SHERBURNE, N.Y. (WBNG) — March marks Maple Month, the peak season for maple syrup production, primarily celebrated in the Northeast.
Researchers say the cold temperatures that have defined the region this season are contributing to favorable conditions for sap flow.
Adam Wild, director of E-Line Maple Research Works at Cornell University, said winter temperatures play a direct role in syrup quality.
“The cold winters are great for getting the trees ready for sap flow,” Wild said. “It helps convert the stored sugars that are stored in starch. It helps convert those into sucrose that we’re going to be using, that we’re going to be collecting in our maple sap to cook down into maple syrup.”
The Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne will host events at the end of the month focused on the maple syrup-making process. Ariah Mitchell, educator and communications lead at the center, said attendees will see the evaporator in operation and learn about multiple methods of production.
“We’ll have the evaporator going,” Mitchell said. “You can come ask questions. We’ll be talking about both the modern way of evaporation and making maple syrup and also the indigenous and colonial ways of doing that. And we will have maple syrup samples, of course, some live music.”
Mitchell encouraged the public to visit the center, which sits on public lands.
“Rogers Center is situated on your public lands and we want you to get involved in the process,” Mitchell said. “Follow your curiosity and come on down to Rogers Center where we will be running the evaporator, making some maple syrup, and share in the process. It’s a really great way to get involved in the outdoors.”
New York state ranks second in the nation in maple syrup production. Maple producers in the state sugared 829,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2025.
Those in the maple industry said they want New Yorkers to continue learning about the agricultural staple
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