Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of Maine Maple Sunday, when sugarhouses across the state open for public demonstrations and tastings.
Alan Greene of Greene Maple Farm in Sebago says the origins of the annual celebration can be traced to a mistake in a news article. He says a reporter interviewed his father back in the 1980s for a story about maple production.
"He either quoted my father - or misquoted I should say - that there would be a pancake breakfast," Greene said. "All of a sudden, the next Sunday rolls around, and on that Sunday when the paper came out the article says there's a pancake breakfast at Greene Maple Farm. Well, lo and behold, people started showing up, and they were hungry."
Forty years later, Maine Maple Sunday is an annual tradition. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution last week recognizing the importance of the maple producers in Maine.
The state is the third largest producer in the country, accounting for 17 percent of all U.S. maple syrup.
