News stories tagged with "maple"

(03/21/12) The unusually warm weather this March hasn't been great for sugar makers. Maple syrup yields across northern New York and Vermont have been low, and a lot of producers are pulling their taps. But in spite of the strange temperatures, sugaring traditions remain alive and well. Sarah Harris went to an Adirondack "boil" and sent this audio postcard.

(12/29/11) Many North Country Maple producers can now tap into a new loan fund to help them increase the amount of syrup they produce. The Development authority of the North Country, or DANC, set up the program after several studies showed most maple trees in the area aren't being tapped. That means producers are missing out on a lot of potential revenue. Nora Flaherty has the details. more

(03/15/11) The pails are up and the sap is flowing. Weather plays a large part in the making of maple syrup. Last year's early spring ended the syrup production season abruptly in some parts of the state. Entering this year's maple syrup season, which usually runs from early March to mid-April, maple producers are eager to put last year behind them. Todd Moe spoke with a couple of syrup producers who say conditions are ideal for the start of the North Country's sweetest season.

(03/10/10) The maple syrup season is underway across much of the North Country. It's already been a great season for some producers. Mike Farrell, Director of the Uihlein Maple Research Station in Lake Placid, knows maple syrup. 5,500 maples are tapped at Uihlien. You might say this is his season. Farrell studies the economic trends of maple syrup, how climate change is affecting the season and promotes maple syrup production in the region. He spoke with Todd Moe.

(03/09/09) Martha Foley and horticulturist Amy Ivy share tips and ideas on forcing birch, cherry and maple cuttings to bloom indoors this season.

(03/03/09) It's only a couple of weeks until the sap starts flowing from maple trees across the North Country. And maple producers are getting ready. Todd Moe talks with a fifth generation maple producer in Lewis County.

(04/01/08) Six North Country maple producers are working with Cornell University researchers on climate change and its effects on the industry. The climate patterns producing warmer winter weather and increased thawing in January are causing some maple producers to test their taps earlier in the winter. Todd Moe spoke with Mike Farrell, Director of the Uihlein Maple Research Station in Lake Placid, about climate warming and maple production. Will the North Country's annual Maple Weekend in 2080 be held in mid-January?

(03/14/08) State agriculture commissioner Patrick Hooker says New York's maple season is off to a good start, with perfect weather for sap to run. The state has about 1500 maple producers. Sugaring businesses in Lewis County produce the most maple syrup in the state. Jane Yancey's family owns Yancey's Sugarbush near Croghan. They tap about 5,000 trees. She told Todd Moe that the season is just getting started.

(03/23/07) In much of New York, and most of New England, maple syrup season just IS - it's pretty hard to miss the seasonal ceremonies of tapping and boiling. Vermont is the country's leading producer of maple syrup. Maine traditionally holds second place, and New York third. We all produce between a quarter and half a million gallons. Well, other states produce syrup, too - our friends at the Environment Report are based in Michigan - in the top 10, with 78,000 gallons last year. Lester Graham decided to go out into the Michigan countryside to see how it's done - then conducted a little taste test to see whether his Midwestern colleagues appreciate the real thing:

(03/21/07) March and April are prime time for maple syrup. It's sugar shack season in the North Country. Todd Moe talks with Vermont syrup producer Jacques Couture, president of the Vermont Maple Foundation; and New York State Maple Queen Courtney Donnelly of St. Lawrence County.