009-03-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Fulton, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga,
Warren,Washington Counties

Fulton County

Frasier Sugar Shack
144 Church Street, St. Johnsville
phone: 518-568-7438
e-mail: frasiers@frontiernet.net
website: www.frasierssugarshack.com
Participating: March 28th and 29th

Our 1,200-tap all-pipeline operation features a 3’x12’ oil fired evaporator with steamaway. We make maple cream, candy, maple coated peanuts and maple coated topping.

Directions: From Johnstown take Route 29 West about 10-12 miles to Lasselville. Turn right on County Highway 119. Go two miles and turn right on Church Street. Our sugarhouse will be on the right.

Mud Road Sugar House
261 Mud Rd, Ephratah
phone: 518-863-6313
e-mail:mudroadsugarhouse@yahoo.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

The Duesler family has been producing syrup for over 40 years. In addition to syrup they make maple cream and maple candy with a full line of glass containers. Sap gathered from 1,400 taps and is boiled on a wood-fired 4’x12’ evaporator with a 500 gallon reverse osmosis and filter.

Directions: Take NYS Thruway to the Canajoharie exit. Take Route 10 North for seven miles (just past Ephratah Firehouse) and turn right onto Mud Road. The sugarhouse will be about 1.5 miles down the road on the right.

Peaceful Valley Maple Farms
116 Lagrange Rd, Johnstown
phone:518-762-0491
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

The Savage family have produced maple syrup for over 20 years but are only in their fourth year in their new state of the art sugarhouse. Their wood fired evaporator is complemented by a reverse osmosis which easily handles their 5000 taps. They carry a full line of maple products in their maple store.Serving a pancake breakfast weekends February-April and October-December.

Directions: Take Route 29 west out of Johnstown, take a right onto county highway 131,take next right which is Route 131A also known as O'Neil Ave., Lagrange Road is the first left on Route 131A, sugarhouse is immediately on your left.

Hamilton County

McComb's Oak Hill Maple Farm
Elm Lake Rd, Speculator
phone: 518-548-6105
e-mail:mccombk@frontiernet.net
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

The McComb family produces maple syrup less than a mile from beautiful Lake Pleasant. Totally new operation in 1999. They use a 3x12 wood fired evaporator, with a forced draft. They have a state of the art tubing system on vacuum that runs to the sugarhouse. This operation is worth the drive to see.

Directions: 1.5 miles east from the intersection of Rt. 30 and Rt. 8 in the Village of Speculator

Rensselaer County

Kent's Sugar House
Plank Rd., Berlin
phone: 518-658-2134
e-mail:hewittshoney@taconic.net
Participating: March 28th & 29th

1000 taps all on tubing. 3x10 wood fired evaporator with a steamaway.We make; maple syrup,maple cream,maple candy and granulated maple sugar. As a special treat you can see a team of oxen, with the special names of Maple and Syrup.

Directions: Starting at the State Intersection of Routes 7 & 22, go south on Route 22 for apx. 12 miles, you will see a caution light by the Bank of America, turn right onto County Route 40, go 1.25 miles, sugarhouse will be on your right.

Saratoga County

Maple Valley Farm
84 Harris Road, Corinth
phone:518-654-9752
e-mail:dcmonica@frontiernet.net
Participating: March 28th & 29th

Donald Modica started the 2,000-tap operation in 1962 and it is now in its fifth generation of maple producers. We boil on a 6’x18’ wood fired evaporator with 1,000 taps on vacuum tubing and 1,000 taps on natural flow tubing. In addition to our maple demonstrations and sampling, events will include hayrides to the sugarhouse, demonstrations by the local antique engine club, snowshoe racing and honeybee history Serving a pancake breakfast the second weekend.

Directions: From South Take I-87 North to Exit 16. Turn left on Ballard Road and go straight into Corinth to Route 9N. Go north on 9N for about two miles and turn left Antone Road. Go about one-half mile to Harris Road and turn right. From North take I87 South to Exit 21. Turn right on Route 9N and go south about 12 miles through Lake Luzerne. About one mile after crossing the Hudson River turn right on Harris Road and the farm will be about two miles down the road.

Nightingale's Maple Farm
Jersey Hill Rd.,Town of Galway
phone: 518-882-9334
e-mail:maple2u@localnet.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Family run sugarhouse with nearly 3000 taps all on a tubing network, processing sap with R/O and oil fired evaporator. We welcome visitors during the season and sell our products year round.

Directions: From intersection of state highway 67 & 147(Scotch Church) 1.5 miles West on 67, turn right North onto Jersey Hill Rd. 2 miles on right. Also follow NYS Maple DOT signs on Rte 67

Warren County

Adirondack Gold Maple Farm
74 Bear Pond Road, Thurman
phone:518-623-9718
e-mail:adkgoldmaple@aol.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

We are a third generation maple producers with an old fashioned sugarhouse. We have a total of 600 taps, 500 of which are on tubing. Our stainless steel evaporator is a wood fired 2’x6’. We offer a full line of maple products.

Directions: Take I-87 to Exit 23. Turn Right onto Route 9 North into Warrensburg. Turn left onto Route 418 and follow it to the end and then take an immediate right onto Athol Road. Then follow the signs to Adirondack Gold Maple Farm.

Toad Hill Maple Farm
151 Charles Olds Road, Thurman
phone: 518-623-4744
e-mail:toadhill@hughes.net
website: www.toadhillmaple.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

The Galusha Family has produced pure Adirondack Maple Products at Toad Hill for more than 30 years. Toad Hill is the largest maple producer in Warren County with more than 4,000 vacuum-assisted taps spread across three sugar bushes.

Directions: Take I-87 to Exit 23. Turn Right onto Route 9 North into Warrensburg. Turn left onto Route 418 and follow it to the end and then take an immediate right onto Athol Road. Then follow the signs to Toad Hill Maple Farm.

Valley Road Maple Farm
190 Valley Road, Thurman
phone: 518-623-9783
e-mail: maple1@nycap.rr.com
website:www.valleyroadmaplefarm.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Sugarmakers Mike Hill and Ralph Senecal boil in a new state-of-the-art sugarhouse. They have 1,500 taps on vacuum with reverse osmosis. We have a full line of maple products including syrup, cream, candy, sugar and maple cotton candy. Serving a pancake breakfast both weekends.

Directions: Take I-87 to Exit 23. Turn Right onto Route 9 North into Warrensburg. Turn left onto Route 418 and follow it to the end and then take an immediate right onto Athol Road. Then follow the signs to Valley Road Maple Farm..

Wallace's Sugarhouse
312 Dippikill Road, Thurman
phone: 518-623-9406
e-mail:thurmanmaplesyrup@yahoo.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

This will be the second year for the Wallace's new sugarhouse with all new equipment. Which includes a Leader 3'x12' wood fired evaporator with a steam away. This 2000 tap operation carries a full line of maple products.

Directions:From Warrensburg go north on Route 9 to Route 28, at the Glen Bridge take a left onto Glen Athol Road, go approximately 4 miles, take a right onto Parker Cross Road. Go 100 yards and take a right onto Dippikill Road, go 1.5 miles sugarhouse is on your right or take Route 418 from Warrensburg turn right onto Athol Road go 2 miles take a right onto Glen Athol Road , go 2 miles turn left onto Parker Cross road. Go 100 yards and take a right onto Dippikill Road, go 1.5 miles sugarhouse is on your right

Washington County

Dry Brook Sugar House
432 Chambers Rd, Salem
phone: 518-854-3955
e-mail:sales@drybrooksugarhouse.com
website:www.drybrooksugarhouse.com

Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Kevin Keyes and Bob Chambers welcome you to their 6,000-tap operation. Our sugarhouse is located at the Chambers family dairy, where 700 cows are milked each day and 500 heifers are being raised.Serving a pancake breakfast both weekends.

Directions: Located on Chambers Road east of Salem. Follow the signs off Route 153. Call for directions at 518-854-3955.

Grottoli’s Maple
91 Ritchie Road, Middle Granville
phone: 518-642-2856
e-mail:grottolimaple@yahoo.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Mike and Laurie Grottoli caught maple fever more then 16 years ago. They tap about 1,500 trees and offer a wide variety of delicious maple products for sale.Serving a pancake breakfast both weekends.

Directions: We are located just off Route 22 in Middle Granville. From the intersection of Rts. 22 & 149 in Granville, head north on Route 22 for 4 miles. Take a right onto Ritchie Road and we are the first place on the right.From the intersection of Rts. 4 and 22 head south on 22 for 7.3 miles take a left onto Ritchie Road and we are the first place on the right.

Highland Maple Farm
954 Coach Rd, Argyle
phone: 518-638-8586
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

We have about 2,500 taps on our well established sugar bush. We take the sap and process it with our modern equipment to produce a high quality product. In addition to our award-winning maple syrup we make soft maple sugar, granulated maple sugar and maple cotton. We’ll have plenty of maple goodies on “tap” at our open house to welcome you to the magical maple season.

Directions: Located on Coach Road in Argyle. From NY Route 40 North, turn right on McEachren Hill Road. Go one-half mile to Coach Road and turn right on Coach Road. We’re about a quarter mile down the road.

Mapleland Farms
647 Bunker Hill Road, Salem
phone: 518-854-7669
e-mail:dave@maplelandfarms.com
website: www.maplelandfarms.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Mapleland Farms is a 8000 tap on tubing operation. Our sugarhouse features an oil-fired evaporator with reverse osmosis. We will be offering a pancake breakfast and samples of our full line of maple products both weekends.

Directions: Take either Route 29 or Route 40 to Route 49. Follow that to Cossayuna. Look for Bunker Hill Road and take that to our sugarhouse.

Rathbun's Maple Sugarhouse & Restaurant
1208 Hatch Hill Road, Granville
phone: 518-642-1799
e-mail matt@rathbunsmaple.com
website: www.rathbunsmaple.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

Rathbun’s Sugarhouse in North Granville has been a family affair for four generations. Started by Bill Rathbun in 1961, the farm today has 5,000 taps, which supplies lots of flavorful maple syrup to the Rathbun’s popular restaurant. Maple-inspired breakfasts are served Saturday and Sunday all year round.

Directions: Located two miles of Route 22 in North Granville. Just turn at the North Granville store and follow the signs.

Sugar Mill Farm
2469 State Route 29, Greenwich
phone: 518-692-2486
e-mail:sugar.mill.farm@gmail.com
Participating: March 21nd,22rd,28th and 29th

John & Michele Reid started their operation ten years ago. Already they’ve grown to 4,000 taps. The sap is processed through a 1,200 gallon per hour reverse osmosis machine and then boiled on a wood-fired 3’x12’ evaporator with steam away.
Directions: Take Route 29. We’re about 3.1 miles out of Greenwich at the corner of Ryan Road and Route 29.

13th Annual New York State Maple Weekend

2009-03-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

13th Annual Maple Weekend
Great Crop Expected

Despite a down year for production in 2007, New York maple producers are anticipating a bumper crop for 2008 that will keep them ranked among the world’s largest producers. They hope the public will join in the celebration during Maple Weekend.

On March 29-30 from 10am - 4pm each day, about 110 of the finest maple producers throughout New York State, from Buffalo to Albany, Rochester to Binghamton and Jamestown to Plattsburgh, will open their sugarhouses to demonstrate the making of maple products "from the tree to your table." The event is free to the public.

Maple Weekend is a free, family-oriented event that gives the public a chance to see how New York maple producers make some of the world's finest syrup and related products. For a list of participating maple producers and maps to their sugarhouses go online at http://www.mapleweekend.com/.

On Maple Weekend, visitors can see all aspects of maple making, from the tapping of the trees to get the sap, to the boiling of the sap into syrup. Some producers will also demonstrate the making of maple syrup into other products including maple cream, maple cotton candy and maple sugar. Most sugarhouses will allow people to sample the products.
Techniques of maple production vary from producer to producer. Some are state-of-the-art and some use traditional methods, so everyone is encouraged to visit several of the participating farms. In addition, many of the producers will have a variety of additional activities including horse and wagon rides, snowshoeing, guided walks in the woods and kids' corners.
In conjunction with Maple Weekend many all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts featuring New York's finest maple syrup will help people satisfy their hunger and continue to
promote syrup and other maple products. A list of many of the participating pancake breakfasts is available on www.mapleweekend.com/locations.

New York State maple syrup has established its reputation as some of highest quality in the world. New York Maple producers continually strive to do a better job of telling people about it and that is what Maple Weekend is all about.

Last year, New York State’s approximately 1,500 maple syrup producers made more than 224,000 gallons of syrup according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. That was a decrease of 11% from 2006. The drop was caused when producers experienced some snow late in January, then a long warm spell, followed by an abundance of snow. The inconsistent weather pattern made it difficult for consistent sap flow. Syrup color was 54 percent dark, 40 percent medium, and 6 percent light.

Only Vermont produced more syrup in the United States recording 450,000 gallons. Maine experienced a severe production decline of 25% from the previous year dropping it into a virtual tie with New York for the second most maple production in the nation. Canada is the largest maple syrup producing country in the world.

New York’s 1.47 million taps produce enough sap to account for almost 18% of the maple syrup made in the United States. That averages 0.152 gallons of syrup for every tap in the state. The final value of the 2006 crop is estimated at $8.02 million, up 14% from the year before. The crop value for 2007 will be released in June of 2008.

The economic impact of maple production in New York State was an estimated $32 million in 2006. According the New York Agricultural Statistics Service, in the year 2006 it took almost 43 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

Maple Weekend started as Maple Sunday twelve years ago as a handful of maple producers in Wyoming County organized a one-day event to promote maple products. The event became so successful and grew so quickly that it now includes producers throughout New York State.
“We just wanted another way to market our syrup. We never thought it would grow to this size,” said Greg Zimpfer of Attica, one of the founders of Maple Sunday. “But we’re thrilled that people across New York State are being turned onto maple syrup.”

So mark your calendars for March 29-30 and take the family to experience New York State maple!

Among those communities holding festivals are:

Albany County

Knox - Palm Sunday. 518-765-3500

Allegany County

Andover - last weekend in March. 607-478-8455

Cattaraugus County

Franklinville - last weekend in April. 716-676-9910

Central New York

Marathon - last weekend in March.

Marcellus - every Saturday in March. Centers for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods Onondaga County Park, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. 315-673-1350

Clinton County

Open Houses throughout county - last weekend in March. 518-493-6141

Lewis County

Croghan - 3rd Saturday in May. The American Maple Museum is a repository of maple production artifacts and offers an opportunity to learn the history of how maple is made. 315-346-1107

Putnam County

Cold Spring - mid-March. 845-265-3773

Schoharie County

Cobleskill - late April. 518-234-2067

Source: New York State Maple Producers Assoc.

Maple Festivals in Ohio

2009-03-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

If sap is rising, time has come for syrup festivals
Thursday, March 5, 2009 3:30 AM
By Amy Saunders
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

This weekend, in celebration, four central Ohio parks and nature centers are hosting maple-themed events.

"It's the heart of the season," said Pat Quackenbush, naturalist at Hocking Hills State Park. "You have a tiny little window of about a month to get your festival in."
Maple trees are often tapped in February, when daytime weather encourages the flow of sap through such trees.

Once collected, the sap is poured through a wood-fired evaporator that boils the watery liquid into sweet maple syrup.

Activities take place rain or shine, barring severe weather.
Here's what the festivals have to offer:

Maple Sugaring in the Hills
Hocking Hills State Park, 19852 Rt. 664 S., Logan (740-385-8003, http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/)
times 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with hikes from noon to 4 p.m.
cost $6 for the pancake breakfast, free for other activities
A short hike through the woods also comes with lessons in science and history.
Visitors can learn how trees produce sugar (remember photosynthesis?) and see demonstrations of American Indian and pioneer techniques.
Indians collected sap in natural containers, such as hollowed-out logs, and used hot rocks to boil the substance into sugar. Similarly minded pioneers boiled sap in kettles.
Tours leave continually from Old Man's Cave visitor center.

Maple Syrup Festival
Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd., Lucas (419-892-2782, http://www.malabarfarm.org/)
times noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and March 14-15
cost free
A horse-drawn wagon will take visitors to the park's sugar camp, where maple syrup is made the modern way.
The techniques of American Indians and pioneers will also be highlighted during a walk among the trees.
Then, visitors can enjoy bluegrass music and buy maple-flavored snacks -- including popcorn and even beef jerky.
"It's sweet, like a teriyaki sauce," said Sybil Burkey, a member of the park staff.

Maple Syrup Madness
Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark (740-323-2355, http://www.dawesarb.org/)
times 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Saturday
cost free
Dawes Arboretum will highlight the evolution of maple syrup on educational signs along the way to a log cabin.
There, visitors can observe the modern process and taste the result.
The arboretum doesn't produce enough syrup to sell: About 60 gallons of sap are needed to make 1 gallon of syrup, spokeswoman Laura Appleman said.
Dawes volunteers, however, enjoy the products at an appreciation breakfast.

