Sweet Talk: All Things Maple

This month, Adam interviews Mark Isselhardt, University of Vermont Extension Maple Specialist. Mark's extensive experience with judging maple syrup contests at county fairs, and even international contests, makes him a great resource for those looking to win a blue ribbon this year. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions...

This month, Adam interviews Nick Wendel of Wendel's Maple and More in western New York. Nick is a maple equipment dealer with H2O Leader and has a lifetime of experience with all things maple. From tubing, to RO units, to evaporator pans, Nick has excellent advice for making off-season cleaning as effective and easy as possible. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk...

This month, Adam catches up with regular guest of the show, Dr. Abby van den Berg, an independent maple researcher who also holds a faculty position at Future Generations University. Together, they discuss what's really going on in the sap and in the evaporator that ultimately results in the flavors we know as pure maple syrup. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk...

This month, Sweet Talk co-hosts and co-directors of the Cornell Maple Program Aaron Wightman and Adam Wild share the mic for a final episode together. As Aaron departs the Maple Program to pursue other endeavors, Adam asks him to reflect on his past ten years of service to the maple industry and his favorite things about the maple community that he will always be a part of. Episode produced by Ail...

This month, Adam interviews Joël Boutin, a maple specialist, consultant, and educator from Québec, Canada. He is considered by many to be the foremost maple expert working today. After 40 years working in the maple industry, he has much to share, and, amazingly, still much to learn as the industry rapidly grows and changes. This episode focuses on best tapping practices that could help ensure succ...

This month, Aaron interviews Adam Henne, the new educator with the New York State Maple Producers Association (NYSMPA). They discuss the goals of and improvements made to this valuable education program. Learn more about the program at: https://nysmaple.com/the-maple-experience/ Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blu...

This month, Aaron interviews Alina Stelick, manager of the Cornell Sensory Evaluation Center. She shares the results of research pursued for her doctorate degree on buddy syrup and other late season syrup sensory profiles, as well as on consumer acceptance of these syrups. Alina Stelick's buddy syrup research has resulted in two Extension Bulletins that are available now on the Cornell Maple P...

This month, Aaron and Adam discuss their experiences testing different methods for chilling sap during the warm part of the production season in mid-spring. Technology to improve and preserve sap quality is becoming essential as the weather gets warmer during the sap collection season. Methods for all different budgets and sized operations are discussed in this episode. Episode Produced by Ailis C...

This month, Aaron interviews Eric Shatt, owner of Redbyrd Orchard Cider & Kombucha. Together, he and his wife Deva Maas operate a diversified farm with a wide array of hard cider apple tree varieties, sheep and geese that graze the orchards, and a small maple sugarbush. These enterprises synergize, not only on the land, but also in the cidery / fermentation kitchen where they develop unique va...

After about one year since the last one, this is our fourth installment of "Ask a Maple Specialist." Aaron and Adam answer some of your most frequently asked maple questions. To have your question featured on the show, visit the Sweet Talk webpage at www.cornellmaple.com (https://blogs.cornell.edu/cornellmaple/sweettalk/). Or, submit your question directly on the Spotify app. Episode Pro...

This month, Aaron interviews Gabe Karns from The Ohio State University. Gabe has been studying Freeman's maple, a hybrid between red and silver maple that may prove to be more resilient and just as productive as sugar maple. Gabe can be reached at: karns.36@osu.edu Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This is our third installment of "Ask a Maple Specialist." Aaron and Adam answer some of your most frequently asked maple questions. To have your question featured on the show, visit the Sweet Talk webpage at www.cornellmaple.com (https://blogs.cornell.edu/cornellmaple/sweettalk/). Or, submit your question directly on the Spotify app. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low...

