Maine Maple Sunday 2010

The fourth Sunday in March is Maine Maple Sunday; this year it is on March 28th. I have counted 73 different participating maple producers in all 16 Maine counties, so if you are going to be in Maine on the 28th there will be one near you. Here in Hancock County, where Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor are located, is not really the best sugar maple area due to its coastal proximity. Certainly sugar maples grow here, but they would rather grow more inland where the summers are hotter the winters colder and the air less salty. Fortunately a quick trip to the Blue Hill area will take you to Happytown Farm in Orland (835 Happytown Rd). On the 28th they are starting with a maple sugaring tour at 2 PM followed by a presentation at Blue Hill’s Halcyon Grange by George Jacobson on “Climate Change and its Future Effects on Maine Agriculture” followed by a buffet dinner. The lecture and dinner starts at 4PM and the whole package costs $12. Preregistration is required; contact: Megan Facciolo, 667-8663.

Speaking of climate change, or perhaps variability, we in Maine have had an unusually mild winter while the folks south of here have had a taste of what we normally expect. No one seems to notice if Maine gets two feet of snow, but if it happens in Philadelphia I guess it’s a big deal. Our last snowfall was in early January!  So far this year we are over 500 heating degree days warmer than last year at this time. With an average total of 7603, that’s about  6.5% fewer. What effect this mild winter will have on the maple industry is yet to be told but we should know by Maine Maple Sunday.

Here at SeaCat’s Rest I have tapped my own trees every other year or so. Unfortunately, my trees are red maples and while yielding a syrup-worthy sap, it is not quite as “mapley” as sugar maple. From my 4 or 5 trees I get about 25 gallons of sap which boil down to a few quarts of syrup. This takes all day and I usually question the logic of going through all this bother. I’m not even that crazy about pancakes! This year I plan to support local maple producers and let them do the work.  For more complete information about Maine Maple Sunday go here.

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