Maple Sugar Festival
Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Rd., Delaware (740-363-2548, http://www.stratfordecologicalcenter.org/)
time 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, with breakfast ending at noon
cost $8, or $6 for children 2 to 12
The day will begin with a breakfast of sausage and pancakes with maple syrup.
Visitors will then take a horse-drawn wagon to the "sugarbush," where they'll learn the origins of the meal.
During a guided or self-guided hike, walkers can tap a tree for sap and watch it being cooked in an evaporator.
The center also offers other activities, such as wool spinning and candle making; and sells farm-made products, including maple syrup.
asaunders@dispatch.com

Boston Examiner: Local Maple Syrup is Sutainable and Good for You

2009-03-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Maple syrup season
March 4, 4:22 PM

Boston Examiner

Leah Bloom

Throughout New England, maple trees are being tapped for syrupIt may still look like winter out there, but the sap is flowing - literally! March is Massachusetts Maple Month, the time when trees around the state are tapped for and their sap collected to make all of your favorite maple-flavored treats.

The sugar maple tree, acer saccharum, is native to North America, and has been here for many hundreds of years. The trees are unusually susceptible to pollution, especially acid rain, soil acidification, and the salt used to treat icy roads. This makes them a good indicator of what state the environment is in, and sadly, their population has declined in recent decades.

When properly cared for, sugar maples reach maturity (the age at which they can be tapped) at 40 years, and yield sap for 100 years or more. But trees can only be tapped once or twice during the maple sugaring season, and each tap yields only about 10 gallons, enough sap for a single quart of maple syrup. If you've noticed that maple syrup prices have gone through the roof at your local grocery, now you know why.

That said, maple syrup is still a wonderful sustainable food. The trees are not harmed by tapping, and syrup production tends to be low-tech and often relies on renewable resources to boil the sap down to syrup. The end product is a natural sweetener that stays fresh indefinitely, and in buying it, you are supporting local farmers.

Profile of Leah Bloom: Leah Bloom is a foodie who loves French fries as much as fiddleheads. She strives to eat humanely and sustainably, but isn’t above the occasional fast food meal. Join her on a gastronomic journey that’s good for the planet and your palate.

Email her at: sustainablefoodexaminer@gmail.com

Hartford Courant Highlights 2009 Sugaring Season

2009-03-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Tapping Maple Syrup Gold Mine
Producers Taking Advantage Of Record High Prices
By JOHN CURRAN Associated Press
March 5, 2009

For years, Errol Tabacco was a maple-sugar hobbyist. Each February, he'd tap about 100 trees on his property in Eden, Vt., haul buckets of sap to his garage and boil it into syrup for his family and friends.This year's different.Spurred by retail prices of $60 or more per gallon, maple-sugar producers such as Tabacco are going all out to harvest it, tapping more trees, investing in new sap lines and building new sugarhouses in hopes of cashing in.Tabacco is racing to get up to 12,000 trees tapped by the time the sap starts running during the next few weeks. "This year, we're going big-time," he says.

For backyard hobbyists and larger commercial producers alike, New England's "sugarin' season" could be a real moneymaker this year. The University of Vermont's Proctor Research Center estimates 300,000 taps will be added this year.Global demand for the sticky-sweet syrup outstripped supply last year, in part because lingering winter cold and heavy snow combined to slow sap flow in Quebec, Maine and parts of Vermont. That, combined with the exhaustion of Canadian reserves, has helped drive up prices, experts said.In 2007, the average retail price of a gallon of maple syrup was $33.20, up $1.90 from the previous year, according to federal data.

Now, it fetches $59.95 or more in Vermont, and more elsewhere.

Read the rest at:

http://www.courant.com/features/food/hc-flavmaplesyrupboom0305.art0mar05,0,5152372.story

NEW JERSEY MAPLE SYRUP?! YES!!!

2009-01-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

NEW JERSEY
This aggressively industrial state has made way to be known as the “Garden State” and just as pleasantly the “Clam State” for clams taken out of the Atlantic Ocean. On the contrary New Jersey has gained a reputation as the “Mosquito State.” With all of these nicknames none cover one of New Jersey’s prize crops- Maple Syrup. We have producers throughout the state making the liquid gold. Please visit the producers web-sites to learn more.

New Jersey Producers
NJ Morris County Online
Upper Medows Farm
Maple Valley
Sweet Sourland Farms

GO TO: http://www.newjerseymaplesyrupfestival.com/

National Maple Syrup Festival 1st and 2nd Weekends in March

2009-01-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Maple Syrup Season is truly one of the first signs of spring, as the cold winter months slowly slip away and the forest floor comes to life. What better way to celebrate the coming of spring than to attend the first and only National Maple Syrup Festival in America.

At Burton’s Maplewood Farm, nestled in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana, you can enjoy the taste of our country made hot pancakes with 100% pure Maple Syrup all day every day. This National Festival is “Always the First and Second weekend in March” and is located two miles north of Medora, Indiana. These two weekends offer something for everyone in the family. A variety of fun-filled events, activities, Live-music & demonstrations are sure to keep you entertained and coming back for more year after year.

We have Maple Syrup from each and every Maple Syrup producing state in America. With the sweet smell of Pure Maple Syrup and Toe-Tapping sounds of the Great Smokey Mountain’s bellowing through the air, there’s no better place to be than Burton’s Maplewood Farm in Southern Indiana.

Come see what “Hoosier Hospitality” is all about

The festival is located at:
Burton’s Maplewood Farm 8121 W. County Rd. 75 South Medora, IN 47260
Tel: (812) 966-2168 Fax: (812) 966-0231
Email: info@nationalmaplesyrupfestival.com

READ ALL ABOUT IT AT:

http://www.nationalmaplesyrupfestival.com/

John Burroughs on Sugarmaking

2009-01-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

The following selection is from the book In the Catskills Selections from the Writings of John Burroughs.

John Burroughs (April 3, 1837-March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress, John Burroughs was the most important practitioner after Thoreau of that especially American literary genre, the nature essay.

One of the features of farm life peculiar to this country, and one of the most picturesque of them all, is sugar-making in the maplewoods in spring. This is the first work of the season, and to theboys is more play than work. In the Old World, and in more simpleand imaginative times, how such an occupation as this would have gotinto literature, and how many legends and associations would haveclustered around it! It is woodsy, and savors of the trees; it is anencampment among the maples. Before the bud swells, before the grasssprings, before the plow is started, comes the sugar harvest. It isthe sequel of the bitter frost; a sap-run is the sweet good-by ofwinter. It denotes a certain equipoise of the season; the heat ofthe day fully balances the frost of the night. In New York and New England, the time of the sap hovers about the vernal equinox,beginning a week or ten days before, and continuing a week or ten days after.

As the days and nights get equal, the heat and cold get equal, and the sap mounts. A day that brings the bees out of the hive will bring the sap out of the maple-tree. It is the fruit ofthe equal marriage of the sun and the frost. When the frost is all out of the ground, and all the snow gone from its surface, the flowstops. The thermometer must not rise above 38 deg. or 40 deg. by day, or sink below 24 deg. or 25 deg. at night, with wind in the northwest; a relaxing south wind, and the run is over for the present. Sugarweather is crisp weather. How the tin buckets glisten in the graywoods; how the robins laugh; how the nuthatches call; how lightlythe thin blue smoke rises among the trees! The squirrels are out of their dens; the migrating water-fowls are streaming northward; the sheep and cattle look wistfully toward the bare fields; the tide ofthe season, in fact, is just beginning to rise.

Sap-letting does not seem to be an exhaustive process to the trees, as the trees of a sugar-bush appear to be as thrifty and as long-lived as other trees. They come to have a maternal, large-waisted look, from the wounds of the axe or the auger, and that is about all.

In my sugar-making days, the sap was carried to the boiling-place inpails by the aid of a neck-yoke and stored in hogsheads, and boiled or evaporated in immense kettles or caldrons set in huge stonearches; now, the hogshead goes to the trees hauled upon a sled by a team, and the sap is evaporated in broad, shallow, sheet-ironpans,--a great saving of fuel and of labor.

Many a farmer sits up all night boiling his sap, when the run has been an extra good one, and a lonely vigil he has of it amid the silent trees and beside his wild hearth. If he has a sap-house, as is now so common, he may make himself fairly comfortable; and if acompanion, he may have a good time or a glorious wake.

Maple sugar in its perfection is rarely seen, perhaps never seen, inthe market. When made in large quantities and indifferently, it is dark and coarse; but when made in small quantities--that is, quicklyfrom the first run of sap and properly treated--it has a wild delicacy of flavor that no other sweet can match. What you smell infreshly cut maple-wood, or taste in the blossom of the tree, is init. It is then, indeed, the distilled essence of the tree. Made into syrup, it is white and clear as clover-honey; and crystallized into sugar, it is as pure as the wax. The way to attain this result is to evaporate the sap under cover in an enameled kettle; when reduced about twelve times, allow it to settle half a day or more; then clarify with milk or the white of an egg. The product is virgin syrup, or sugar worthy the table of the gods.

8th Annual Maple Open House Weekend March 27-29 2009

2009-01-05T18:46:00.001-08:00

Vermont Maple Syrup Producers Hold Eighth Annual Maple Open
House Weekend
Visitors are welcome at sugarhouses all over Vermont

The Eighth Annual Vermont Maple Open House Weekend will be held at sugarhouses
throughout Vermont, March 27-29, 2009. The Open House Weekend is the public
celebration of the maple syrup season in Vermont and an opportunity for the public to
visit one or more “sugarhouses” throughout the state. Activities during Open House
Weekend will be different at each sugarhouse but will include the opportunity to watch
maple syrup being made (weather permitting) and to often sample maple products.
“Maple sugaring is a rich part of Vermont’s identity and heritage,” said Governor Jim
Douglas. “The Maple Open House Weekend is a quintessential Vermont event that
celebrates this timeless tradition.”

Some sugarhouses offer tours of their “sugarbushes” and some have special activities for
children. No two sugarhouses are the same so people are encouraged to visit more than
one. “There is nothing sweeter than visiting a local sugar house. From the tree to the
table, you’ll see firsthand why Vermonters make the finest maple syrup in the world,”
said Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee.

Maple season in Vermont is a special time when maple producers all around the state
collect sap from sugar maples and boil it down to pure Vermont maple syrup. Steam
billowing from sugarhouse roofs all around the state is a sign that sap is boiling.

Information about all of the participating maple syrup producers including which of the
three days they will be open and directions to their sugarhouses can be found on
www.vermontmaple.org or in the “2009 Vermont Ski & Year-round Maple Syrup Guide”
which can be picked up at any Vermont Welcome Center, or by calling the Vermont
Department of Tourism & Marketing at 800-837-6668.

Also, the Governor’s Tree Tapping event will be held at Middlebury College,
Middlebury, Vermont at 11:00 a.m. on March 6. Governor Jim Douglas is scheduled to
tap a sugar maple tree, celebrating sugaring season in Vermont. The Vermont mobile
sugarhouse will be there with sugar-on-snow, cotton candy and other maple delights
available for the public. There will also be a variety of displays about maple sugaring.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has selected the Vermont Maple Open House
Weekend as one of the “Top 25 Events for Kids”.

Vermont is the largest U.S. producer of maple syrup and approximately 500,000 gallons
or 5.5 million pounds of syrup is produced in Vermont annually.

Ice Storms Ruin Many Northeastern Farms

2009-01-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

Maple Syrup Farmers Hit Hard by Ice Storm
By Miranda Grossman
Story Published: Jan 2, 2009 at 7:14 PM EST
Story Updated: Jan 2, 2009 at 7:14 PM EST

Things are getting a little sticky for maple syrup producers in Western Massachusetts. Local farmers are dealing with the aftermath of damaged trees from last month's ice storm.
Much of Tom McCrumm's 80 acres of sugar maples barely made it through last month's ice storm.

"To see this kind of damage is nauseating," said McCrumm.

McCrumm's been in the maple syrup business for more than 30 years, but he's never seen an ice storm devastate his South Face Farm in Ashfield like this one.

"Here are two other smaller trees that will never come into production because they've been uprooted," explained McCrumm pointing to fallen trees.

McCrumm and other Western Massachusetts syrup farmers worst fear came true, when the ice storm toppled trees, ripped down limbs, and tore apart the tubing that collects the sap. "Not only have I loss some trees entirely because it snapped off or uprooted, a lot of the ones that are damaged I won't be able to tap for 5 or 10 years until they recover," said McCrumm.

About 100 farms across Western Massachusetts are suffering losses, but those hit the hardest were ones at higher elevations. It takes about 50 years for a sugar maple to grow back to a tappable size, leaving many maple producers severely effected. "I would estimate that the state is going to have 50% of its normal production this year," said McCrumm.

see the rest at:

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/37020064.html

2008-11-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY HOSTS
SWEET & SAVORY MAPLE TASTING

Saturday, November 15
11 am to 5 pm
FREE!
Sample an array of sweet and savory foods made wtih 100% natural maple syrup - great ideas for holiday menus or classic fall fare!

SEE YOU AT THE WINERY!

2009 New York State Maple Producers Winter Conference

2008-10-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Planning is underway for the 2009 New York State Maple Producers Winter Conference
A grower-focused 2009 NYS Maple Conference will provide practical and hands-on information for maple producers to build into existing and expanding operations.
January 9th and 10th, 2009

Mark your calendar now to attend the 2009 New York State Maple Producers Winter Conference. Schedule these dates in your planner or in your computer or maybe even in your head but be sure you set aside January 9th and 10th to get together with lots of other maple producers. The 2009 Maple Conference will be held in the same great location, the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in Verona, New York on Friday evening January 9th and all day Saturday, January 10th. This central location provides plenty of meeting space as well as room for a large trade show with over 25 exhibitors displaying plenty of specialized equipment for meeting maple producer needs. With our new slightly more relaxed session schedule you will have access the latest in research and grower experiences regarding maple production, promotion, forest management and the making and marketing of a variety of maple products. This day-and-a-half event has something for every level of maple producer. A maple conference you will not want to miss.

The conference kicks off Friday evening with a featured speaker at 7:00 PM and industry trade show highlighting maple equipment, manufacturers, and vendors scheduled from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM. Saturday’s program features 30 of the industry’s leading maple experts from throughout North America and Canada presenting in a variety of concurrent workshops. These workshops focus on several major areas of emphasis: beginning sugarmakers, new and advanced technologies, marketing, promotion, value-added products, maple tapping, tubing, vacuum, and forest management.

The conference is open to the general public, as well as maple producers, and is geared to all levels of sugar makers. Saturday’s trade show opens at 8:00 AM with workshops starting at 9:00AM. Held at the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (V.V.S.) High School, Verona, New York, the conference is sponsored by the V.V.S. FFA, New York State Maple Producers Association and the Cornell Maple Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. The V.V.S. High School is located between Utica and Syracuse, New York on State Route 31 just two minutes from NYS Thruway Exit 33.

For additional information contact V.V.S. FFA advisor Keith Schiebel at kschiebel@vvsschools.org. Registration forms will also be available at the New York State Maple Producers Website: http://www.nysmaple.com/ or the Cornell Maple Program website: cornellmaple.com in November and December.

For more information, please contact:
Keith Schiebel -
Stephen Childs - slc18@cornell.edu

Health Benefits of Maple Abound

2008-10-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Health Benefits of Maple Abound
All-Natural Sweetener is Low on Glycemic Index, High on Taste; Contains Key Minerals and Is Produced Sustainably, Domestically.

Brattleboro, VT (PRWEB) October 1, 2008 -- Coombs Family Farms, a seventh generation maple producer and champion of small family farming, today reminds consumers that maple is not only an all-natural and delicious alternative to refined sugar, but also a food that possesses several health benefits.

"We all know that pure maple is a delicious and all-natural sweetener," said Arnold Coombs, seventh generation maple farmer, Chairman of the Vermont Maple Industry Council, and General Manager of Coombs Family Farms. "But did you know that pure maple has specific health benefits and can be produced sustainably and organically on small family farms here in New England?"

According to the Proctor Maple Research Center at the University of Vermont, one tablespoon of maple syrup is only 50 calories, about the same as a tablespoon of refined, white cane sugar. However, maple syrup has a low glycemic index value (54), according to the original Glycemic Index of the University of Sydney. A glance at its nutritional composition reveals that it also contains minerals such as manganese (100% DV), riboflavin (37% DV), zinc (18% DV), magnesium (7% DV) and calcium and potassium (5% DV). Brown sugar, corn syrup and honey have higher glycemic indexes and contain more calories than maple.

Pure maple syrup is all-natural, it contains no additives or preservatives, and it can be produced sustainably, organically, domestically, and by using environmentally sound practices.
While American Diabetes Month isn't until November, it is important to be aware year-round that nationwide, 23.6 million people, or 7.8% of our population, have diabetes, 5/7% of whom are undiagnosed. The intake of high glycemic index foods, including processed sugars and sweeteners, is still one of the primary causes of diabetes, as well as heart attack, stroke, and obesity.

In fact, the childhood obesity epidemic which, according to a survey conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the May 21, 2008 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, has hit a plateau in recent months, still affects more than 32% of our country's children and cites the consumption of refined sugars and processed foods as the major culprit.

