Tasting A Tradition On Maple Weekend: Senator Ritchie's "Community Spotlight"

If you are curious about how sap from a tree gets made into delicious maple syrup and other sweet treats, I encourage you to visit one of our local sugar houses in Central and Northern New York, which will be opening their doors for “Maple Weekend” on March 18th and 19th and again March 25th and 26th.

For this month’s “Community Spotlight,” I’m highlighting this special time of year when more than 160 farms and other locations across the state will be welcoming visitors to their sugar houses to show people firsthand how real maple syrup and other maple products are made. It’s a fun-filled family outing where visitors are able to tour each operation, sample and purchase freshly made maple products, take part in community breakfasts and so much more.

Included among the maple producers who will open their doors for Maple Weekend are:

Jefferson County

• Rudd’s Family Maple Syrup (Mannsville)
• Farmhouse Maple (Dexter)
• Massey Ranch (Watertown)

Oswego County

• Red Schoolhouse Maple (Fulton)
• Yardley Maple (Mexico)
• Maple Hill Farm (Hannibal)
• Maple Hollow Farm (Hannibal)

  St. Lawrence County

• The Orebed Sugar Shack (De Kalb Junction)
• Trout Lake Maple (Gouverneur)
• Sweeter Creations Sugar House (Waddington)
• Woody’s Maple (Hermon)
• Spilman’s Sugar Shack (Gouverneur)
• Finen Maple Products (Norwood)
• Fine-n-Dandy (Norwood)
• Southville Maples (Potsdam)

When it comes to the production of maple syrup, New York is second only to Vermont, with more than two million taps across the state producing approximately 600,000 gallons of syrup annually. As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’m committed to seeing this industry continue to grow.  In fact, last year’s record budget funding for New York agriculture included more than $300,000 to help support maple promotion and research.

Maple Weekend is the perfect opportunity not only to learn more about the industry and sample some sweet treats, but also to support the hard work of those in the agriculture industry. For more information on Maple Weekend, be sure to visit www.nysmaple.com. And, if you have a local event you would like to see highlighted through my monthly “Community Spotlight” let me know by emailing me at ritchie@nysenate.gov or by calling (315) 393-3024.