Author: karns.36

Tap Talk Webinar

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This is super short notice, but Les Ober and Mike Rechlin are co-teaching a Taps, Spouts, and Spiles talk on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM.  All you need to do is click this ZOOM link to attend.

The presentation will summarize research on maple taps, spouts and spiles.  The webinar will then move to an open discussion on your experiences with the benefits and drawbacks of the various models on the market.  It is getting close to time to order your supply for the coming season, so this offering is well-timed.  Attend and see if you don’t learn a tidbit or two to coax a little more sap from each taphole this upcoming season.

Upcoming NAMSC Webinars

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Thinking of adding value-added pure maple products to your operation?  Looking to improve your current candy and cream skills?  Merle Maple confections expert Eileen Downs will demonstrate the processes used to make award-winning candy and cream, from start to finish.  Join this North American Maple Syrup Council webinar on Monday, December 12th at 7 PM.  Register here.

The second opportunity is offered twice.  Once at 7 PM on December 14th and again on December 17th at noon.  In these sessions, the lead researcher (Geoff Lewis from the University of Michigan) will describe this maple syrup life cycle inventory project and go over the data they’re looking to collect from producers and processors this coming spring.  These data will also be used to build an online calculator for any producer to estimate their own greenhouse gas emissions and receive suggested strategies to reduce these emissions.  There will be plenty of time to answer questions about the project and participate.  Registration information is here.

December Ohio Maple Days & Grading Workshop

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Don’t forget to register for the Ohio Maple Days meeting scheduled for December 11 in Ashland.  We have a limited number of seats, so don’t delay too much in getting in those registrations.

We are also excited to host a syrup grading workshop on Friday, December 10th.  Please consider making a couple days of it to participate in both the workshop and the main event on Saturday.  Registration for the syrup grading workshop is on the Woodland Stewards website.

See you there!

New OSU Maple Syrup SHOP

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We are excited to have a new maple shop up and running on the Woodland Stewards website.  The new shop gives us a few new features to track orders and supplies a bit better.  The 2021 syrup run is all bottled and waiting on your orders as the Holiday season approaches.  We have 1/2 pint glass bottles available in addition to pint, quart, half gallon, and gallon (gallons by request only) available in jugs.

I am happy to report that syrup sales placed 2 part-time students and a full-time recent graduate in the field throughout last winter’s sugaring season.  From both a production standpoint (how the maple syrup is produced and hands-on learning of that process) and research standpoint (how to ask good research questions and how to set up experiments to get answers), each student had an incredible enriching experience thanks to your support of the program.

NEW Fact Sheet – A Consumer’s Guide to Pure Maple Syrup

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Our very own Les Ober recently published a new fact sheet entitled “A Consumer’s Guide to Pure Maple Syrup.”  This promises to be an excellent resource to share with buyer’s asking about the difference between Golden Delicate and Dark Robust syrup grades and so much more.

You can find it here!

Maple Certification Course Available

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Registration is open for a Maple Certification course offered by Future Generations University, one of our principal collaborating institutions.  Designed for central Appalachian sugarmakers, the course is a combination of online trainings followed by mentored in-field experiences throughout the sugaring season.  Visit the link for more information and sign-up!  The first online class begins Monday, November 8th.

Fall Maple Tour is HERE!!

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Kudos to Carly Gavlak, star of the show in a Cleveland Fox 8 News interview, to representing the Fall in Love with Maple Tour beginning this Saturday, October 9th.  For a complete list of all 14 participating farms, visit the page on the Ohio Maple Producers Association’s website.

At the Ohio State Mansfield research woods, we will be hosting a free pancake and syrup breakfast from 10-noon on Saturday followed by sugarbush tours and conversation around maple until 6 PM.  If you want to resupply your own syrup inventory, we will have OSU Maple Syrup available for sale as well.

Online Maple Business Planning Courses Available

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University of Vermont is offering two online short courses for current and prospective maple producers this fall.  Each course includes four classes (1.5 hours each), once per week, in addition to assignments that get participants completing real time analysis and making immediate decisions to enhance their business.  Mark Cannella, Extension Associate Professor, will instruct both courses.  Registration is now open!

  • Maple Business Planning  This four-session course guides participants through key aspects of preparing a business plan. Each session covers concepts in strategic planning, analyzing risks, marketing and planning improvements. Students prepare sections of their own plan over the four-week timeframe of the course. Register Here for Maple Business Planning. Course Dates: 7:00 – 8:30 EST pm EST on Tuesdays: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9 and 11/16.

 

  • Maple Financial Planning  This four-session course guides participants through the basics of financial statements and financial planning concepts. Topics included cash flow, balance sheets, sales forecasting and calculating cost-of-production. The goal of this course is to identify important numbers and where to find them in order to make powerful decisions for your business.  Register Here for Maple Financial Planning. Course Dates: 7:00 – 8:30 EST pm EST on Thursdays: 10/28, 11/4, 11/11 and 11/18.

Registration LIVE for Ohio Maple Days, December 11th

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REGISTER NOW!!!

Join us Saturday, December 11th for a day of all things maple!  We will highlight research from Ohio State’s two ACER research grants and introduce you to some of our research partners from West Virginia and Pennsylvania.  Spotted lanternfly is now in Ohio so learn its impacts and how producers can help.  We will also talk about how to improve your public events at the sugarbush, and a presentation on a new opportunity for selling bulk syrup.  The program runs from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with registration opening at 8:30.

The full slate of presentations is as follows:

Ohio’s ACER Grants
Ohio Maple Producer Survey – Sayeed Mehmood, Ohio State University
Reds, Silvers, Rilvers and Sugars – Gabe Karns, Ohio State University,

Spotted Lanternfly in Ohio: How Maple Producers Can Help – Amy Stone, OSU Extension

Forest Management Planning – Kathy Smith, Ohio State University

Is Agritourism in Your Future? – Rob Leeds, Ohio State University Extension

Authentic Appalachia – Mike Rechlin, Future Generations University

Tapping Red Maple – Abby van den Berg, University of Vermont, Proctor Maple Research Center

10/9 Fall into Maple Tour Stop at Ohio State Mansfield

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The 2021 International Fall into Maple Tour is scheduled for October 8-17.  On Saturday, October 9th, you have a great chance to visit with members of the Ohio State Maple team at Ohio State Mansfield between 10 AM-6 PM.  Visitors will be able to tour the research sugarbush, purchase OSU maple syrup, and see some new maple educational materials that we are excited to debut.  From 10 AM-noon, we will be serving a pancake breakfast to tailgate for the Ohio State versus Maryland football game that starts at noon.  Look for the event tent in the Ohio State Mansfield parking lot #8 and come see us.