"Maple offers health benefits, but you have to make sure it's 100% pure and/or organically certified," continued Coombs. "There are many products in the mass market today that are positioned as maple syrup that are non-pure products that are simply maple flavored corn syrup with additives and preservatives, as well as a high glycemic index. Plus, pure maple atop pancakes, oatmeal, and yogurt is a motivator to not skip breakfast. And that's another health benefit."

Maple has a long history of being celebrated for its health benefits. The Master Cleanse diet was created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941 and later popularized by Peter Clickman in his book (2005) Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days. The Master Cleanse claims to be a way to cleanse the body of toxins and remove cravings, and involves drinking lemonade with Grade B maple syrup and other ingredients.

Health practitioners may argue about the efficacy and healthfulness of The Master Cleanse Diet; regardless, maple continues to be lauded for various health reasons.

About Coombs Family FarmsPure maple has been a way of life at Coombs Family Farms for seven generations. Coombs Family Farms has produced 100% pure maple since 1840. Since 1988, Coombs Family Farms has produced certified organic maple syrup. A champion of small family farming, Coombs Family Farms also sources 100% pure organic certified maple from other small, independent farmers who share the Coombs commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, and sustainable forestry management.

To learn more about Coombs Family Farms maple, please visit http://www.coombsfamilyfarms.com/.

Business Week Covers Rising Maple Syrup Costs

2008-10-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

Why Maple Syrup Costs So Much
Mild spring weather in Canada and rising demand for syrup as a natural sweetener are making things sticky for bakers

September 27, 2008, 12:01AM EST by Pallavi Gogoi

It's hard to swallow: Since May, Mark Menning has watched the price of maple syrup soar to $6 a pound—up from $2 a pound a year ago. That's a problem for Menning, since the maple syrup is a key ingredient in the cookies his San Francisco-based Lotus Bakery supplies to some Whole Foods Market (WFMI) outlets and Bay Area specialty grocery stores.

Add in rising costs for everything from oil to flour, and you've got a recipe for disaster. Says Menning: "These price increases can make or break you."

What's going on? Is there a shadowy syrup cartel manipulating prices? Has someone figured out how to turn maple sap into fuel? Not quite. Unfavorable weather in Quebec—the source of 80% of the world's maple syrup—have depressed output to a 10-year low. At the same time, demand for maple syrup, which is slightly lower in calories than cane sugar and corn syrup, has been growing in recent years, as more Americans seek alternatives to processed and artificial sweeteners.

A Scarcity of Sap
Blame it on global warming, perhaps. But for the past three years, Quebec has seen cold winters turn very quickly into warm springs, which played havoc with sap collection. (Under ideal conditions, temperatures rise during the day and then dip back below freezing at night. This pattern encourages sugar maples to release their sap). That has cut sap production season in half, to two to three weeks. Quebec's output slipped to 58.7 million tons this year, down from 61.7 million in 2007 and 86.4 million tons in 2004.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2008/db20080926_008831.htm

Vermont Discontinues Maple Syrup in Cans By Some Manufacturers

2008-10-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

These can are still good! Pure Vermont Maple Syrup - This Vermont Maple Syrup Package In Vermont is Certified by the Maple Sugar Makers Assn. Cans

Vermont discontinues sale of maple syrup tins
Thursday October 9, 2008
WATERBURY, Vt. (AP)
Vermont Public Radio News
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is recommending that certain metal maple syrup cans be discontinued because of their odor.

Officials tested the cans and determined the smell came from petroleum compounds.
The Health Department said the health risk is negligible.

The distributor of the cans, New England Container Company of Swanton, has agreed stop selling the pint and quart containers.

Officials say less than 15 percent of syrup produced this year in Vermont has been packaged in these metal cans. They were distributed to various states and Canada.

But the Agency says protecting the purity of Vermont's signature crop is paramount.

© Copyright 2008, Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more at:

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/82409/

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081008/NEWS02/81008050/-1/rss

Spicy Maple Glazed Quail

2008-07-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

Friday's Recipes (6/27/08)
POSTED: 7:56 pm CDT June 26, 2008

WSMV Nashville, TN (NBC)

http://www.wsmv.com/entertainment/16722567/detail.html

Spicy Maple Glazed Quail with Peaches and Cream Corn and Alan Benton's Bacon

4 semi-boneless quail

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

4 oz Benton's bacon (or your favorite)

2 Ears Peaches and Cream corn

1 Jalapeño seeded and minced

2 oz chicken broth

1 oz maple syrup

2 Tablespoons Chives

Slice the bacon 1/4" thick then slice it into 1/4" strips.Place on a baking sheet and into a 275º oven until crispyHeat a 9" sauté pan over medium -high heat, add 2 Tablespoons butter.Season the quail with salt and pepper and put them in the hot pan breast side down and cook until well browned. Flip and into 350 degrees oven for four minutes.

Remove the quail from the pan. Add the corn and sauté over medium high for three to four minutes. Add the jalapeños, maple syrup and bacon and sauté one more minute.Add the stock and reduce by 3/4. Over very low heat slowly swirl in the butter constantly whisking. Add chives, salt and pepper

Pour over quail and serve immediately.

US Maple Syrup Production

2008-07-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

United States Maple Syrup Production In 2008
June 20, 2008
Hartford Courant

url: http://www.courant.com/news/local/columnists/hc-naturebox0620.artjun20,0,6525194.story

• Total

1.64 million gallons, up 30 percent from 2007• TapsEstimated at 7.46 million, up 2 percent from 2007 total of 7.29 million

• Tap yield

Average yield for each tap — 0.219 gallons, up 27 percent from 2007

• Top states 1. Vermont - 500,000 gallons, an 11 percent increase from 2007 2. New York - 322,000, an increase of 44 percent 3. Maine - 215,000 gallons, 4 percent below 20074. Wisconsin - 130,000 gallons, a 45 percent increase 5. Ohio - 118,000 gallons, up 57 percent and highest production on record since 1959 6. Michigan - 100,000 gallons, up 67 percent and highest production since 19647. Pennsylvania - 95,000 gallons, 86 percent above 2007 8. New Hampshire - 85,000 gallons, an increase of 12 percent 9. Massachusetts - 55,000 gallons, up 83 percent, the highest production since 1944. 10. Connecticut - 15,000 gallons, the highest on record since tracking started in 1992.

• Conn. reaction

A sampling of comments from Connecticut maple sugarers — who had their best season:"We ran out of wood, jugs and ambition, so we pulled out taps." "In 35 years, 2008 was the best season ever!""It was a great year. We had too much sap.""We would have made more, but we ran out of wood.""Sap ran like crazy. Buckets were full every night."
"We had a hard time keeping up.""It was a short, intense and productive season."

• Maine reaction

A sampling of comments from Maine maple sugarers — who had the poorest season:"It was horrible. Worst season I ever had. Too much snow, too cold.""Once the weather became just right, the season zipped along and was over. It was the worst season ever.""It started out too cold and then was too warm. The weather did not cooperate.""Temperatures went from 30 to 60 in a week and a half. It was a disaster."

• Maple facts The sugar maple and black maple are the most common trees tapped. Trees must be 30 to 40 years old and more than 10 inches in diameter. A tree can give as much as a gallon of sap per tap each day. It typically takes 30 to 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. The perfect weather for sap flow is above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.

For State Maple Sugarers, 2008 Season Was, Oh, So Sweet

2008-07-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

For State Maple Sugarers, 2008 Season Was, Oh, So Sweet
Peter Marteka Nature's Path
June 20, 2008

Hartford Courant

url: http://www.courant.com/news/local/columnists/hc-nature0620.artjun20,0,1855988.column

Robert Lamothe had serious doubts about the sap business going into the 2008 maple-sugaring season.So serious that he considered pulling his 4,500 taps out of maple trees in Burlington, Harwinton and New Hartford. Lamothe ultimately decided not to pull the taps, and he, along with other maple sugarers, helped Connecticut to one of its best maple-sugaring seasons on record."The year before was one of the worst," said Lamothe, whose family runs Lamothe's Sugar House in Burlington. "With utility and fuel costs going the way they were going, if there were two difficult seasons in a row? Forget about it. And, man, what a year we had. You couldn't ask for a more textbook sugaring season."

According to the New England Agricultural Statistics of Concord, N.H., Connecticut produced 15,000 gallons of maple syrup, the highest production since tracking started in 1992. The 2008 season began Jan. 6 and ended April 28. Last year, the state produced 8,000 gallons of syrup; nationwide, more than 1.64 million gallons were produced.

Richard Norman, who runs Norman's Sugarhouse in Woodstock, said that with 1,000 taps spread throughout town, this year nearly matched 1987-88 in terms of production. Norman said the best sap-flowing weather is when temperatures go below freezing at night with the next day sunny with temperatures in the 40s."It was quite a bit above average," Norman said of his season. "We are a little cooler here and some go out earlier than we do. We caught up quickly when we got out there. The sap was much sweeter. ... I don't like saying there's a bad year. There's never a bad year. The sap always flows.

"The only New England state that saw its production slip was Maine, which dropped from 225,000 gallons in 2007 to 215,000 gallons in 2008. As usual, the No. 1 syrup producing state was Vermont with 500,000 gallons, an increase of 11 percent and 31 percent of the nation's output.

For those used to that fake stuff — Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's — on top of their pancakes or waffles, here's a quick lesson in maple syrupology. The sap of maple trees is as clear as water and is slightly sweet. The trees produce starch, which is stored in their roots.When temperatures begin to warm as winter changes to spring, the starch turns to sugar and circulates through the tree. Taps or spouts are drilled into the tree to release the sap, so that it flows into buckets or tubing strung between trees. The sap is boiled creating the syrup. After boiling 30-40 gallons of sap, a gallon of syrup is created. By the way, Connecticut has approximately 62,000 taps. Vermont? 2.25 million.The statistics collected also include the sugar content of the sap. The higher the sugar content the easier it is to create the sap. On average, about 39 gallons of sap were required to produce one gallon of syrup in the 2008 season. In 2007 it took 45 gallons.

Although it was a great season, maple sugarers struggled with increases in production costs. Lamothe said the price of plastic containers in which the syrup is sold went up 25 percent, utilities and costs to fire an evaporator with oil both doubled. He added the diesel fuel to operate a truck to collect sap daily was "also a killer." In 2007, the average price per gallon in Connecticut was $53.90 — the highest in the nation.

"We have loyal customers, so it's hard to pass on price increases," he said. "But you have to decide to go up or get out. Everything has gone up and the overall economy is going to have an impact."

In the report, maple sugar harvesters are asked for their comments on the recent season. And a sugarer from Fairfield County probably summed up the 2008 maple sugaring season for everyone.

"Best season in recent memory," the sugarer wrote. "The sap flowed from start to finish. We ran out of wood, jugs and ambition, so we pulled out taps."

Column ideas and suggestions are welcome. Peter Marteka can be reached by phone at 860-647-5362; by mail at The Courant, 200 Adams St., Manchester, CT 06040; and by e-mail at pmarteka@courant.com.

Pork Tenderloin and Maple Syrup

2008-07-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Pork tenderloin and maple syrup: A love storyJuly 1, 2008
By Louise Duhamel Fine Dining Chef Instructor, New England Culinary Institute

The Barre Montpelier Times Argus

Original story at:
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/FEATURES17/807010330/1034/FEATURES17

Sometimes I feel as if I have fallen into a maple syrup cauldron, the way the Obelix character in "Astérix and Obelix" cartoon series falls into the magical potion. I love that sweet stuff and I always seem to want more. Born in Quebec, on the south shore of Montreal, I was raised by parents who came from families living on farms. Most of them still live along the Richelieu River where the best maple syrup farms are. Yes, I maintain what I am saying; no offense to Vermonters. I am not impartial in this matter, and I like to keep it this way. Though I will say, Vermont syrup is not bad at all.

I remember the fun we had as kids, at my father's cousin's sugar house, following the adults picking up the maple water, eating scrambled eggs poached in maple syrup, tasting my grandpa's "réduit," to which he always added a bit of brandy. It was always a great family reunion, especially on Easter Sunday, when chocolate and maple syrup were our high sugar diet of the day! When I graduated from Université du Québec with a degree in communications, I was lucky to find myself promoting lots of great artisan products made in Quebec: maple syrup, apple butter, maple toffee, maple liquor. I loved telling people how good maple syrup was on pancakes, waffles, French toast, and bread pudding; how it gave just the right sweetness to grapefruit or a strawberry salad with fresh ground pepper. One of my favorite uses then was grated maple sugar on a thick slice of homemade bread, served with heavy cream.

Later when I became a professional cook, I started to explore the use of maple syrup in savory cooking, and found another dimension to it. Of course, my mother used to serve it over ham … with pineapple! I developed my own recipes, a series of delicious dishes such as crispy quail salad with a warm maple and mint vinaigrette; a seared salmon with maple soy glaze; duck breast with ginger, coriander and maple gastrique; potato wrapped scallops with maple tomato "ketchup;" maple glazed carrots with venison.My love story with maple syrup continues with this recipe for pork tenderloin with maple, sherry, raisin and pine nut sauce, for four people. I hope you enjoy this dish.

Equipment:1 medium size sauté pan that can go into oven1 slicing knife1 cutting board1 serving spoon1 whisk1 quart heavy-bottomed stainless-steel pot that does not react to acid foodOven at 350F

Ingredients:24 ounces pork tenderlointo taste salt and pepper as needed;vegetable oil1/2 cup Vermont maple syrup1/2 cup sherry vinegar2 quarts veal stock (available in specialty food stores or make your own)3 tablespoons golden raisins3 tablespoons currants3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (pignolia)juice 1/2 lemon1/2 teaspoon lemon zest3 tablespoons butter from Vermont Butter and Cheese Company

Gastrique is a thick sauce produced by caramelizing sugar (in this case maple syrup) and reducing vinegar (sherry vinegar). Often gastrique will be fruity (golden raisins and currants). Reduction is the process of thickening a liquid (gastrique plus veal stock) by evaporation. As simple as this recipe is, there are a few steps that need attention. Slow cooking the sauce is a must; otherwise the amount of sugar in this sauce will develop into bitter flavor. So be patient because sauce will take some time to make; this is why you want to start making the sauce before cooking the pork.

Pour the maple syrup and the sherry vinegar into the sauce quart pot. Heat over medium heat. Reduce gastrique until evaporated by half. You should see lots of bubbles developing on the surface of the reduction. Add veal stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce until it is "nappé," which means that the sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon.Add raisins, currants, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk in the butter (at NECI we would say "monté" with butter, because the richness of the butter will expand the sauce and give it a nice mouth feel). Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Notice that I am not adding any salt. Salt would bring down both the sweet and the acid taste, which are needed for a good balanced flavor.Keep the sauce on very low heat or over a double boiler to keep it warm until needed.Meanwhile pork should be cooking. Season the pork tenderloin well with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides in a hot sauté pan. Finish cooking your pork in the oven at 350F for about 25 minutes for medium (rosé or "à point" for me). Pull pork from oven, cover with foil, and let rest on a rack for 10 minutes. Resting meat prevents juices from leaking out of the meat and makes it tender.After it has rested, slice the pork tenderloin and fan it evenly on to 4 warm plates. (I always serve hot food on warm plates; it keeps your food at temperature for longer time). Pour 2 tablespoons of sauce over the sliced pork (or much if you like it so much!)

I like to serve this dish with roasted vegetables. Since you need your oven turned on anyway, you might as well take advantage of it. I usually choose what is in season, although I do have a preference for baby carrots, turnips, beets, celery root, and fingerling potatoes. Green or red braised cabbage would be also delicious. If you prefer more texture on the plate, julienne (cut into fine strips) the cabbage and simply stir fry it Chinese style. I would then add a little bit of ginger to the maple sherry sauce. You could also try to substitute many other fruits, both fresh and dried, for the raisins: dried cranberry, cherry, blueberry, apple, peaches, pear, pineapple, melon, banana, mango, papaya, cantaloupe … alleluia!

HUDSON-CHATHAM 100% NATURAL SYRUPS BACK IN STOCK

2008-05-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sugarmaking is over, and bottling is done!

We now have our full selection of 100% natural and local maple syrups available for purchasing.

Amber Grade A Maple Syrup

Rustic Dark Grade B Maple Syrup

Dirty Syrup

Vanilla Maple Syrup

Raspberry Maple Syrup

Come on down and experience a tasting today!

ANNOUNCING RASPBERRY MAPLE SYRUP FROM HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

2008-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

It's here!

Made from our fresh raspberries picked on our farm, in the rows right next to our vineyards. The syrup is made only with 100% natural maple syrup, Grade A Amber, and our fresh, tart raspberries. The syrup is a red nose full of raspberries, and fun and sweet. It's great for pancakes and waffles, as well as perfect for ice creams and dessert toppings. Perfect for when you're plating elegant dessert treats!

It's available now!

ANNOUNCING MAPLE VANILLA SYRUP FROM HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

2008-05-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's here!

