Maple syrup has joined produce, beef, poultry, Christmas trees, and other products in the New York State Grown & Certified program. The program promotes New York’s agricultural producers and growers who follow food safety and environmental sustainability standards. Standards differ by product. For instance, to qualify to be New York State Grown & Certified beef, […]
Maple syrup has joined produce, beef, poultry, Christmas trees, and other products in the New York State Grown & Certified program.
The program promotes New York’s agricultural producers and growers who follow food safety and environmental sustainability standards. Standards differ by product. For instance, to qualify to be New York State Grown & Certified beef, cattle must spend two-thirds of their lives in New York.
For maple syrup, the syrup must be sourced from New York maple trees and processed in New York state. To meet the food-safety standards, participants must have successfully completed a maple food-safety class — developed by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Western New York Maple Producers Association — and must follow food-safety best practices that are subject to an onsite audit, the state said in a news release.
Also, to qualify, a maple producer must participate in an environmental-management program that promotes sustainability and keeps forests healthy and productive. The New York State Agricultural Environmental Management program, administered through the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, is one such program. The American Tree Farm System’s Certified Tree Farmer program is another.
When the program was announced in February, there were several Central New York maple farms enrolled from the start, including: Adirondack Natural Products Inc., in Croghan, Lewis County; Hamley’s Maple, in Barton, Tioga County; Maple Hollow Farm, in Hannibal, Oswego County; Silver Hill Maple, in Turin, Lewis County; and Sweetrees Maple Products, in Berkshire, Tioga County.
New York state ranks second in maple-syrup production, behind only Vermont.
The state estimates maple farms contribute more than $140 million to the Empire State’s economy each year.
“Maple production in New York is thriving once again and it continues to be a driving force for this state’s agricultural industry,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in the release. “Expanding the New York State Grown & Certified program to include maple means we can promote more of New York’s finest producers, connect consumers to high-quality products, and support the growth of local communities across the state.”
Maple Weekend events will be hosted by farms around the state the weekends of March 17-18 and March 24-25. Some 178 maple farms in 45 upstate counties are expected to participate with more than 400,000 visitors attending, the release stated.
New York State Grown & Certified was started in 2016 to help meet growing demand for locally grown foods. The Department of Agriculture and Markets supports Grown & Certified producers through a marketing campaign including labels on products, promotional materials, and sales materials.
In addition to maple producers, 77 fruit and vegetable growers and 15 Christmas-tree growers — operating nearly 50,000 acres of farmland in the state — currently participate in the program, according to the state. There are also 16 oyster growers in the program, and nine dairy processors participating, representing nearly 1,400 dairy farms across New York state.
Producers interested in learning how to qualify for the program can contact the Department of Agriculture and Markets at (800) 554-4501 or email NYSGrownAndCertified@agriculture.ny.gov.
