You’re seeing them everywhere this time of year — maple trees being tapped for the main ingredient that makes pancakes so tasty.
March is Maple Month in New York. Maple production increased to 846,000 gallons in 2024, up nearly 100,000 gallons of maple syrup from 2023 season. New York ranks second for production, predictably behind Vermont.
Weekends to celebrate the bounty are coming up with events and activities. They will take place March 22-23 and March 29-30, along with other special events and promotions throughout the month.
Recognizing the importance of the maple industry to New York’s agricultural economy, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed additional funding in her FY26 Executive Budget to further grow the maple industry and help New York become the leading maple innovator.
“Maple Month is officially underway, offering New Yorkers from every corner of the State the chance to support the hardworking producers of this sweet agricultural crop,” Hochul said. “New York State has a long history with this delicious crop, and continues to be home to a thriving community of maple producers making some of the most delicious and innovative maple products in the world. I encourage all New Yorkers to participate in Maple Weekends to sample some of the world-class items that New York’s maple community has to offer.”
As part of the kickoff to Maple Month, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball visited Shadow Hill Maple Farm, a family-owned farm in Ontario in Wayne County, for an annual maple tree tapping to highlight New York’s maple industry and encourage visitors to participate in Maple Weekends. In addition to Maple Weekends, Shadow Hill Maple Farm is open every weekend in March for sampling of a variety of maple products, tours of the facility to see how sap is collected, and to learn how maple syrup is made. Shadow Hill Maple Farm is a part of the New York State Grown & Certified program, which promotes New York farms that adhere to a higher standard for food safety and environmentally friendly practices.
Shadow Hill Maple Farm Owner Gretchen Milke said, “Shadow Hill Maple has been hosting maple open house weekends for 25 years and are serving all-you-can-eat pancakes for the community every weekend in March. Our sugar house is located right in the center of our sugar bush, giving visitors the best maple experience, allowing them to enjoy their pancakes with real maple syrup while viewing the trees where the sap was collected. We also offer free samples of all color grades of syrup in addition to numerous other maple treats and products. Guests are welcome to walk the trails through the sugar bush and around the three acres pond. It is certainly a great family event for all ages! We are proud to be a part of the maple tradition in our state, which is so important to New York agriculture.”
More than 100 maple producers participate in the NYS Grown & Certified program, which verifies New York’s agricultural producers and growers who adhere to food safety and environmental sustainability standards. Find a current list of maple producers who are a part of the NYS Grown & Certified program at certified.ny.gov/where-buy.
Maple Weekends
During March each year and the last two weekends of the month in particular, maple farms across the state open their doors to the public to provide a chance to taste pure maple syrup, right from the source, and experience the unique family tradition of making maple syrup in New York State. Producers offer tours and pancake breakfasts, sell maple products, and demonstrate the syrup-making process, which includes the traditional system of hanging buckets on trees or more modern methods of production using vacuum systems to increase the yield of sap per tree.
A searchable list of Maple Weekend events is available at mapleweekend.nysmaple.com.