This new syrup is a grade A Amber syrup filtered and boiled with fresh Madagascar extra-long vanilla beans. This gives this light syrup a smooth, soft, mellow, delicious taste you won't soon forget!

Available now from the Hudson-Chatam Winery!

SUGAR MAKING GOES INTO APRIL

2008-04-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Had a talk with Mike Bennett one of our other sugarmnakers who helps us out at the winery. Mike was telling us that sugarmaking in New York state went well into April, and as late as tax day, sugarmakers across the state would be still shaking the last drips off their taps, and boiling the last of their gallons of maple syrup. Mike is a member of the Upper Hudson Maple Producers Asociation.

We're boiling and filtering and bottling from late March to mid-to-late April, fining our maple syrups before bottling them.

Here's a few pictures of Mike and his constant companion black shepherd.

Hand Hollow Sugar House Video From Associated Press

2008-03-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is Larry and Chris from the Hand Hollow Sugar House as they were featured by the Associated Press. They were featured in many of the major newspapers across the US and Canada!

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/maple_season/

MAPLE SYRUPING SEASON GETS OFF TO GOOD START!

2008-03-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Maple syrup season looks promising
Thursday, March 13, 2008

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

ALBANY — Maple syrup season has kicked off in New York, and the 13th annual Maple Weekend is set for March 29 and 30, according to state officials.

Patrick Hooker, the state commissioner of agriculture and markets, said Wednesday recent weather conditions should contribute to a strong maple syrup yield.

“The weather has been perfect for sap to run with frosty nights and warm sunny days, and most producers in the state were able to make their first gallons of syrup last weekend,” Hooker said.
According to state officials, New York has about 1,500 maple syrup producers, 110 of which will open the doors to their sugar houses between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the Annual Maple Weekend.

A list of participating sugar houses is available at http://www.mapleweekend.com/.

Last year’s maple season ran from approximately March 11 until April 9.

With 1.47 million taps, maple producers were able to make 224,000 gallons of syrup, down 11 percent from 2006 due to extended warm and cold periods, according to state officials.
New York’s maple producers generated $8 million in sales in 2006. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New York is the third largest state for maple syrup production, behind Vermont and Maine.

Two Bad Seasons, Growing Demand Mean Higher Maple Syrup Prices

2008-03-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

Two bad seasons, growing demand mean higher maple syrup prices
Fosters Daily Democrat (NH)
Article Date: Thursday, March 13, 2008

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gov. John Baldacci has kicked off the maple syrup season by tapping a tree on the Blaine House lawn. But the treat won't come cheap this year.Michael Smith from the Maine Maple Producers Association says two bad syrup-production years coupled with increased demand have depleted Maine and Canadian syrup surpluses totaling 60 million pounds. That means prices will be up. Smith predicts an increase of 20 to 30 percent.Many syrup producers like Smith and Ed Jillson of Jillson's Farm Stand in Sabattus say they have to buy syrup to keep up with demand. Jillson says demand is so steep he "can never make enough."Nearly 7.3 million taps were sunk into trees by American syrup producers last winter, and more than three-quarters of those taps were in New England and New York. U.S. agricultural statistics show Vermont leads Maine in syrup production, followed by No. 3 New York.

———Information from: Sun-Journal, http://www.sunjournal.com/

BOSTON GLOBE HIGHLIGHTS MAPLE SYRUP SEASON

2008-03-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sweet smell of spring: It's maple sugar season in New England
By John Curran
Associated Press Writer / March 14, 2008

EAST MONTPELIER, Vt.—At Bragg Farm, seventh-generation maple sugarmaker Doug Bragg does things the old-fashioned way -- with a tractor, family members and 2,200 galvanized steel buckets.

Stomping through 3-foot-deep snow wearing snowshoes, they scatter the buckets, one or two per tree. Then Bragg drills a two-inch hole in each, hammers a cast iron tap into it and hangs a bucket on it.

Inside, a precious commodity will collect a drop at a time. This year, it's likely to be more precious than ever.

High energy prices, rising demand and depleted stockpiles from two years of subpar production are expected to drive up retail prices.

Fuel oil prices hovering around $3.50 a gallon have hurt sugarmakers who use oil to fire their evaporators, where the sap is boiled into syrup. Some sugarmakers use wood.

"There's been a huge increase in fuel costs," said Catherine Stevens, marketing director for Vermont's maple sugar industry. "When you're dealing with materials made of plastic and steel, those prices have gone up. Even glass containers. All of those -- plastic, tin and glass -- have all increased."

The price hikes won't be seen until the sugaring season -- which lasts four to six weeks -- is over, she said.

"No one has actually put numbers on it yet," said Stevens.

In Maine, the No. 2 syrup-producing state behind Vermont, production fell last year to 225,000 gallons, a 25 percent drop from 2006 and the lowest output in six years. Michael Smith, of the Maine Maple Producers Association, says the depletion of syrup stockpiles there and in Canada could mean price increases of up to 30 percent.

In snowy woods all across New England, sugaring season is sweeping slowly north. As the days lengthen and warm up -- but freezing temperatures continue at night -- sugar maples begin yielding their clear liquid. And syrup makers begin boiling down the sap, roughly 40 gallons of it to make a gallon of syrup.

Some use plastic tubing to move sap from tree to sugarhouse. In Bragg's 50-acre sugarbush, they stick to the old way. Call it tradition, call it sentiment, call it stubborn Yankee pragmatism.
"It's all those things," said Bragg, 53. "It's what we grew up doing."

READ THE REST AT: http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2008/03/14/sweet_smell_of_spring_

ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE HIGHLIGHTS NY MAPLE SEASON

2008-03-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sap to syrup: Maple weekend is coming up
Enjoy events offered by more than 100 producers in N.Y.
Christine A. Smyczynski • March 16, 2008
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

My eldest son doesn't join our family's Maple Weekend expeditions — at 17, Andy's got other things to do — but he certainly enjoys the syrup we bring home. I'm not talking about the kind of watered-down "pancake syrup" you find on grocery-store shelves, but 100 percent pure maple syrup, made right here in western New York.

March is traditionally maple sugaring season in our region, and Maple Weekend is a chance to see how maple sap becomes syrup and get the good stuff right from the source.

The family-friendly event started 13 years ago when a handful of maple producers in Wyoming County decided to open their doors to the public for one Sunday in early spring to promote their products. It has grown to a two-day event that includes more than 100 maple producers across the state.

With 14 producers on board this year, Wyoming County still has by far the largest number of places participating. Of all the sites my family has visited during past Maple Weekends, our hands-down favorite is Merle Maple Farm on Route 98 in Attica.

The Merle family has been in the maple business for four generations. They now have 16,000 taps, putting them among the top 10 producers in the state.

My most vivid memory of our first visit was the mud. You have to remember that these producers are family-run farms, and farms are pretty muddy this time of year. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear older clothes and boots. You may want to bring an old sheet to put on the car floor and paper towels to wipe off muddy boots.

Based on an informal family survey, here are the top reasons to head out for Maple Weekend:Eating: My son Peter, 15, votes for the free samples of syrup and other products that many of the producers offer. Jennifer, 12, especially enjoys "maple snow," when hot syrup poured over a pan of clean snow creates a chewy maple confection. And maple cotton candy, which we get at Merle's, is also a favorite with Jennifer and our youngest, Joey. He can eat a whole bag in one sitting.

Personally, I'm fond of hot maple mustard, which makes a great pretzel dip.Education: My husband, Jim, likes the tour that Merle Maple offers. "I found it interesting how the process works," he says. "I like seeing how the sap gets from the trees to the sugarhouse and how the sap is boiled to make the syrup."

Methods vary from producer to producer, so you'll find some using more traditional methods while others have state-of-the-art equipment.Entertainment: Apart from the chance to see how maple syrup is made, many of the producers offer add-ons such as wagon rides, guided tours and kids' activities. For Joey, 5, the horse-drawn wagon rides to the sugarbush at Merle's was a top pick: "It was so fun!"

Other events planned at Merle's include demonstrations of tree tapping, a working sawmill (Saturday only) and an air cannon that shoots snowballs.

Christine A. Smyczynski is a freelance writer and author of Western New York, an Explorer's Guide.

SUGARIN' IN THE WOODS

2008-03-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the days are warm and the nights are cold and the sap starts to run. This has been a decent season for sugari' around here. At least that's what our man says.

Dylan and Dawson and I took the time to visit with one of our local sugar makers, Walter Blank, whose been making maple syrup now for some time. He’s located a few miles behind our farm’s vineyard. He makes Grade A Light Amber and our Rustic Dark.

His property is filled with so many lines the surrounding trees are wound up in a cat’s cradle of lines and feeder lines.

Walter has a continuous feeding boiler system. He’s very conscientious, as our grade A Light Amber is boiled at just the right length and temperature, and then twice filtered. It‘s 100% natural, and delicious.

And the stove is wood fired. The combination of boiling, steaming sap, and fresh burnt wood was intoxicating, and exciting.

Walter is a member of the North Eastern New York Sugarmaker’s Association, and his large sugar shack is an old converted horse barn. At one point Walter was a highly acclaimed quarter horse show jumper.

The boys loved the wood burning stove, the endless number of lines, and were most curious of Walter’s pond, stocked with innumerable bass, which he promised the boys they would be able to fish (boy will he be sorry, come summer).

Syrup Guru Gets Media Attention in Gettysburg PA

2008-02-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

Syrup guru offers taste of his work
By CHRIS KELLY

Evening Sun Reporter (Gettysburg PA)
02/17/2008 04:07:57 AM EST

There are many stories on how maple syrup came about in America.
One is when a Native American woman was searching for a way to boil dinner.
Another is when a young boy saw a squirrel bite a twig off a maple tree and saw the squirrel lick the tree, the boy thought there was something in the tree.

Although either story is disputable. Eddy Rubin, environmental educator of Strawberry Hill and maple sugaring guru, said maple syrup has been around for centuries.

This winter, conditions are perfect for making the sweet pancake topping, Rubin said.
"When the day temperature is above freezing and the night temperature is below freezing, it's the best time for making maple syrup," he said to a crowd on Saturday afternoon.

Weather like that causes a "pumping action" inside the tree and the sap can come out easier, Rubin said.

Rubin holds a maple-sugaring demonstration from mid-February to mid-March at Strawberry Hill in Fairfield, where he teaches people how to collect and make their own syrup.
This is his sixth year holding the event and he said this was the best year yet because of the weather.

The program begins in a cabin where Rubin tells people about the history of Strawberry Hill and the correct way to collect syrup. The best trees will be about 12 inches in diameter or larger, Rubin said.

After finding a tree, drill a 2 inch deep hole at the south side of the maple tree.
Why the south side?

"Because that's the area where most of the warmth goes in the tree," said Christian Anderson, 9, from Long Island, New York.

His father, Thomas, brought his two kids to the Gettysburg area for Presidents Day weekend and thought the maple sugaring program was a good way to see the area.

Rubin added that the current weather outside has much to do with the process as well.
"Sometimes if there is a warm front coming in at night, I am collecting sap at 2:30 a.m.," he said.
Then a spile, which looks like a spout, is placed in the hole causing the sap to come out quickly, a bucket is placed below the spile.

Rubin then tests the audience's taste buds by playing a game he calls "Guess That Syrup," where people taste seven different types of syrups - 100-percent maple, partial maple and imitation. Rubin has the group put syrup on small pancakes and guess which is which. He had the crowd taste four brand name syrups, two pure maple syrups and one artificial.

"The game is designed so people can taste the difference between pure maple syrup and what is sold in stores," Rubin said.

He then takes the crowd outside to collect syrup.

The tree they go to is picked during the summer and fall, when the trees look healthiest, he said.
Rubin assists the crowd members in collecting sap in a bucket. He then takes the bucket and boils it "for hours."

Then it is maple syrup.

He added it is necessary to collect a lot of sap because for "about every 40 gallons of sap is one gallon of syrup."

John Ramp and his wife, Debbie, brought her son, Adam Clouser, 9, to the event because they like doing family-friendly things together outdoors.

Ramp said he would like to try maple syruping around where he and his family live in Perry County, but another type of tree grows where they live.
"Maybe I can do oak sugaring," he joked.

The maple sugaring event takes place every year at the Strawberry Hill Nature Center, 1537 Mount Hope Road, Fairfield. The cost is free to Strawberry Hill members and $3.75 for non-members.

It is held at 10 a.m. and noon Saturdays, Feb. 16 and 23, March 8 and 15. 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. for planned parties. The program lasts about one and half hours.

North Andover duo hosts Massachusett's Ceremonial Tree Tapping

2008-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

North Andover duo hosts state’s ceremonial tree tapping

Drake Lucas
The Eagle Tribune

February 5, 2008

Paul Boulanger’s first attempt at making maple syrup didn’t turn out so well. When he was 12, he steamed the wallpaper right off the kitchen walls while boiling sap.

Boulanger has come a long way since then, though. And he can prove it March 7 when the sugarhouse he owns on Turtle Lane in North Andover with his fiancee, Kathy Gallagher, becomes this year’s location for the ceremonial tree tapping to kick off Maple Month in Massachusetts.

Representatives from the state Department of Agriculture and the governor’s office will attend to read a proclamation and do the ceremonial tapping. And people from local restaurants will serve up maple treats like cupcakes from Butcher Boy, waffles from Eatz and ice cream with maple syrup from Mad Maggie’s.

Melissa Leab, president of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, boasting more than 200 members, said the day is a way to promote locally grown maple syrup. “You don’t have to go to Vermont for maple syrup,” Leab said. “We encourage restaurants and residents to look in their own backyard.” The event is also intended to teach people how syrup is made, and Boulanger and Gallagher are all about education.

Read the rest at: http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_036001850.html

Massachusetts Farm Fears Maple Shortage

2008-02-10T05:09:00.001-08:00

Farm sees maple shortage
By Maureen Sullivan/Staff Writer
Wed Feb 06, 2008, 08:27 AM EST

Dover-Sherborn Press, Needham, Massachusetts

SOUTH NATICK - The Natick Community Organic Farm off Route 16 has been growing of late. Solar panels now gleam from their perch atop the barn, and there are plans to build a bigger farm stand.

Even the sugar shack, symbol of one of the farm’s longest-running programs, has been expanded to accommodate more visitors, especially school groups.

Now all the farm has to worry about is putting something else in the shack.

Namely, sap to boil into maple syrup.

Over the past few years, the supply of local sugar maples available to tap has declined. According to Jed Beach, the farm’s assistant director, there are several reasons for the drop, most of them environmental.

“Some of the trees next to the roads have been deteriorating because of the road salt,” he said. “There’s also climate change … we’ve had weaker, warmer winters, and that produces less sap, and thereby less syrup.”

Beach said the farm is willing to drive to neighboring communities (within a 30-minute drive from the farm) to collect sap, including Dover, Sherborn, Wellesley and Needham.

“We are very actively looking for maples,” he said.

The requirements — a minimum of 15 trees on a site, either on the street or within a neighborhood (along with permission); the trees have to be at least 12 inches in diameter and about 45 years old.

Those having concerns about taps and tree damage need not worry, said Beach.

“Tapping does not damage the trees’ long-term health,” he said.

Sap collection begins around mid-February, when days are above freezing and nights are below freezing, and lasts into March, depending on the weather.

The quest for maple syrup has been a New England staple since colonial times and before, when native Americans taught the craft to settlers.

“We want to preserve the art and craft of maple syruping,” said Beach, adding that the farm receives about 2,000 visitors during sugaring season alone.

Maple Magic, March 8
A part of this season will be the farm’s annual Maple Magic Day on March 8, including a pancake breakfast at nearby Memorial School from 8-11 a.m. In addition to the pancakes (topped off with the farm’s own maple syrup), there will be a folk band, agricultural demonstrations and a farm raffle. Cost is $6 for NCOF members, $8 for nonmembers, $3 for members age 3-6, and $4 for nonmembers age 3-6.

After breakfast, head over to the farm for “Maple Sugaring Past & Present” from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn about native American and colonial sugaring techniques, and experience how the farm sugars today. There will be lunch with hot soups, cider and homemade bread fired up in the farm’s adobe wood-fired oven. Cost is $5, $4 with the pancake breakfast.

For information on these and other farm programs (including where the farm can find sugar maples to tap), call 508-655-2204 or visit http://www.natickfarm.org/.

URL: http://www.wickedlocal.com/dover/homepage/x254761544

2008 New York State Maple Tour July 27-29, 2008

2008-02-10T04:52:00.001-08:00

Go to the URL: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/2008%20Maple%20Tour.pdf

Martha Stewart Highlights Vermont Maple Syrup

2008-02-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

The Martha Stewart Show has taped a show about Vermont maple syrup and is planning to show it on March 3—check your TV listings for the channel and time.

This week Martha shows folks how to make fabulous French Toast with maple syrup for Valentine's Day.

Vermont Maple Syrup on Television

2008-02-10T04:36:00.000-08:00

Vermont Public Television will be airing "VPT Cooks:Maple Time" on March 8 from 2:00-4:00pm., and again March 9 noon to 2:00pm and March 12 from 9:00-11:00 pm. The show will have chefs and sugarmakers cooking some of their favorite maple recipes.

