Maine Maple Weekend is underway and sugar houses across the state opened for visitors to come learn about how maple syrup is made and sample the season's product.
Alan Greene is vice president of the Maine Maple Producers Association. He said this winter's varied temperatures have been a boon for northern sugar makers but a challenge for others.
"The southern part of the state has been so warm, especially for those on buckets that they've had a brief season and not good runs. The big producers up north, I talked to one the other day, whose biggest sap tanks ran over Feb. 6 and he's yet to be able to pump them dry," Greene said.
Greene said he's producing 300 to 400 gallons this year, which he said is about average. He expects around 1,500 visitors at his new sugar house this weekend.
Casey Belanger and his wife Elizabeth own 207 Tappers in Biddeford. He said he's expecting thousands of visitors for the big pancake breakfast, and could sell about 100 gallons of syrup.
"Maple Weekend we sell about half of our product for the season. We're able to keep enough product to supply stores and drop-in customers. Very seldom do we run out of product," he said.
Belanger said he encourages Mainers to visit more than one sugar house and buy product from a few sugar makers to support the industry.
Visit the Southern Maine Maple Sugar Makers Association to find sugar houses open for Maine Maple Sunday.
Greene said educating the public about the maple syrup process is not only good for sales, it's good for the industry as a whole, and he said many sugar makers are open extra weekends this year to educate visitors.
Visit the Maine Maple Producers Association for more information.