This month, Adam interviews Scott St. Mary from St. Maple in Malone, NY. Scott has a unique and successful approach to maple marketing and retail, especially through novel products and a popular maple food trailer. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Aaron interviews Peter Gregg, founder of the Maple News and author of the anticipated maple memoir Sugar Rush. They discuss the origins of the newspaper, and of Gregg's sugaring career, and give a sneak peak into the memoir that will hit the shelves on July 2. Subscribe to the Maple News at: https://www.themaplenews.com/. And learn more about Sugar Rush at: https://www.simonandschu...

This month, Adam interviews two researchers from the University of Michigan, Geoff Lewis and Spencer Checkoway, who received a USDA-AMS ACER grant to conduct a carbon lifecycle assessment of maple syrup production. To help contribute to this research, contact Geoff Lewis at: glewis@umich.edu, and to view the results of this research, go to the Center for Sustainable Systems website: css.umich.edu....

This month, Aaron and Adam get together with their colleague at the Cornell Maple Program, food scientist Dr. Catherine Belisle. Catherine went through the process of getting the Arnot Forest kitchen certified by New York State under Article 20-C. This certification can provide maple producers the opportunity to create a variety of food products for sale, granting access to a wider market. And the...

This month, Aaron pays a visit to Dan Weed's sugarhouse, located just over the hill from the Arnot Forest. Dan wears many hats, as owner and operator of Schoolyard Sugarbush in Newfield, NY, along with his wife Holly, as a CDL equipment dealer, and as President of the New York Maple Producers' Association. Learn more about Schoolyard Sugarbush: https://www.schoolyardsugarbush.org/ Learn mo...

This month, Aaron and Adam review some highlights from this year's re-launch of New York's annual Maple Conference. Special thanks to the New York State Maple Producers' Association, Commissioner Ball and the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Trumansburg High School Sugaring Program, and to all who attended the conference. We hope to return with an even bigger and bet...

This month, Aaron and Adam give a preview into the 2024 NY Mid-Winter Maple Classic - the largest maple conference of the year. The conference will be held on January 5 and 6 at the Oncenter in Syracuse, NY. Register and learn more at: https://nysmaple.com/mapleclassic/ Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. Music - Long and Low Cloud by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Philippe Breton, Corporate Relations manager for Lapierre, a large maple equipment manufacturing company based in Quebec. Breton is also chair of the newly formed Maple Industry Manufacturers' Association. They discuss past, present, and future challenges facing manufacturers, producers large and small, and the industry as a whole. Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne. M...

Aaron interviews Dr. Joey Aloi, director of the Appalachian Program and Assistant Professor at Future Generations University in West Virginia. They talk about a recent economic development project that created a regional maple syrup brand for Appalachian sugarmakers, and educates the public about all things maple. They also discuss the outsized impact maple syrup has on the regional economy and ag...

Aaron interviews Helen Thomas, executive director of the New York State Maple Producers' Association (NYSMPA), about marketing research conducted in partnership with the New York State Department of Ag & Markets and funded by the Acer Access and Development Program. To learn more about the research, visit: https://sugarmakers.nysmaple.com/acer-market-research-results/ Episode Produced by A...

This month, Adam once again interviews Dr. Timothy Perkins before he retires from his position as Director of the Proctor Maple Research Center at UVM. Together they remember Dr. Perkins' fruitful career: the ups and downs, the mistakes learned from, and the discoveries and innovations that made it all worth it. We thank Dr. Perkins for his contributions to the maple industry and wish him well...

This is our second installment of "Ask a Maple Specialist." Aaron and Adam answer some of your most frequently asked maple questions, and even call up some friends of the show to help provide answers. To have your question featured on the show, visit the Sweet Talk webpage at www.cornellmaple.com (https://blogs.cornell.edu/cornellmaple/sweettalk/). Or, submit your question directly on th...

This month, Adam catches up with a regular guest of the show, Dr. Abby van den Berg who is a Research Associate Professor at UVM and the Director of the Proctor Maple Research Center. They discuss and dispel some of the myths surrounding sugarmaking with Red Maple trees, including: tapping technique, productivity, flavor difference, and timing of onset of buddy flavor. Spoiler alert - go ahead and...