Changing Weather Patterns Concern Maple Syrup Producers

2008-02-10T04:29:00.000-08:00

Changing weather patterns concern and challenge maple syrup producers; Eastern Ontario temperatures to rise about two degrees by 2045
Posted By Jenn Watt
Posted February 1, 2008

The Lindsay Post

Maple syrup producers have a lot more to worry about than if the weather cooperates or if the syrup colour stays consistent; global warming and invasive plant species threaten the sugar bushes they harvest from and pose longer-lasting, more challenging dilemmas.

The Haliburton-Kawartha Maple Syrup Producers Association heard presentations from Barb Boysen and Eleanor Reed on both pressing concerns at its annual general meeting in Buckhorn last Friday.

Changing weather patterns due to global warming will increase temperatures in Eastern Ontario by about 2øC by 2045, Boysen told the group.

While that may not seem like big shift, in the maple syrup business, trees aren't good for sap until they are 40 to 50 years old, which makes long-term planning a must.

"As maple syrup producers, you know there is so much that can go wrong in your bush from climate, to different insects, different plants, different weather from year to year.

Climate change: just view it as the newest, biggest, bully on the block," said Boysen, who is a forest genetics specialist based at Peterborough's Forest Gene Conservation Association.

As global temperatures increase, the area suitable for maple syrup production moves further north, she said. So, when producers look at planting saplings in their sugar bushes, they should look to regions with temperatures similar to what Haliburton's will be in 40 years to find seeds.

"If you're doing any kind of planting and you want to introduce a new species to an old, abandoned farm, you would want to make sure that you were getting from your local nursery the right population. You would hope you didn't get seeds from further south or further north because there are populations of different species that are genetically programmed to act differently," Boysen said. She also distributed a report from Environment Canada outlining many challenges to syrup production as Ontario warms up.

"Atmospheric Influences on the Sugar Maple Industry in North America," by Don MacIver et al points out that over the past 50 years maple syrup production has moved from the United States to Canada due to rising temperatures.

"Fifty years ago the United States, primarily New England and New York, used to account for 80 per cent of the international maple syrup production, with 20 per cent in Canada, but today that trend is completely reversed," it reads.

Canada is now the largest producer of maple syrup in the world with "$155 million in production value in 2002."

"Climate parameters that impact maple syrup production include temperature, precipitation (timing, amount and acidity), snow cover and atmospheric carbon dioxide and ozone concentrations," the paper says.

In order for sap to flow - usually beginning in early March in the Kawartha-Haliburton region - the overnight temperature must be below freezing and the daytime temperature must be above freezing. Ideally, -5øC at night and 5øC in the day. The warmer it gets, the lower the quality and quantity of syrup.

"Preliminary data for Ontario shows that in 1960 the first date of maple syrup production, known as boil date, was March 24, but by 2002 this date had advanced to March 7," the paper says.

Further, syrup can be affected by summer droughts and mid-winter thaws. The drier the summer and fall, the poorer the sap. If the leaves drop prematurely, the starch they store is reduced. This starch is what produces the sap in the spring.

"Understanding, conserving and managing sugar bushes is more important than ever," Boysen said.

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Eleanor Reed warned syrup producers of three invasive plant species that threaten their forests: garlic mustard, common buckthorn and dog-strangling vine.

"We could be more vulnerable because generally our sugar bushes are monocultures. Any time you have a monoculture, if there's an invasion of insect or disease, invasive plant or animal, you could have catastrophe in your forest," Reed said.

The three plants Reed told the group about are dangerous because they are aggressive and take over the floor of the forest, pushing out other plants and including maple seedlings.

There is also good reason to expect that if they're not already in our forests, they soon will be.
"[Dog-strangling vine] is in the Orono forest. If you drive through there when the seed is flying it's like driving through a snowstorm," Reed said.

She also told the group about seeing a forest entirely taken over by common buckthorn, so thick that her children couldn't get through it.

"The good news is your sugar bush could be less vulnerable because you're there inspecting it regularly," she said. Reed advised producers to pull up the invasive species on first sight, unless it has already spread and then herbicide is necessary.

"Our sugar bush is highly valued by us because it's a moneymaker, sure, but we also love our sugar bush. We love it and we want to protect it."

The all-day conference included a speech by Neil Campbell on land trusts (a way to secure historically or ecologically special land from development for hundreds of years), a presentation by the president of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, and a trade show with equipment and maple product displays.

URL: http://www.thepost.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=883097

Optimist Maple Syrup Festival Opens March 29

2008-02-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

Optimist Maple Syrup festival opens March 29

Orangeville Citzen (Canada)

February 7, 2008

The 2008 Orangeville Optimist Maple Syrup Festival will be held Saturday, March 29 and Sunday March 30 at the Island Lake Conservation Area.

This event is the Optimist Club of Orangeville's "Rite of Spring" - the first taste of warmth for the year and a chance to get outdoors again for many people around Orangeville. For the admission price, those attending receive park admission for the day, a pancake breakfast, a guided tour of the sugar bush with demonstrations on how maple syrup was made in the past an how it is made today and live entertainment.

There'll be fun with the family, fresh air, sunshine (hopefully!) and a plate of hot pancakes and Maple Syrup are highlights. Kids can taste fresh syrup and take a wagon ride. There'll also be live entertainers and lots of things to do. Syrup, other food and snacks will be available for sale.
The club also plans to hold the Optimist Kid's Bike Roadeo on Saturday, May 24, at the Tony Rose arena, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Local schools will get to face off against each other at the annual Roadeo to see what school is the champion. The whole day starts with a bike parade across town from the Town Hall to the arena. To prepare for the day, many local schools hold internal competitions to see who their best riders are.

Results in exercises on traffic safety knowledge, bike condition and riding ability determine each school's final team. Then the teams face off against each other at the Roadeo. At the end of the competition, the school with highest score wins.

There are lots of prizes and snacks for the kids. This exercise helps kids to learn about safety and teamwork. Orangeville Police provide bike inspections to ensure kids' bikes are safe.
The Optimist Million Dollar Hole in One is planned for July 2 - 6, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Johnson Controls on CLine, Orangeville.

The Optimist Club of Orangeville is a "Friend of Youth." Most of the club's energy and activities are directed toward mentoring youth and local youth projects. The Million Dollar Hole in One is the club's key annual fundraiser and provides the club with the funds to provide their community services. Golfers can have some fun, practise their favourite sport and help out their community.

The Club uses the proceeds to fund all of its activities through-out the year including big events like Christmas in the Park, Breakfast with Santa, the Kids' Bike Roadeo, Jackrabbits Cross Country Ski School and local youth projects in need. There is also a Youth competition. Grab your clubs and a little cash, get some exercise and help out your community.

URL: http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2008/0207/Local_news/014.html

Lewis County considers syrup distribution center

2008-02-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

Lewis County considers syrup distribution center
Updated: 02/09/2008 11:16 AM
By: Web Staff

News 10 Now

LEWIS COUNTY, N.Y. -- You may not have to travel all the way to northern New York to get some of their tasty maple syrup. It could be headed to a supermarket near you.
A proposal from North Country agricultural officials would establish a packaging and large-scale distribution center for syrup in Lewis County. The processing facility would make New York syrup more competitive with Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada, where distribution centers already exist. Lewis County is the largest producer of maple syrup in the state.

"This is a chance for New York State to have one location, working with all the New York State maple producers to have one location where you could order large quantities of maple syrup. It wouldn't take away from the retail markets for maple syrup, there is interest in increasing the maple syrup production in New York State and this would be able to take on the additional maple syrup that is produced," said Michele Ledoux with the Lewis County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The Lewis County Maple Producers Association will discuss the proposal at a meeting Saturday.

URL: http://news10now.com/content/all_news/watertownnorth_country/110266/lewis-county-considers-syrup-distribution-center/Default.aspx

Sugarbush Spring chosen by NY Ag in the Classroom

2008-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

The NY Ag in the Classroom book committee is thrilled to announce "Sugarbush Spring"by Marsha Wilson with illustrations by Jim Daly as the selection for Ag Literacy Day to be held April 8th, 2008.

Chall's timeless storyand Daly's glowing paintings invite children to share in the pleasureof making maple syrup, a process that is the same today as it was twohundred years ago. The book should be well received. With good teamwork among NYAITC, NYSMPA, NY Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension,Agway Foundation, volunteer readers, and teachers; the 2008 effort is expected to surpass last year's success.

In 2007 more than 1150 books were distributed and over 35,000 students across the state heard the Lily's story in"Lily's Garden" by Deborah Kogan Ray.

Maple Weekend 2008 New York State

2008-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday and Sunday, March 29-3010am-4pm
Save the date! Approximately 110 maple producers from across New York State (more than 40 in Western New York) will open their sugarhouses to allow visitors to see how maple syrup and other maple products are made. Come see all aspects of maple making, from the tapping of the trees to get the sap, to the boiling of the sap into syrup. Some producers will also demonstrate the making of maple syrup into other products including maple cream, maple cotton candy and maple sugar. Most sugarhouses will allow people to sample the products.A map and listing of participating producers will be available soon.

Maple Holiday Ideas

2007-12-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun gift list for maple lovers:

Maple Coated Nuts

Remsburger Maple Farm & Apiary

756 Traver Road

Pleasant Valley, NY 12569

845-635-9168

20 Piece Maple Sugar Candy bag

PiecesOfVermont.com
Owned & operated byRES eCom, Inc.

PO Box 578

Jacksonville, VT 05342

800-507-7721

Maple Leaf Maple Candy Lollipops

CandyWarehouse.com, Inc.
5314 Third Street
Irwindale, CA 91706-2060
Tel: 626-480-0899
Fax: 626-480-0818

And of course.....

Hudson-Chatham Winery

1900 Route 66

Ghent, NY 10016

518 392 WINE

March of the Maple Queens

2007-11-24T04:35:00.001-08:00

Every year the maple producing states crown their series of Maple Queens. Here's a few winners from around the country. This is our salute to Maple Royalty!

This is Miss Maple Queen New York State 2007.

This is the 2007 Pennsylvania Maple Queen and her court.

And these are the 1994 Vermont Maple Queen and alternate.

Congrats to them all.

Wisconsin Maple Syrup Winter Institute

2007-11-24T04:28:00.000-08:00

Maple Syrup Producers to Hold Winter Institute
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/15/2007

The Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association is holding its annual winter institute in January to update members and producers about new trends and issues facing their industry. The full day forum is being planned for January 5 at the Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids.This year's speakers include Carrie Schneider, who will discuss Invasive Species in you sugarbush; and Carl Rainey will talk to us about marketing our maple products and Tree Canker.

After lunch will be the Maple Queen Coronation, followed by round table discussions.

For more information about the winter institute meeting or to register, call 715-447-5758

Maple Corn Bread

2007-11-18T04:10:00.000-08:00

1 1/3 cups (325 ml) sifted all-purpose flour

4 tsp (20 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

2/3 cup (150 ml) cornmeal

2/3 cup (150 ml) milk

1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup (50 ml) butter, melted

1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup

1/2 cup (125 ml) walnuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 375°F.

Grease 9 inch square cake pan.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal with fork. Combine milk, 1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup, butter, and eggs; add to dry ingredients. Stir in just until blended. Spoon into pan and smooth. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup (50 ml) maple syrup over batter. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

from Simply Maple, Candadian Gvernment, page 49

url: http://www.ontariomaple.com/recipes.html

Maple Filled Cream Puffs

2007-11-18T03:55:00.000-08:00

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup butter/margarine

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sifted all purp. flour

4 eggs, unbeaten

Combine water, butter and salt in saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, add flour all at once and stir over the heat until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat, and gradually beat in one egg at a time. Mix until it has a smooth texture. Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 425š for 30 minutes, or until no beads of moisture can be seen on the puffs. When cool, cut off tops with a serrated knife, and fill with Cream Filling. Replace top and dust with powdered sugar, frost with icing or a maple glaze.

Cream Filling:
1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup maple sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup rich milk

1 tbsp. butter

Blend together beaten egg, flour sugar, syrup and milk. Cook until thick, stirring so as not to scorch. Add butter, cool and fill cream puffs.

recipe courtsey of the Pennsylvania Maple Festival

url: http://www.pamaplefestival.com/recipes.htm

Wisconsin Maple Meatballs

2007-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

1 lb. hamburger

3/4 c. oatmeal

1 egg

1/4 c. maple syrup

Combine in large bowl and then make meatballs. Brown and then place in crockpot with 1 pt. Maple BBQ sauce and heat.

recipe courtesy of:

Glenna Farms

1333 120th St. Amery WI 54001

PHONE: 715.268.4702

FAX: 651.714.4103

TOLL-FREE: 800.310.5050

E-MAIL: info@glennafarms.com

Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association Website

2007-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Since the founding, the WMSPA has represented many commercial and hobbyist sugar making in Wisconsin. While we do not conduct actual inspections, we expect our members to conform to all State and Federal standards regarding the production and sale of maple products. We disseminate information to our members which helps them maintain strong quality control and we stand ready to assist them if problems arise. We also act as your representative to both State and Federal Government on specific legislative issues that affect the maple industry.

A great website!

Maple Chicken

2007-10-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

MAPLE CHICKEN
1 2-1/2 - 3 lb. chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup melted butter
Dash of pepper
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup maple syrup (optional)
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind 2 tsp.
lemon juice
Place chicken pieces in shallow baking pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour evenly over chicken. Bake covered about 1 hour at 325 degrees, basting occasionally.

recipe courtesy Cornell Maple Extension

url: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/recipes/main.htm

Maple Baked Beans

2007-10-27T05:00:00.001-07:00

Maple Baked Beans

1 quart Parboiled beans

1/8 teaspoon pepper (red kidney, etc.)

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 cup maple syrup

1/4 lb. salt pork

1/4 cup chili sauce (opt.)

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. salt1 tsp. ginger (opt.)

Place 1/2 of the beans in a bean pot. Score salt pork and place on beans. Add remaining beans. Mix 1/2 cup maple syrup and the other ingredients together and pour over the beans. Fill the pot with boiling water. Cover and bake in slow oven (300º) for four hours. Remove cover, add remaining syrup and bake for 1/2 to 1 hour. It may be necessary to add water during baking.

Serves 6 to 8

recipe courtesy of Vermonter.com

url: http://www.vermonter.com/recipes.asp

p.s. Bobby Flay also features a Maple Baked Beans recipe that is much more involved, and very tasty...can be found in his book Food Nation and the recipe can be found at url:

http://meltingmama.typepad.com/wls/2007/07/beans-beans-the.html

Maple Apple Pie

2007-10-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Maple Apple Pie
5 cups sliced apples

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

dash of salt and nutmeg

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup sour cream

pastry for double crust 9" pie

Combine dry ingredients and sprinkle 2 tbsp. of it over bottom of piecrust. Add the rest to apples, along with maple and sour cream and stir. Turn into pie and cover with lattice top. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then bake at 325°F for 45 minutes longer or until nicely browned.

Remove from oven and cool.

Recipe courtesy of Massachusetts Maple Producers Association.

url: http://www.massmaple.org/recipe.html

Sweet and Savory Tasting Event November 10, 2007

2007-10-21T02:41:00.000-07:00

Hudson-Chatham Winery will host a

Sweet and Savory Tasting Event

Saturday, November 10, 2007,

from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event features sweet and savory foods made with maple syrups. Wine and cheese tastings also included. Food and wine pairings will be discussed. Great ideas for recipes for the holidays. Meats, side dishes, and desserts!

Hudson-Chatham Winery

1900 Route 66

Ghent, NY 12075

(518) 392-WINE

Maple Teriyaki Salmon

2007-10-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Maple Teriyaki Salmon Recipe from Catherine Stevens, Jericho, Vt
1/3 c. apple juice
1/3 c. pure Vermont maple syrup
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1-2 minced garlic cloves
4 salmon fillets
In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; remove 1/2 c. for basting (cover and refrigerate). Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add salmon, seal bag and turn to coat both sides. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Broil salmon 4" from heat for 5 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade and broil 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting frequently.

Maple Pumpkin Bread

2007-10-21T02:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups Grade B Maple Syrup- 1 1/2 cups sugar- 4 eggs- 3/4 tsp. salt- 3/4 tsp. baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3 cups mashed pumpkin (I often use squash)- 1 cup oil- 4 1/2 cups flour- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda- 1 1/2 tsp. cloves- 1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Directions:Beat syrup, sugar, eggs and oil together; add pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test with cake tester. Makes 3 standard loaves or 5-6 small loaves. This bread freezes excellently.

recipe courtesy of Carman Brook Maple & Dairy Farm · 1275 Fortin Road · Swanton, Vermont 05488 · (802)868-2347

url: http://www.cbmaplefarm.com/

American Maple Museum In Croghan, New York

2007-10-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

Informative and fun! A great day for a couple or for the whole family.

The American Maple Museum was founded in 1977 to preserve the history and evolution of the North American maple syrup industry.

