Commissioner Scott Soares

Commissioner, Department of Agriculture Resources (DAR)

View Commissioner Soares' Bio

Last Friday, I partook in one of my favorite events of the year – the annual maple syrup tapping, which is the official kick-off of Massachusetts’ “first crop” of the season. You could see some patches of snow still on the ground but that didn’t stop a nice turnout of folks, including Sen. Rosenberg, Reps. Donelan, Kocot, Kulik, and Scibak, Deerfield Selectwoman Shores-Ness, and members of Massachusetts Maple Producers Association from celebrating this traditional rite of spring. In the photo, the tree you see me tapping (and for which I was heartily teased because I drilled at too steep an angle) belongs to the Williams’ homestead, a multi-generational family of maple tappers! In the next photo, you can also see me talking to the maple tree a bit to get that maple syrup flowing and I’m happy to report that it did!

March is Massachusetts Maple Month, and what better way to celebrate it than to visit one of the state’s many local sugarhouses. Click here for more information on how to find the sugarhouses that are open for tours and pancake breakfasts.

Click here for more information on Maple Month from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

Or if you want more of a hands-on, outdoors experience you might want to check out MassWildlife’s and the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s upcoming maple sugaring and geocaching event for outdoorswomen on March 20th in Uxbridge.

Click here to learn more about how maple syrup is made.

[Photo:from left to right back: Sandy Williams, Chip Williams, Representative Kocat, from left to right front: Ed Parker, President of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, Rep. Scibak, and Commissioner Soares]

Tags: maple month, Maple Sugar, maple tappers, sugarhouses