Saturday workshop shows the profitable side of maple production
NORWICH – The maple business is a longstanding trade in Chenango County. Even so, some agriculturalists argue that people aren’t tapping into the opportunities of the local maple industry.
It’s just one concern maple sugaring experts hope to touch on during a special workshop to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 99 N. Broad St. in Norwich.
The program will feature maple sugaring expert Glenn Goodrich - of Goodrich Maple Farms in Cabot, Vt. - who will speak on the challenges and techniques of maple sugaring in the area. The event will also feature a tour of the Walling family sugaring operation in Norwich and focus on what it takes to maintain a successful maple sugaring business. Topics include marketing of maple products, sap pipeline construction, and advice for a lucrative maple sugaring operation.
Cost is $10 per person and there is a limit of 40 people.
The maple business could become a profitable industry in Chenango County if handled appropriately, explained Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County Executive Director Ken Smith.
“We would like to see Chenango County as a center for maple sugaring in the region and this (program) is part of that effort,” Smith added. “The opportunity for maple is here, so maple sugaring education and outreach will hopefully provide a boost for the business in the county.”
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, approximately 70 percent of Chenango County is made of woodland, only 15-20 percent of which is state land. And of that, roughly one percent of the trees are currently tapped for maple syrup.
But across the state and elsewhere, the maple sugaring industry is growing, albeit slowly, explained Ruth Goodrich, co-owner of Goodrich Maple Farms.
“It’s a huge industry across the region,” she said. “It’s a rapidly expanding business. As more and more people figure out that you can have a nice side income from this, more young people are getting involved and more people are taking an interest.”
Increasing sales of maple products internationally is pushing the maple industry along. Overseas demand for maple syrup is putting more strain on the market, demanding increased production in the Northeastern United States and in Canada (the only two syrup producing countries in the world). The northeastern region of the U.S. accounts for nearly 20 percent of maple syrup production, according to the National Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. Add to that the growing global demand for dark maple syrup and maple sugaring experts say there’s real potential for the industry to thrive in Chenango County.
Cost of maple syrup has escalated in recent years. In 2012, the National Agricultural Marketing Resource Center shows the wholesale price of syrup in New York State topped $43.80 per gallon, up 14 percent from 2011. Moreover, maple syrup production in 2013 reached 3.25 million gallons, up 70 percent from last year - one of the best production years on record.
Said Goodrich, “There have been many wonderful innovations in the business to make it more profitable ... Even though this industry has been around for centuries, it’s still finding new ways to be more productive and more efficient.”
For additional information on Saturday’s maple sugaring workshop, contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County at 334-5841.
It’s just one concern maple sugaring experts hope to touch on during a special workshop to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 99 N. Broad St. in Norwich.
The program will feature maple sugaring expert Glenn Goodrich - of Goodrich Maple Farms in Cabot, Vt. - who will speak on the challenges and techniques of maple sugaring in the area. The event will also feature a tour of the Walling family sugaring operation in Norwich and focus on what it takes to maintain a successful maple sugaring business. Topics include marketing of maple products, sap pipeline construction, and advice for a lucrative maple sugaring operation.
Cost is $10 per person and there is a limit of 40 people.
The maple business could become a profitable industry in Chenango County if handled appropriately, explained Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County Executive Director Ken Smith.
“We would like to see Chenango County as a center for maple sugaring in the region and this (program) is part of that effort,” Smith added. “The opportunity for maple is here, so maple sugaring education and outreach will hopefully provide a boost for the business in the county.”
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, approximately 70 percent of Chenango County is made of woodland, only 15-20 percent of which is state land. And of that, roughly one percent of the trees are currently tapped for maple syrup.
But across the state and elsewhere, the maple sugaring industry is growing, albeit slowly, explained Ruth Goodrich, co-owner of Goodrich Maple Farms.
“It’s a huge industry across the region,” she said. “It’s a rapidly expanding business. As more and more people figure out that you can have a nice side income from this, more young people are getting involved and more people are taking an interest.”
Increasing sales of maple products internationally is pushing the maple industry along. Overseas demand for maple syrup is putting more strain on the market, demanding increased production in the Northeastern United States and in Canada (the only two syrup producing countries in the world). The northeastern region of the U.S. accounts for nearly 20 percent of maple syrup production, according to the National Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. Add to that the growing global demand for dark maple syrup and maple sugaring experts say there’s real potential for the industry to thrive in Chenango County.
Cost of maple syrup has escalated in recent years. In 2012, the National Agricultural Marketing Resource Center shows the wholesale price of syrup in New York State topped $43.80 per gallon, up 14 percent from 2011. Moreover, maple syrup production in 2013 reached 3.25 million gallons, up 70 percent from last year - one of the best production years on record.
Said Goodrich, “There have been many wonderful innovations in the business to make it more profitable ... Even though this industry has been around for centuries, it’s still finding new ways to be more productive and more efficient.”
For additional information on Saturday’s maple sugaring workshop, contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County at 334-5841.
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