The former Leo Memorial School was acquired in 1980 through a generous gift from Robert and Florence Lamb. The Lambs have also contributed much of their personal collection of antique syrup making equipment, logging tools and antiques to the museum. Other artifacts have been gathered from maple syrup regions across the U.S. and Canada.

Those who founded this institution set out to collect the tools and equipment used to make maple sugar and syrup, from the earliest times to the present. The core groups were, and still are, from Lewis County but several others from across the maple region also joined in creating this repository of artifacts and written documents.

Exhibits depict the history of maple syrup and sugar making techniques ranging from those used by the Native Americans to plastic tubing and stainless steel evaporators in use today. Audio tapes explain many of the exhibits.

There are 3 floors of displays in the museum. On the first floor (Room #2, Room #3, Room #4, Room #5,) visitors will find a replica of a sugar house, equipment room and the American Maple Hall of Fame.

On the second level (Room #1, Room #6,)are exhibits of early syrup making techniques and equipment, maple syrup containers and sugar molds. Souvenirs and maple products are available in the Gift Shop.

Maple syrup production and logging go hand in hand thus the third floor (Room #7, Room #8, Room #9) is devoted to displays of logging tools and a replica of a lumber camp kitchen and office.

At the museum's annual opening ceremonies in May, two people, selected by the North American Maple Syrup Council, are inducted into the American Maple Hall of Fame. Members in this select group are from both the U.S. and Canada.

~MUSEUM HOURS~
Memorial Day (last Monday of May) to June 30
Friday, Saturday & Monday
11:00AM to 4:00PM

July to early September
Daily except Sunday 11:00AM - 4:00PM

~ADMISSION FEE~
Family (2 adults & 2 or more children, max. 10 people) $10.00
Adults...................................................$4.00 Children 5 to 14..................................$1.00
Under 5................................................Free
Group Tours Welcome
Reservations Requested
School Children - $1.00/ea.

For information call
(315)346-1107or e-mail maplehalloffame@westelcom.com
or write
American Maple Museum
P.O. Box 81
9753 State Route 812
Croghan, NY 13327

Native Americans and the Legend of Maple Syrup

2007-10-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

Here were two interesting pieces we found about Native American cultures and the history of maple syrup.

One Iroquois Legend Shrouded in the gray mists of history, some early man in North America discovered - long, long ago - that sweet sap runs in the spring time from the sugar maple tree.

Perhaps this same man, or some of his clansmen, or perhaps someone more distant, found that boiling this sap over a fire soon reduced it to a brown syrup; and this syrup, when cooked longer, soon hardened into brownish sugars of various types.

All the books known to us are silent on how this discovery and cookery actually first came about. One Iroquois legend tells of Woksis, an Indian chief, pulling his tomahawk from a maple tree and going off on a hunt. The weather was warm and the gash dripped sap into a bark vessel under the tree. The chief's squaw, toward evening needed water to cook their meal and used the water from the tree to save a trip to the spring. When the chief neared home, he smelled the odor of the sweet syrup and when he ate his meal he found the meat very tasty. And the legend ended with the Indians tapping maple trees to secure this tasty and concentrated source of sweetening.
This however, is a legend, and legends never need truth to be interesting. As a rule of thumb, the more interesting the legend, the less likelihood of its truth. And this legend stands among the most interesting.

Still, all accounts indicate that the Indians of the Lake States, southeastern Canada, New England, the Appalachian Mountains knew and used maple syrup a long time before the first explorers and colonists came to America.

courtesy of the Lewis County New York website

http://www.lcida.org/iroquois.html

The Legend
The Native Americans were the first people to make maple syrup, which can be expected, since they were the first inhabitants of North America, and this is the only part of the world in which maple syrup can be made. If you think about everything that is needed to make maple syrup, the proper season, the proper tree, all the boiling, it makes you wonder how anyone ever thought to try it.

Below is the Native American legend about how the first maple syrup was made.
One day in early spring, an Indian chief came home from a long day of hunting and stuck his tomahawk in one of the trees outside his longhouse, as he did every night. Now being that maple trees are very abundant in his area, this happened to be a maple.

The next morning the chief woke and left for another hunt, taking his tomahawk from the tree. It just happened that there was a bowl sitting at the base of this tree, directly under the gash made by the chief's tomahawk. As the warm spring sun shone on the maple tree, the sap began to run out of the gash, down the trunk, and dripped into the bowl. As evening approached, the chief's daughter began to prepare dinner. She needed a pail of water to boil dinner in though. As she walked past the tree on her way down to the creek, she noticed the bowl full of "water" sitting by the tree. Rather than walk all the way to the creek, the chief's daughter decided to use this "water." As the dinner boiled, the "water" boiled away, and by the time dinner was done, the "water", which was actually maple sap, had boiled down to the first maple syrup. With a little experimenting, the chief and his daughter discovered how and when to make this new all natural sweetener. From that point on, maple syrup became an important part of the Native American's diet.

courtesy of

Thatcher's Sugarhouse

Dennis and Theresa Thatcher
12 Broom Street Plainfield, MA 01070

Telephone 413-634-5582
FAX 413-634-5785

http://www.bcn.net/~thatcher/index.htm

Ohio State University Extension Maple Sweet Potatoes

2007-10-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

We got this excellent recipe from the Ohio State university Extension website.

Maple Flavored Sweet Potatoes
6 medium sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup Ohio maple syrup
1 Tbls. melted butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup Ohio apple cider
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Cook potatoes until nearly tender; peel and slice into a 10 x 6 x 1-1/2 inch baking dish. Heat the maple syrup, margarine, cinnamon and cider until just warm (do not boil). Pour over potatoes, sprinkle with almonds.
Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 45 minutes, basting occasionally.
Makes 6 servings.
For more information on maple syrup, contact your county office of Ohio State University Extension.
Partially based on research conducted by Barbara Drake and Randy James, County Extension Agent Agriculture and CNRD

for more info from Ohio State go to:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5522.html

Sugaring Time Simply the Best Children's Book on the Subject

2007-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sugaring Time

by Kathryn Lasky

Photographs by Christopher Knight

In New England, there is a time between winter and spring when the combination of freezing nights and warm days starts sap flowing in the maple trees. This is sugaring time, when families like the Laceys of central Vermont engage in that still-flourishing American tradition, the gathering of maple sap for boiling into delectable maple syrup.

This is simply one of the best books out on sugarmaking. It's photos are simple and beautiful, and it's text is elegant and direct. A wonderful picturesque homage to the sugarmaking experience complete with knee deep snow and handsome ponies.

Reading Level: Ages 9-12Hardcover: 64 PagesPaperback: 64 Pages
Newberry Honor Book

ALA Notable

New York Times 13 Best Children's Books 1983

SUGARMAKING AT THE HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

2007-09-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

Ralph Cooley Sr. made syrup on the side of the road on Route 66 in Ghent from the 1930s all the way to the 1990s. He was such a redoubtable figure the newspaper The Independent did a full page feature story on him in the early 1990s. It showed his lines connected to his sugarbush and it showed the elderly but sturdy renowned dairy farmer and cattle breeder standing over a boiling steaming vat of sap, watching the clear liquid simmer down to maple syrup. Back in those days it was not uncommon for schools to take class trips to Mr. Cooley's sugarshack so he could explain the magic of sugarmaking.

I have long wanted a winery. But I didn't know anything about syrup. But the more history I learned about Mr. Cooley and the former Brisklea Farms the more I got in touch with my sugarmaking side. I started to get into syrups, spured on by my Vermont brother-in-law Robin Hoover, who converted me to dark Grade B syrups some years ago.

I contacted some local sugarmakers through the good folks at Cornell. Dominique and I found seveal local folks. They helped us with securing local syrup and the instructions necessary to bottle. And we worked with Beth's Farm Kitchen to bottle, since they have so much experience canning and bottling, and they have a professional kitchen. Ralph Cooley's grandson, also named Ralph, and our Farm Manager, also helped out.

Today, we offer free tastings of our three grades of syrups - Grade A Amber, Grabe B Dark Rustic, and our own invention, Dirty Syrup. All three are 100% natural and we offer them just like a wine tasting. Visitors taste the thick nectars light to dark in tasting glasses. Come in and see what all the fuss is about.

NOW OPEN! SATURDAY 11-5 AND SUNDAY 12-5 UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Come on in!!!!

Syrup season was not so sweet in Pennsylvania

2007-07-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

By ROB GEBHARTDaily American Staff Writer

Saturday, June 30, 2007 11:32 PM EDT

The past winter wasn't the sweetest season for maple syrup producers in the state.

This year's maple syrup production fell 23 percent from 2006, according to United States Department of Agriculture reports.

Syrup producers in Somerset County were no exception. People here reported their production fell by 20 to almost 40 percent.

“We were not up to full power,” said Betty Arnold of Rockwood. “Usually we make 135 gallons. This year, we had 85 gallons.”

Experts say the drop was caused by poor syrup producing weather. Cool nights and warm days make for the best syrup seasons. But this year's winter consisted of extended periods of warm weather and cold weather, without much change in temperature between the days and nights.

“The weather conditions were just terrible,” said Marc Tocciano, the director of the National Agriculture Statistic Service's Pennsylvania field office.According to figures his office released in June, 51,000 gallons of maple syrup were produced in Pennsylvania this year. A year earlier, 66,000 gallons were produced. The season lasted an average of 22 days, compared to 32 days in 2006.The yield for the 2007 season averaged 0.115 gallons per tap, versus 0.147 gallons a year earlier.

Gary Blocher, owner of Milroy Farms south of Salisbury, said his syrup production was about 20 percent less than usual this year. He said the drop in production wouldn't affect consumers much and farmers would ride it out.

“Being a farmer you've got to ride it out. That's the nature of the industry,” Blocher said.

Compounding the weather difficulties, some sugar camps in the Fairhope and Glencoe area had to deal with gypsy moths last year, said Mike Wolf, a forest resources educator at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Office in Ebensburg. Gypsy moths defoliated some maple trees to the point that mid-July looked like winter.

But though one year of gypsy moth damage stresses a tree, the tree can survive it, Wolf said. Many maple producers in that area treated their trees with spray in early June. Those trees should now be in good shape for next winter.

In the Confluence area, maple trees are covered with heavy leaves, said Everett Sechler, owner of Sechler's Sugar Shack. That's a good sign for next year's syrup harvest.

“The more leaves, the more sugar that's being made,” Sechler said.

Wolf, who covers a nine-county region as part of Penn State's maple syrup team, said he heard this year's production consisted of a larger percentage of high quality syrup than in previous years. Light syrup is usually the most expensive syrup on retail sale. Dark syrup is usually the cheapest.

Statewide, more dark syrup was produced than last year, but most was of medium color, the USDA reported.The value of syrup produced in 2006 is estimated at $2.15 million, the agency reported. That figure is up from $1.92 million in 2005.

(Rob Gebhart can be reached at robg@dailyamerican.com.)

Maple Syrup Is Good For You

2007-07-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

The George Mateljan Foundation is a non-profit organization free of commercial influence, which provides this website for you free of charge. Our purpose is to provide you with unbiased scientific information about how nutrient-rich World's Healthiest Foods can promote vibrant health and energy and fit your personal needs and busy lifestyle.

Maple syrup
When you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, don't forget to consider using maple syrup which contains fewer calories and a higher concentration of minerals than honey. It is available throughout the year in your local supermarket.

Maple syrup is one of the many wonders of the world. This viscous amber liquid with its characteristic earthy sweet taste is made from the sap of the sugar, black or red maple tree. The process of creating maple syrup begins with tapping (piercing) the tree, which allows the sap to run out freely. The sap is clear and almost tasteless and very low in sugar content when it is first tapped. It is then boiled to evaporate the water producing syrup with the characteristic flavor and color of maple syrup and sugar content of 60%.

Read more cool information about the nutritional aspects of syrup at:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115

BACKYARD SUGARIN' - GREAT SUGARMAKING CLASSIC

2007-05-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Backyard Sugarin': A Complete How-To Guide
by Rink Mann, Daniel Wolf (Photographer)
ISBN: 0881502162ISBN-13: 9780881502169
Format: Paperback, 96pp
Publisher: The Countryman Press

This is the one book you need to start sugarmaking at home. Tremendous. Informative, easy to undersand, and perfect for beginners or moderate knowledge sap collectors and boilers.

From buying equipment to tapping your own trees to boiling the sap, this is the classic, best-selling guide to making maple syrup.This little book swept maple sugarin' buffs off their feet when it first appeared and is still the top-selling guide to the craft after nearly 30 years in print. Like the previous editions, this one tells you how you can make maple syrup right in your own backyard without having to build a sap house or buy buckets, holding tanks, evaporators and other expensive paraphernalia. Provides detailed "how-to" information, and makes some new and noteworthy revelations-including tips sugarers across the country have shared with the author.

The book has recieved rave reviews on Amazon!

Everything you need to know -- just add trees!, March 18, 2003
By
Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews This is the do-it-yourself book that got me started on that sweet rite of spring -- making my own maple syrup. The author's emphasis is on how to do it efficiently and very cheaply, using easy-to-find materials you can scrounge yourself. If you have the trees to tap, by all means get this book! (Hint: they don't have to be the sugar maple species. Try other maples as well. I get great syrup from box elders, which I considered "trash trees" until I learned they are in the maple family. Now I treasure them like gold.)

My own sugaring set-up is total simplicity: just some old refrigerator grates set on top of cinder blocks, heated with odd scraps of wood that others have thrown away at construction sites, etc. The sap is boiled down in flat baking pans, then finished off on the stove inside. Except for the initial expense to buy some professional spiles for tapping (you can make those, too, but I'm a failure as a tinsmith), I have spent ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the 3-4 gallons of syrup we make each year. Not a bad return for a book that I cost me less than ten bucks! Comment Was this review helpful to you?

Excellent Step by step guide for everybody, January 10, 2007
By
Michal Dusik "Miky" (Italy) - See all my reviews It doesnt matter if never made maple syrup and you are a newbie like me, or you are a pro. These simple techniques will explain to you how and why make excellent maple syrup. Lots and lots of good advice from somebody that really knows the sugarin process in the backyard. This also means that you can make your own syrup without spending a fortune but buying simple little things or reusing everyday use things for the whole process. Its more of a dialogue of your grandpa teaching you than a guide.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Great guide, December 26, 2006
By
M. Land "Landslyde Shelties" (CT, USA) - See all my reviews We have a 300+ year old sugar maple in our back yard. For the past few years we have tapped it each spring and boiled down the sap for the best maple syrup! This wonderful little "how-to guide" has given us a lot of pointers and info we were not aware of before. Easy to read and understand too. Just a nice little reference book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent starter book., October 2, 2004
By
Robert H. Schook (Central Michigan) - See all my reviews I remember fondly the early Michigan spring from my childhood, helping my father collect sap. This more than anything fueled my desire to make my own syrup. This book, Rink Mann's "Backyard Sugarin'" is an excellent book to get you off without breaking your back or your bank account. The author has a delightful writing style that is thoroughly engrossing. The book is well illustrated, full of ideas and rock solid on exactly when, how and what to tap, and exactly how to process all that sap. I highly recomend this book. Even if you don't live in sugar country you will enjoy this book.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
Great intro to ultra cheap sugaring!, February 1, 1999
Reviewer: A readerThis book has an overarching philosophy - keep it simple and keep it cheap! The authors describe everything you need to know and stress not having to pay for anything you can get for free. This quest for free stuff that works well is one of the pleasures of hobby sugaring. Well written descriptions of all the processes. Lots of photos. Reading it makes you wish the sap would start flowing NOW! Highly recommended

CORNELL SUGAR MAPLE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROGRAM

2007-04-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

I know a great deal about the east coast wineries and Cornell, but I did not know until I could not find any Light Grade "A" Fine maple syrup about an equally important extension The Cornell Sugar Maple Research and Extension Program.

The Cornell Sugar Maple Program exists to improve the production and use of maple products by working with producers, consumers, and others interested in this fascinating local product.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension program helps people improve their lives and communities by putting experience and research knowledge to work. The Cornell Sugar Maple Program is part of Cooperative Extension.

They have a great website with recipes, resources, and much, much more!

http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/Ext/index.htm

They have two offices: Uhlein and Arnot.

Colin Campbell compares sugar maple tree damage inflicted by small and conventional spouts. Uihlein Field Station research suggests that smaller (19/64") spouts do less damage to sugar maple trees than larger, conventional (7/16") spouts.

Uihlein Sugar Maple Research & Extension Field Station

157 Bear Cub Lane

Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: 518-523-9337
The activities conducted at the Uihlein Field Station form the core of the Cornell Sugar Maple Program. The Field Station is located near Lake Placid in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. It is administered by the Department of Natural Resources, which is part of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. The Field Station was established in 1965 with the aid of generous support from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Uihlein II of Lake Placid, New York.

