Hot Chocolate Mix to Give

We’re No. 2: Maple Sugaring in New York

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

At 820,000 gallons of syrup in 2019, New York ranks second in the nation behind Vermont for maple syrup production. Beyond producing a sweet commodity, the maple sugaring industry also provides an opportunity for a fun and educational family outing.

While many venues for family entertainment have closed during the pandemic, most farms offering tours and agritourism have remained in operation because of their easy ability to space out visiting groups to thin crowds and because they are largely outdoors. Compared with many venues, maple farms are likely among the safest places to go. Maple farms usually offer farm tours and outdoor demonstrations of how they turn sap into syrup.

Producing maple syrup relies upon when sap begins to flow. That is usually in late winter/early spring — sometimes as early as January.

The state’s official Maple Weekend dates for 2021 are March 20-21 and 27-28.

During these weekends, numerous farms throughout the state welcome visitors to watch sap boiling and tapping presentations, tour their sugarhouse, check out their evaporators and reverse osmosis equipment, and perhaps join in hands-on activities, such as tree tapping. Many farms also provide pancake breakfasts for sale, free samples and a fully loaded gift shop for picking up treats from the tree.

Like most other activities since the pandemic began,