Paul Post
By Paul Post
How important is maple production to Warren County’s tourism economy?
Just look at where people come from.
Last spring, thousands of visitors flocked to Thurman for its annual Maple Days, spread out over three weekends, to enjoy one of nature’s sweetest taste treats.
Most, of course, made day trips from the Capital Region, but many others traveled hundreds of miles to celebrate this annual rite of spring. Points of origin, based on electronic transaction data, ranged from Boston to Buffalo and cities throughout Pennsylvania, while some visitors were on hand from Norfolk, Va., and St. Paul, Minn.
“We get literally thousands of people over the course of those three weekends,” said Randy Galusha, co-owner Toad Hill Maple Farm with his wife, Jill. “It accounts for about 20-25 percent of our annual sales. The promotion from Warren County Tourism, Lake George Chamber of Commerce and others out there really pays off and gives us repeat customers. People that learn about us keeping coming back.”
This year’s dates are Saturdays and Sundays March 11-12, 18-19 and 24-25. Guests are invited to visit five different maple operations to see how syrup is made, take tours, talk to producers, enjoy samples and buy a variety of pure Adirondack maple goods.
Pancake-and-sausage breakfasts are served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day at Valley Road Maple Farm.
These events help bridge the gap in Warren County tourism between winter, with attractions such as Ice Castles and Lake George Winter Carnival, and the arrival of spring and the busy summer season.
“March is definitely maple month in our area,” said Amanda Metzger, Lake George Chamber marketing director. “The organizers of Thurman Maple Days do a wonderful job offering a variety of experiences. They incorporate other businesses in the area such as Nettle Meadow Farm & Artisan Cheese, Martin’s Lumber & Artisans Market and Kemp Sanctuary.”
“It’s really important for people to understand where their food comes from,” she said. “Equally important, I look at Thurman Maple Days as a cultural event. It highlights our culture of hard work and craftsmanship, how we value and support each other as a community and our dedication to buying local and supporting area businesses.”
New York is the country’s second-leading maple state, behind only Vermont. Last year, its producers made 845,000 gallons of syrup, a 21 percent increase over 2021. Statewide, maple production is a $124 million industry, contributing greatly to the New York’s agricultural and upstate economy.
This winter’s roller-coaster weather patterns, unusual warm spells followed by cold and snow, have been a bit challenging, but Galusha said he’s got plenty of fresh product on hand to keep Thurman Maple Days visitors supplied.
“We’ve made about a quarter of our crop already,” he said in early March. “Hopefully we’ll get some real significant sap runs.”
Ideal conditions for making syrup are daytime temperatures in the low- to mid-40s, with cool-downs into the mid-20s at night. This creates pressure fluctuations inside trees, which makes sap run.
“If it gets really cold at night, often it doesn’t thaw out fast enough the next day,” Galusha said. “On the other hand, if it doesn’t freeze hard enough it won’t build enough pressure to push sap out the next day. We’re on a vacuum system, which overcomes that to some extent, but there’s still limitations.”
He and other farm owners share the “ins and outs” of maple production during sugarhouse tours.
Galusha said his business set attendance and sales set records during last year’s Thurman Maple Days, as people were anxious to come back following the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re hoping to do something like that again this year,” he said.
Many other maple farms in Saratoga and Washington counties host open houses in March, too. The 21st annual Hadley Maple in April Festival is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Rockwell Street in Hadley with a full lineup of activities.
For more information about Thurman Maple Days including directions to farms go to www.visitthurman.com.
For a list of area maple producers and information about Maple Weekends go to: www.upperhudsonmaple.com.