The University of Vermont Extension, Addison County Maple Sugarmakers’ Association and Vermont Maple Sugarmakers’ Association held the annual Vermont Maple Conferences January 15 in Middlebury, January 22 in Hyde Park, and January 29 in Bellows Falls. Ken Button attended Middlebury, Tom St Pierre (pictured) and Rob Guay Hyde Park, and Ken Nelson and Kendra Burroughs Bellows Falls. Yankee employees had a display at each location. Attendance is very strong at these conferences with over 700 registrations.
Various topics on the agendas included marketing, forest management, maple pests, vacuum and tubing systems and more. A very informative session titled “state of the industry” was led by Gary Gaudet, President of Leader Evaporator.
Rob Guay also attended the Adirondack Maple School at Miner Institute on January 28. This educational conference was put on by the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Research on the effects of tap contamination were displayed as well as tips on value added products. This was well attended with approximately 30 producers from Clinton County. The Extension is doing one in each county in New York.