The Arnot Teaching and Research Forest

611 County Route

13Van Etten, NY 14889

Phone: 607-589-6076

FAX: 607-589-4277

The Arnot Teaching and Research Forest, "the Arnot", is situated in the hilly, forested Southern Tier region of New York State. The Arnot (pronounced R-not) is owned by Cornell University and managed by the Department of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). It is the largest actively managed forest owned by Cornell University. The Arnot provides a place for Cornell faculty and students to carry out elements of the three-part mission of CALS: Teaching, Extension, and Research, in service to the citizens of New York. The current Arnot Forest results from a long history of changing land-use patterns, and presents an opportunity to study the long-term consequences of these changes.

The guys who run these stations are great and very helpful:

Brian Chabot, the Cornell Sugar Maple Program Director

Peter Smallidge, Extension Forester, Arnot Director
Steve Childs, State Maple Specialist
Mike Farrell, Northern Maple Specialist, Uihlein Director

Any way...go to the website. These guys are really helpful and the extension is very important to the maple syrup industry in New York state. We need more people like these guys to mke sure New York retains, maintains, and improves its agricultural resources.

SOUTH FACE FARM OF ASHFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

2007-04-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite maple syrups from Massachusetts.

Located in Ashfield, Massachuseets, South Face Farm sits on a south-facing hillside, which gives them the most desired location for their stand of sugar maple trees, Christmas trees, mixed hardwoods, and the occasional giant zucchini. This farmland has been producing maple syrup for over 150 years, and some of the huge maples along the road are probably that old. The present sugarhouse, built in 1952, is the third sugarhouse on the property that they know of.

South Face Farm Sugarhouse

755 Watson-Spruce Corner Road

Ashfield, MA 01330

Phone 413-628-3268

A TASTE OF MAPLE SYRUP - PENN STATE

2007-04-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

A part of Pen State's "Teacher Resources: From the Woods Series," Maple Syrup, A Taste of Nature is a free four-page, full-color publication that explains how Pennsylvania's maple syrup makers create their product using the state's natural resources, and traces each step of production from the seed of the maple to your table. It is part of an educational series about forestry for youth. (2000)

GO TO THIS URL TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF:

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/uh130.pdf

Code Number: UH130

Cost: FreePDF: uh130.pdf (680K)

The educational effectiveness of the flier can be evaluated through the use of one of two pre and post-experiences designed especially for youth. Each experience is one-page in length, specific to their flier topic, and employs a selection of simple testing formats, such as fill-in the blank, matching, ordering, or a "crossword puzzle." The same experience is intended for use before/after the flier is used as part of an educational activity.
Lesson Plan (13K pdf)

Pre/post experience example #1 (6K pdf)

Pre/post experience example #2 (5K pdf)

Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association Has a Great Website

2007-04-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.vermontmaple.org/

This is a great website. There's all kinds of information about the history of syrup, places to go, events, suppliers, and how to make your own maple syrup. This is a one stop shop.

Founded in 1893, the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association is the oldest known agricultural organization in the country. While the Vermont maple industry has changed over the past 100 years, its mission, to safeguard the tradition of maple sugarmaking while maintaining the highest standards possible in the production of pure maple products, has not. The VMSMA works with local, state, federal and international agencies and organizations to protect the integrity of pure maple syrup worldwide.

This website is chock-a-block with recipes, places to stay in Vermont and visit. This website also has information for teachers on educating K-8th grade about maple sugaring. Whether you're a native Vermonter or some one who's going to visit Vermont, or someone who just wants to know more about maple syrup, this is one of the best websites out there.

BOOK REVIEW: THE MAPLE SYRUP BOOK

2007-04-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Maple Syrup Book
by Janet Eagleson, Rosemary Hasner, Rosemary Hasner, Rosemary Hasner (Photographer)

Published in March of 2006 by Boston Mills Press, this book is one of our favorite maple syrup books. This richly illustrated book relates Native legends surrounding maple syrup's discovery and explain its importance in the pioneer diet. The authors cover the sugar maple's exalted status in the maple tree family, and reveal why maple sap is still one of nature's great mysteries.

There are lots of great details, including about how sugar maples are tapped and how the sap is collected, as well as insights from producers who reveal their affection for a shared passion. It also includes a special "maple syrup flavor wheel" that describes the many colors, grades and flavor variations available

The recipe section includes maple salmon, maple-marinated chicken wings and maple sugar pecans.

Don't just trust us. Library Journal reported, "This is a fun and fact-filled work guaranteed to delight folks of all ages." Janet Eagleson is the author of Nature Hikes. This is her second collaboration with photographer Rosemary Hasner. Rosemary Hasner is a photographer whose images have appeared in books, magazines, and calendars.

MAPLE AND BEER HAM GLAZE

2007-04-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Julian Armstrong, The Gazette (Monttreal Canada)

Published: Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Bring a sweet hint of maple syrup to your Easter table via one of these dishes. The recipes are offered up by members of the new Route de l'erable launched to help raise the profile of Quebec's maple syrup.
Ham Braised with Maple Beer
Serves 6

Belgian-born brewer Patrice Schoune of St. Polycarpe suggests ham cooked with L'Erabiere, his beer that's fermented with maple syrup in the brew. Adding vegetables to the casserole makes this Easter meat easy on the cook.

3 tablespoons (45 mL) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, white and tender green parts, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoons (30 mL) granulated maple sugar
1 smoked ham, 21/4 pounds (1 kg)
8 whole cloves
1 bouquet garni*
1 tomato, chopped
2 bottles (340 mL each) Schoune L'Erabiere maple beer**
*Made by tying several sprigs of flat-leaf parsley and thyme with a bay leaf in a small square of cheesecloth.
** Available in stores that stock microbrewery beers.

Using a large, heavy, heat-proof casserole over medium heat, heat butter and cook onion, leek and carrot until soft, three to four minutes. Stir in maple sugar, continuing to cook until mixture browns and becomes caramelized. Lower heat. Stud ham all over with cloves and set it on vegetable mixture. Add bouquet garni and tomato, and pour beer all over the meat. Roast uncovered in oven heated to 375 degrees F (190 C) for 20 minutes, then lower heat to 325 degrees F (160 C), cover casserole and continue to roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, place ham on platter, and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve with vegetable mixture and pan juices.

Approximate nutritional content per serving:
Calories...................................380
Protein....................................36 g
Fat...........................................15 g
Carbohydrates.........................16 g
Dietary fibre..............................2 g
Sodium...........................1,690 mg

read the whole story at: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=8633b19c-9fc9-47e0-b182-aeb58c91014f

Maine Laws Defines 'Pure' Maple Syrup

2007-04-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Associated Press reported today, "Gov. John Baldacci signed legislation to clarify the legal definition of 'pure maple syrup' to help consumers decide whether they're getting the real thing.
The new law sets standards on how much sugar must be in syrup in order for it to be considered pure. It took effect immediately upon the governor's signature Monday."

According to the report, the bill was advanced by the Maine Maple Producers. The purpose of the bill, as per The Maine Farm Bureau was to help protect Maine's maple syrup industry.

"Maple sugar producers say that if there's too much sugar in syrup, it can crystallize shortly after sale. The new law helps to ensure that when someone buys 'pure maple syrup,' that's what they're getting," reported AP.

Jon Olson of the Maine Farm Bureau said, "The new law will more closely regulate the import of products labeled 'pure maple syrup' into Maine."

Maine is the second largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S. "Vermont, the nation's No. 1 maple syrup producer, has rules similar to Maine's new standard."

YOU Tube - Maple Syrup in the Making

2007-03-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is a very cool video about Bill, Steve and Jo-Anne Yardley and how they make syrup.One of the best videos we've seen about making syrup. But don't take just our word for it.

CH3CH2OCH2CH3net (approx. 2/23/07)
Really, REALLY interesting video — it's really much better, and much more informative than those silly films we used to watch in school about "How maple syrup is made". After you've had real maple syrup, you'll never want fake syrup again.

This is what it's really like. Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLiNQisFUzk

Maine Maple Sunday A Family Affair

2007-03-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Web Editor: Caroline Cornish, Reporter
Created: 3/25/2007 5:01:43 PM
Updated: 3/25/2007 7:24:05 PM
WCSH-TV Portland, Maine

Most of Maine's maple syrup producers opened their sugar houses to the public today as part of Maine Maple Sunday. One place taking part is Grandpa Joe's Sugar House in North Baldwin, where three generations make syrup together.

The Mckenney family had been making small amounts of syrup for years and years, but fifth generation syrup-maker Ben Mckenney really got stuck on the process when he tried it for a science project in school. He saved up money for an evaporator and for the past 14 years, he, his father and his grandfather have been running Grandpa Joe's together.Ben Mckenney said, "I think we like to interact with the people because we have the same people year after year. The same customers. It's a good deal for all of us."Grandpa Joe's is named for Ben's great great grandfather.

To play the video go to: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=55985

Cool Temperatures Delay Maple Syrup Production

2007-03-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

WSCH-TV Portland, Maine

Web Editor: Matt Bush, Online Content Producer
Created: 3/25/2007 4:58:43 PM
Updated: 3/25/2007 7:46:16 PM

The cool temperatures overnight put a snag in the line for maple syrup producers in Central Maine. Even though steam billowed out of the Sugar Shack at Lucerne Farms, and people lined the road to see the operation, the lines that actually carry the maple sap froze solid overnight.

Despite frozen lines at the start of the day, there were still plenty of maple syrup samples served to visitors who stopped by the Holden operation in Penobscot County. Many families wanted a first-hand look at how the sweet treat is made, which also included a tour through the sugar bush. "Meet the people who are actually making the maple syrup. It takes a lot to make it, and it's nice that people who go at this as their business are actually sharing it with people who have never experienced it before," said Linda Lord of Tremont.Maine trails only Vermont in the amount of syrup produced each year. Last year, Maine maple producers made 30 thousand gallons of syrup.

Play the video at: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=55984

N.E. syrup makers’ sticky season is here

2007-03-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 25, 2007

N.E. syrup makers’ sticky season is here

Worcester Telegram (MA)

Maple sugarhouses open to the public
By Lisa Rathke THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mary Taft cleans the evaporator in preparation for an open house at the Taft Farm sugarhouse. At the Taft farm, it’s all hands on deck when the sap starts flowing. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

HUNTINGTON, Vt.— At the Taft farm, it’s all hands on deck when the sap starts flowing. Mary milks the cows with one helper so her husband can run the sugarhouse, boiling sap into syrup. Their son Tim, who normally feeds the cows, trucks sap down off the mountain in a 1,000-gallon tank to the sugarhouse, feeding the boiler. This weekend the family and other syrup producers in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire will open their sugarhouses to the public, offering a glimpse of sap boiling in metal troughs and steam rising through the roof and its sunlit cracks. Visitors will get to sample Taft’s Milk & Maple Farm syrup, maple fudge, doughnuts topped with homemade maple cream, and maple cotton candy, streaming from a machine.

It’s good for business, said Mary Taft, after she cleans the outside of the metal evaporator. “People come and look and see and say, ‘Oh, this smells good, I have to buy some.’ To actually see it being made, it’s perfect.”

Read the rest at: http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/NEWS/703250469/1008/NEWS02

Spring's Sweet Start

2007-03-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 25, 2007
Spring's sweet start
By VICTORIA GUAY

Staff Writer

The Citizen of Lanconia (NH)

vguay@citizen.com

As the snow begins to melt and the ground to thaw, maple trees dormant during the winter being the process of growing leafy crowns — a process that begins when clear, sweet sap begins to the circulate throughout the tree once more.

The maple sap, after it has been boiled down to a thick, amber-colored syrup, also serves another purpose — to make treats like pancakes and ice cream more yummy.

Saturday, hundreds of people across the state opportunity to see how maple syrup is made, as producers held open houses to promote one of New Hampshire's sweetest products.

The event, sponsored by the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association, continues today with area sugar houses holding open houses at various times throughout the day.

For information on participating producers and times, visit the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at www.nhmapleproducers.com.

Read the rest of this at: http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/CITIZEN_01/103250199/-1/CITIZEN

University of Maine, Page Farm, and Maple Syrup

2007-03-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

UMaine Page Farm and Home Museum Offers Maple Syrup Season Activities
March 15, 2007Contact: Patty Henner, 581-4115; George Manlove, 581-3756

ORONO – The University of Maine’s Page Farm and Home Museum is hosting two public events, March 23 and March 25, to acknowledge the sweetest sign of spring – maple syrup season.

On March 23, Kathryn Hopkins, a UMaine Cooperative Extension horticulturalist and expert on maple trees and syrup production, will deliver a talk at noon titled "Backyard Sugaring." She’ll review the sap-to-syrup process, and will share tips and advice for amateur syrup makers. Hopkins has worked in the Cooperative Extension’s Somerset County office for 14 years and regularly consults with maple tree growers and syrup producers in Maine. The lecture is free and participants are invited to bring along a bag lunch.

On March 25, from 1-3 p.m., the farm and home museum will entertain children and adults with its annual Maine Maple Sunday program. Activities begin with a short video, "The Maple Sugaring Story," at 1 p.m., followed at 1:30 p.m. by learning activities, game-playing and stories about one of Maine’s oldest industries – the gathering of sap from sugar and black maple trees, and the production of maple syrup. Children will be grouped by age, from kindergarten through grade 6, for activities, says Patricia Henner, museum director.

The afternoon also includes a trip to the University of Maine’s nearby maple sugaring operation in the University Forest on College Avenue Extension. Participants will get a guided walking tour of the sugar bush – tree stands where the maple sugaring story begins – and then will tour the demonstration sugarhouse, where sap is simmered into syrup. One gallon of syrup requires the distillation of 40 gallons of sap. Children can sample fresh maple syrup, straight from the evaporator, poured over ice cream.

"It is a maple syrup sundae on Maine Maple Sunday," Henner says.

The event is a popular, interactive celebration for children to learn about the history of Maine maple syrup, meet other youngsters, and get some fresh air in the process, Henner says.
Northern New England’s Indians taught colonists about making maple syrup and maple candy, and Maine remains one of the world’s largest maple syrup producers.

Because of space limitations at the Page Farm and Home Museum on the Orono campus, pre-registration is advised, and all children must be chaperoned. Henner expects the Maine Maple Sunday event to fill up quickly.

"I’ve already had people calling to make reservations and I haven’t even put out an announcement yet," she says.

A $4 per child reimbursement fee for materials used in the exercises is requested. For registration and other information, please call the Page Farm and Home Museum at 581-4100.

IN HADLEY, MASS, MAPLE SYRUP WORTH WAITING FOR

2007-03-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Around Town: The wait for maple syrup is well worth it

By Mary Carey Staff Writer
Published on March 16, 2007
Amherst Bulletin

MARY CAREY
Shangzhu Wang, of China, tries some maple syrup this past weekend at the Hadley Sugar Shack.
March was roaring like a lion last week, trying to make up for a sheepish winter, all the better backdrop for an excursion to the Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges spring bulb shows and breakfast at a maple sugar house.

The tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring blossoming bulbs were delightful and their fragrance intoxicating. The shows, open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through March 18 at the Lyman Conservatory at Smith and Talcott Greenhouse at Mount Holyoke, are annual crowd pleasers - as are the sugar houses.

It was an hour-long wait to get seated for breakfast at the North Hadley Sugar Shack on Route 47 Saturday, but no one seemed to be complaining. What was a modest sugar shack when brothers Joe and John Boisvert first started serving breakfast in 1996 now has an extensive array of maple sugar and locally produced products to engage diners' attention while they're waiting for a table. There is also a continuous sap boiling demonstration in the back room and a petting zoo outside. Although March is reputed to go out like a lamb, most of the lambs were kicking their heels inside their wooden shelters on Saturday, while a lone chicken amused the visitors by stalking the yard.

As Michael Stern, co-author with his wife, Jane, of "Road Food" and "Eat your way Across America," writes of the Boisverts' operation at Roadfood.com, "The North Hadley Sugar Shack at Boisvert Farm has many things to recommend it. It is a picture-perfect farmstand in the Pioneer Valley where you can buy locally grown fruits and vegetables at the peak of their season from summer strawberries to winter squash."

Stern recommends the maple cotton candy for their "great clouds of edible sweetness."
Joe Boisvert was minding the sap boiling Saturday, but it wasn't mist from sap rising into the air. He was boiling water to show how the process works, because the sap hadn't been running in the last few days.

It's been too cold. The sap is a very dilute solution of sugar water that comes up from storage in the maple tree's roots. To run, it needs cold nights and warm days above freezing. Other fast facts about maple syrup: It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, and trees with one to three taps in them usually produce enough sap to make a quart of syrup per tap.
The back room isn't only popular for the boiling demonstration: There is also a pitcher of fresh maple syrup that visitors can pour into small paper tasting cups. Shangzhu Wang, a University of Massachusetts graduate student in computer science from China, and Mandy Cheung, a graduate student of education from Hong Kong, were sipping syrup on Saturday.

They had been waiting for a seat for about 45 minutes but were having a good time.

"We didn't expect it would be this crowded," Wang said.

Maple syrup is not unheard of in China and Hong Kong, they said, although honey is much more common where Wang comes from, she said. Both women give the maple syrup high marks.

"That's why we come here," Cheung said.

