One "Sweet" Tradition: Ritchie Encourages Public to Take Part in "Maple Weekend" Events

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator Patty Ritchie is encouraging Central and Northern New Yorkers to take part in upcoming “Maple Weekend” events, which highlight New York State’s growing maple industry and show the public how maple syrup and maple products make their way from “tree to table”.

Taking place on March 17^th-18^th and again on March 24^th-25^th, "Maple Weekend" will feature nearly 180 New York State maple producers across the state, who will welcome visitors for tours of sugarhouses, pancake breakfasts, free samples and more. 

“Maple is more than just part of different sweet treats we enjoy—here in New York State, the industry is growing, helping to create businesses and grow jobs,” said Senator Ritchie.

“Upcoming 'Maple Weekend' events are the perfect way for people to learn about the process of making maple syrup, sample fresh maple products and of course, support those responsible for this important sector of our agricultural economy.”

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)
• Widrick Maple (Black River)

Oswego County

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

St. Lawrence County

• Gouverneur High School FFA
• 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)

For more information on "Maple Weekend", visit the New York State Maple Association website at www.nysmaple.com.

As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Ritchie has been recently been advocating to grow New York State’s maple industry—which is second only to Vermont. Her efforts include securing funding for important maple research at Cornell University and launching a legislative effort known as “Maple One” (S.7842), which has the ambitious goal of overtaking Vermont as America’s leading maple producer by issuing permits to allow farmers to tap maple trees on certain state-owned lands.