An early start to maple season? North Country maple producer Jake Moser explains
LOWVILLE- The calendar says February, but for the past few weeks, one could make a legitimate argument that it has felt and looked much like March.
Even the maple trees throughout the North Country think it is spring, according to Jake Moser. Moser is the Lewis County Clerk, but has his own family run sugar shack just outside of Croghan, NY.
Amidst such a mild winter and recent warm temperatures, he says things for his maple producing business are about three-weeks ahead of schedule.
"I can't speak for everybody, but for our operation, we are two-thirds tapped in right now," he told us. Listen to our latest on-air segment for more:
Jake Moser.
In addition, Moser claims to have heard several reports of maple producers throughout the area, including Jefferson, Lewis and Oneida Counties, having already collected and boiled sap.
Typically, the peak of New York's maple season is in March, but Moser clarifies that it doesn't matter what the calendar says. If the conditions are prime, like having high temperatures just above freezing and below freezing for overnight lows, maple trees will start their process of waking up for spring.
Despite such a warm spell lately, it appears as if the latest weather models indicate more seasonal cold temperatures as we ease our way through the second half of February.
According to New York State Maple's website, New York State is home to the largest resource of tappable maple trees within the United States, and over 2,000 maple sugarmakers.
As an abundant and sustainable crop, New York’s gourmet maple industry is vibrant and growing on an annual basis, officials say.
Stay tuned for more coverage on New York's maple season coming up again soon on North Country News.
New York Department of Agriculture and Markets image.