SUGARMAKING TIME IS EDUCATIONAL AND FUN FOR KIDS

2007-03-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

Students gain hands-on experience in making syrup

Posted: Saturday, Mar 17, 2007 - 12:45:10 am CDT
By Ashley Rhodebeck

Beloit Daily News (WI)

Daily News staff writer

Education has gotten a little sweeter for area children this month.For the past two weeks, School District of Beloit elementary students have visited Big Hill Park to learn about maple syrup production and tree growth.“It's so important for them to see how things happen,” said Mary Ellen Fuentes, an English as a Second Language teacher at Wright Elementary. “It helps them get such an appreciation for why people did what they did.”

Books inform children about the topics, but they don't grasp the bigger picture, such as the whys and the hows, until they interact with the curriculum, Fuentes explained as students tried to re-enact the Native American's way of extracting maple sugar from sap Friday morning.

Sap is composed of 98 percent water and 2 percent sugar, so boiling the substance is most effective for extracting the sugar. Because Native Americans didn't have the tools to warm the substance directly on a fire, they poured the sap into a hollow log that became heated by hot rocks, said Tanya Zastrow, the Welty Environmental Center director.

Getting the rocks into the log was quite a trick, as the children soon learned. To avoid burning themselves, Native Americans would use sticks and deer antlers to transport the stones.“You read about this in books, but the experience and frustration of doing this activity creates this awareness,” Fuentes said, watching the youngsters struggle with the task.

Besides doing indoor activities, which also included making maple syrup, the students went into the woods to learn about maple trees and how sap is extracted from the plant.

“I'm going to pull a trick on you, so to get past the trick you're going to really have to use your eyes,” volunteer Julius Pellegrini told the group as they approached a maple tree to learn how people tap the sap.

“How come we didn't attach a bag here?” he asked the group, pointing out the tree's holes.

“Because it's dead,” a student quickly, and correctly, responded.

Even if the tree had been alive, the children probably wouldn't have seen it excrete sap during the chilly morning.For a tree to produce sap, the temperatures must have been below freezing at night and above freezing during the day because the contrast helps the sap travel upwards from the roots, Zastrow explained.

Each tree produces a different amount of sap each year, ranging from as few as five gallons to as many as 15 gallons, Zastrow said. The season begins depending on the temperatures and ends once the buds become swollen, she added.

Children got a chance to taste sap and maple syrup during their field trips, and the public can also dabble in the natural sweetness from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today during the third annual Maple Sugar Festival at Big Hill Park.

People can tour the maple trees and see how trees are tapped and sap is collected. Visitors can also see the evaporator and learn how maple sap is boiled and made into syrup.

Tours and activities are free, but a pancake brunch costs $5 for adults and $3 for children.

TRADITIONAL MAPLE SYRUP RECEPIES

2007-03-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

Try these traditional recipes with maple syrup
Karen Miltner Staff writer, Rochester Globe & Democrat (March 13, 2007)

What to do with maple syrup besides pour it over pancakes? We're sticking with tradition and running two old-time favorites, courtesy of Ken Haedrich's Maple Syrup Cookbook (Storey Books, $10.95).

Sugar on Snow

For seasonal authenticity, sugar on snow can’t be beat for the post-harvest party, and should be served with plain doughnuts and sour pickles. When the hot syrup is poured onto cold snow, it cools quickly into a chewy, taffy-like candy, which you then pick up and eat. You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

About 1 quart packed, clean snow or well-crushed ice

Heat syrup and butter in small saucepan over medium heat, watching carefully; turn heat down if mixture looks like it will boil over. When the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, cool slightly and test by spooning a tablespoon of mixture over the snow. If the syrup sits on top of the snow and clings to a fork like taffy, it’s ready. Portion snow or ice in 4 to 6 serving bowls. Pour remaining syrup mixture in ribbons over snow or ice and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

French Canadian Maple Sugar Pie

This Quebecois treat is similar to its Southern cousin, the pecan pie, with a slightly tart twist. The author suggests serving it with vanilla ice cream.

One 9-inch unbaked pie shell

3 eggs

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup pure maple syrup

6 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ cup brewed tea

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Pinch of salt

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add maple syrup, butter, tea, vinegar and salt, whisking until smooth. Stir in the walnuts. Place the pie shell on a heavy baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until the center is set, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pie is good cold, too. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

PICKENS, WEST VIRGINIA, MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL

2007-03-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

In late winter, here in our mountains surrounding Pickens, when nights are freezing and days begin to warm, it's maple sugaring time!

The snow begins to melt, the ice to thaw, and the sap rises in the maple sugar trees. We tap the trees, drilling 2 1/2 inches deep and hammer a spout into the tap hole where either a bucket or plastic pipeline that connects each tree is hung. The sap drips into the buckets or flows through the line to storage tanks.

Next, we collect and transport the sap to a sugar house where it is boiled down in large evaporating pans making the thick, golden syrup. It takes about 45 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. The hot syrup is then filtered and packed into storage jugs.
West Virginia has a long history of sugar making. The Indians made syrup first. They threw hot rocks into hollowed-out logs that were filled with sap. The early settler quickly learned to make the sweet stuff and use it as their main source of sugar. Today, maple syrup and sugar are widely used in cooking, baking, and as topping.

Join us for a full weekend of activities celebrating this tradition each year on the third full weekend in March! The 2007 festival takes place March 17-18.

For more information go to: http://www.smilingcountry.com/pickenswv/maplefest.htm

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR

2007-03-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

It's amazing. It's that time of year when winter slowly melts into spring, and sugarmakers all over North America are collecting pails and buckets, and boiling sap until it turns gold and dark brown.

In Canada they were singing. And from Minnesota, to Indiana, from Maine to Pennsylvania, and down to West Virginia, states all over the country are sponsoring sugar maple events to commemorate the 2007 winter season.

This is a great event to take children to. Visiting a sugar house or sugar shack is an event in every child's life which is fun and memorable. It's something that the whole family can visit and enjoy.

From walks in the winter woods to pancake breakfasts and roadside stands, Maple Fever stikes this time every year - ain't it grand!

Check your local newspaper and webiste "current events" listings, and find out where you and your family can spend they day having good clean fun...and find some sweet memories.

SWEET SEASON - SYRUP MAKERS PREPAPRE TO TAP N.E. TRADITION

2007-03-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

By Bonnie Obremski, North Adams Transcript
Article Launched: 03/09/2007 01:55:23 PM EST

(Robert Leab of Ioka Valley Farm sets up maple syrup taps on Wednesday. Photo: Gillian Jones/North Adams Transcript)

Friday, March 9WILLIAMSTOWN — While sugar shacks, both high-tech and ramshackle, should be steaming across New England during Saturday's predicted warm spell at least three local sap harvesters said this week that American tastes favor the fake stuff.

"They don't even have any real maple syrup in them," Norman Burdick of Steepmeadow Farm on Route 43 said Wednesday about brands such as Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's, which are primarily corn syrup.

No scientific polls have yet revealed America's syrup preference but that of the Burdick family is plain — they've been in the sugaring business for at least four generations.

The community will have an opportunity to taste test real local syrups, among other activities, at "Maplefest" on Saturday from 11 to 2 p.m. at Hopkins Memorial Forest's Rosenburg Center on Northwest Hill Road and from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation at Sheep Hill off Route 7.

Robert Leab of Ioka Valley Farms on Route 43 in Hancock has installed a display in his sugar shack, which is open to the public, to show visitors "real maple flavor" does not grow on trees.
"Most people just don't know," he said.

Jones, manager of the Hopkins Memorial Forest sugar bush, said children grow up without knowing the difference between imitation and genuine maple syrup.

"And when they do try real maple syrup they say, 'Hmm, this tastes kind of funny," he said.
Price, he said, is also a deterrent in buying a true syrup. A 16.9-ounce of Grade "A" medium amber syrup can cost $12 while a similar amount of imitation costs $4.

Burdick said one reason more Americans may be resorting to the artificially flavored syrups is because most only use the maple-flavored products on top of pancakes. He said his wife replaces refined sugar with maple syrup when baking and cooking.

Jones said that during Colonial times, settlers learned to distill sap from sugar maple trees into syrup from American Indians because cane-derived sugar that came from warmer climates was nearly impossible to obtain.

To read the rest go to: http://www.thetranscript.com/headlines/ci_5399167

CANADIAN MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCERS BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF

2007-03-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

Tony Lofaro, Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, March 10, 2007

Weather conditions have been almost perfect this winter to produce a bountiful supply of maple syrup, say Ottawa valley maple syrup producers.

Warm temperatures around Christmas and early January had caused some concern that maple syrup production might be affected, but thanks to a deep freeze in February and a warm spell coming in the next few days everything is on track, said Mark Wheeler of Wheelers Pancake House and Sugar Camp, located in McDonalds Corners.

"It was touch and go there in January and if it had stayed warm for another two or three more days it would have been a bad situation," he said.

"But it's hard to say what would have happened because it's never happened before," said Mr. Wheeler, about the unusually warm spell that hit the region earlier this year.
"It was a great sigh of relief to see the cold weather come and stay."

He said many of the old-time maple syrup producers insist that without a cold spell lasting several weeks, the flavour of the syrup can be affected.

(Scott Fulton Cheacks His Buckets: Photo Pat McGrath, the Ottawa Citizen )

"The winter that we have had, you'd probably want to call it a perfect winter," he said.
As it stands now, everything is set for the sap to start flowing in the next few days and production should last until mid-April, he said. The sap will begin flowing when the temperatures rise above freezing, which is forecast for the next few days, he said.

Wheeler's, located about a hour from Ottawa in Lanark County -- the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario -- has more than 180 kilometres of pipeline to transport maple sap to the sugar camp, where it is boiled into pure maple syrup. The farm produces about 10,000 litres of maple syrup in a year, making it one of the biggest producers in the province.

The family-run business is gearing up for a busy March Break, with horse-drawn sleigh rides, maple taffy-on-snow, pancake meals, snowshoeing, and self-guided tours. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Shirley Fulton-Duego, co-owner of Fulton's Pancake House and Sugar Bush near Pakenham, said she's ready for a busy maple syrup season.

"The (weather) conditions seem right for the sap," said Ms. Fulton-Duego, adding she's been open for several weeks.

She said the trees had a cold dormant period and now they're ready to be tapped.

"We will probably start to tap on Sunday, and that means we will drill the holes. It doesn't mean we'll be making syrup. It takes a few days to get all the holes drilled, and then we'll start."

She said maple syrup is very "weather dependent" and the start time varies from year to year.

She said the third week of March is usually when the sap starts flowing and this year is not much different.

Fulton's Pancake House is a popular destination for school groups and families. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

She said she's expecting another bumper season. "If you have a good season, the industry standard is one litre of syrup per hole, if you get the right temperatures. We have 4,000 taps, so we should get 4,000 litres of maple syrup," said Ms. Fulton-Deugo.

MAPLE DIET SYRUP? DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS!

2007-03-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

Is the Beyonce Diet a dream diet?
Feb 9, 2007 04:00 PM EST
Posted by Michelle Ponto

News Channel 3 - Memphis, TN

SPECIAL REPORT -- It's hard to avoid her. Beyonce' is everywhere and she has quite a figure. Combine that with news that she dropped a lot of weight fast for her starring role in Dream Girls, and you've got a lot of people wondering what her secret is.

She's known for her dangerous curves but recently Beyonce Knowles made news when she slimmed down for her role in the blockbuster film "Dreamgirls." The star shed 20 pounds in 10 days on the "Maple Syrup Diet".

For some people, this kind of drastic weight loss sound like a dream come true, but personal trainer Jack Douglas says that kind of loss isn't the norm for regular women.

"What I've found is that people who come to workout with me have to have a more realistic expectation of working out for a longer time," says Douglas.

But what exactly is Beyonce's Maple Syrup Diet? It's a liquid fast. It's also known as the Lemonade Diet or the Lemon Cleansing Diet.

Here's the recipe:
3 quarts of water
1 cup of lemon juice
1 cup pure maple syrup or molasses
1 teaspoon cayenne
and you drink 8-12 glasses a day.

Knowles admits the diet isn't the best way to lose weight. She also admits that as soon as her movie wrapped, she gained the weight back.

Fad diets harmful to health and wallet
By CARLA HALEY

Texarkana Gazette

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

If I were to tell you that fad diets have been around for centuries, would you believe me? The first fad diet recorded in 1820, made popular by Lord Byron, was the Vinegar and Water Diet. This was followed in 1825 by the Low Carbohydrate Diet, which first appeared in The Physiology of Taste by Jean Brillat-Savarin. Even in 2006, we experienced the Maple Syrup Diet fad, which featured a special syrup-lemon drink.

From this time on, numerous fad diets have come and gone with little long term success.

MAPLE WEEKEND WEBSITES AND INFO

2007-03-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Maple Weekend

March 17-18 & 24-25, 2007

10am-4pm each day

2007 Maple Weekend Scheduled for March 17-18 and March 24-25Bring your family and visit several operations to see the variety of equipment and methods used to make maple syrup and sample a variety of maple products. Many producers provide wagon rides to the woods, tapping demonstrations, and historical displays. Some producers offer pancake meals and many local civic organizations hold pancake breakfasts.

New York maple syrup 2006 production increased 14 percent from last year’s below-average crop. Syrup production is estimated at 253,000 gallons, up from the 222,000 gallons produced in 2005 according to Stephen Ropel, Director of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office. Only two states, Vermont and Maine, produced more syrup. The number of taps, 1.53 million, increased 8 percent from last year. Syrup produced per tap averaged 0.165 gallons, up from 0.156 gallons in 2005. The final value of the 2005 crop is $7.04 million, two percent below the previous year’s value of production. However, the overall price was $31.70, up 12 percent from the previous year’s price.

From the Tree to Your Table
As winter grudgingly gives way to spring, New York State maple syrup producers begin the work of making maple syrup. The temperature climbs to the 40’s in the day and eases back below freezing at night. Warm days and cool nights cause the sap to run through the trees. This is known as the “sugaring off” season.

A sugar maple tree is usually 30 years old or more and at least ten inches in diameter before it is tapped. Depending on its size, a tree can have up to four taps, each of which yields an average of ten gallons of sap per season.

A large number of New York’s maple producers have put away their metal spiles and buckets. They save time and collect more sap by connecting their maple trees, collectively known as a sugarbush, with a network of plastic tubing. The sap flows to collecting vats or, in some larger operations, is pumped directly to the sugar house. This is where the sap is transformed into syrup.

When the sap first arrives in the sugarhouse it is mostly water and bears little resemblance to the beautiful amber liquid we eventually use on our pancakes. The sap to syrup conversion happens when most of the water s boiled away. During “sugaring off” season, sap is evaporated continuously until the supply of sap is converted to pure maple syrup. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon syrup.

This evaporation process, like the collection of sap from the trees, has been completely modernized. New York State maple producers use sophisticated equipment to control the evaporation process and make the most efficient use of the fuel used for this process.

Open Sugar Houses
Many sugar houses are open to the public during maple season and at other times of the year. Look for these signs like these along highways or on sugar houses. New York’s maple producers are very proud of what they do and are always willing to share their interest and knowledge.

Visit the American Maple Museum in Croghan, New York. Exhibits depict the history of maple syrup and sugar making techniques ranging from those used by the Native Americans to plastic tubing and stainless steel evaporators in use today. Audio tapes explain many of the exhibits. The Museum was founded in 1977 to preserve the history and evolution of the North American maple syrup industry. Admission charged. Call ahead for Museum hours (315) 346-1107.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: http://www.nysmaple.com/

New York State Maple Producers
The New York State Maple Producers Association is comprised of almost 400 of the finest syrup makers in the United States. Our purpose is to increase the production of New York State maple syrup and enhance its sale across the nation.

Maple Weekend began more than a decade ago when Wyoming County maple producers opened their doors to the public to showcase the production of maple products from tree to table. The first event, known then as Maple Sunday, demonstrated how maple syrup was made by tapping trees, collecting sap and boiling it into syrup. Producers also provided samples and sold maple products to the public.

Now Maple Weekend occurs statewide and the event has grown so much that the maple producers had to add an extra weekend. This year, Maple Weekend will be March 17-18 & 24-25 from 10am – 4pm each day.

The word is spreading about award-winning New York Sate maple syrup, recently named best-tasting in the United States. And while Vermont syrup packers probably won’t admit it, New York State Maple Producers often sell bulk syrup to Vermont.

New York State – Fourth Leading Producer of Maple Syrup Worldwide.

In 2006, New York State’s approximately 1,500 maple syrup producers made more than 253,000 gallons of syrup according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. That was an increase of 14% from 2005. But even with the boost in production only two other states, Vermont and Maine, produced more syrup. Canada is the largest maple syrup producing country in the world.

New York’s 1.53 million taps produce enough sap to account for almost 18% of the maple syrup made in the United States. That averages 0.221 gallons of syrup for every tap in the state.

The final value of the 2005 crop, which was down because of poor weather, is estimated at $7.037 million. The crop value for 2006 will be released in June of 2007.

The economic impact of maple production in New York State was an estimated $28.2 million in 2005. According the New England Agricultural Statistics Service, in the year 2005 it took an average of 43 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.