Maple Producers Celebrate End of Harvest

Sandra Lepley
Southeastern Pa. Correspondent

SIPESVILLE, Pa. — Somerset County Maple Producers’ Association converged recently at the Sipesville Firehall for their annual meeting and banquet celebrating the end of the maple harvest season.

Somerset County is the largest producer of maple syrup in Pennsylvania and every spring in the small town of Meyersdale in southern Somerset County, the long-standing traditions of the maple season attract visitors near and far for the annual Pa. Maple Festival, which just concluded its 61st year in April.

“This past year has been a successful one for the association,” related Everett Sechler, president of the association and owner of Sechler Maple Products outside of Confluence. “We started out (last June) with our anniversary celebration of 50 years and everyone worked together to make that successful.”

While the Pa. Maple Festival had its humble beginnings in 1948, the very first maple producer meeting was held on Jan. 31, 1957, at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Somerset Office with John D. Peck presiding.

Mary Friedline, an association director, serves as the activities chairman and addressed the crowd concerning this past year’s activities.

Even though the maple season lasts anywhere from a few days to a month primarily in the month of March, the maple producers spend all year long preparing for the season and marketing their products, explained Friedline.

Festivals and fairs are on the schedule for the summer and fall, while the state tour is held in October and the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January. This year’s state tour was held at Seven Springs Resort in Somerset County hosted by the Somerset County Producers.

Friedline reported that the state tour turned out to be an ideal event on Oct. 4, 5 and 6 of last year. The Sechlers in Confluence area and the Popes near Springs opened their sugar camp operations to the many visitors. And, those touring were able to visit an 18th Century village at Oak Lodge in Stahlstown in Westmoreland County. In addition, the tour went to Mount Davis, Pennsylvania’s highest point, and the Springs Folk Festival.

This year’s state tour will be held at Wellsboro in Potter County. And, Somerset County will host the national maple tour in 2014.

Friedline also reported that the maple season kicked off in February during the annual Tree Tapping ceremony held at G&T Acre near Springs. She explained that the June banquet starts off the year’s activities all over again and the directors meet every two months.

Most producers reported a fairly good harvest this spring that started early and lasted up until Maple Festival time in late March. The ideal weather for steady flowing sap is an overnight frost and a daytime thaw of 30 to 40 degree temperatures.

During the banquet, Matthew Emerick was given the 2008 Maple King Award. At the maple festival every year, a queen is chosen from a group of high school seniors during a scholarship pageant, while the king comes from the maple industry itself. Maple producers compete by selecting some of their best syrup, candies and crèmes for judging. The camp producing the best products wins the maple king title.

Emerick’s Maple Products of Hyndman (Southampton Township) also received the 2008 Champion Syrup award. The Emericks, which includes Ed and Wilma Emerick and their son, Matt, and his wife, Stephanie, have been operating Emerick’s Sugar Camp since the 1970s. Both Ed and Matt have been maple kings in the past.

Being that the maple festival has been the marketing crux for the association for the past 50 years, Mary Helen Yutzy, president of the Maple Festival Association, attended and gave a report about the festival’s status this year.

“I just can’t imagine how you do all that you do in one year’s time,” said Yutzy. “Thank you very much for keeping this association going for the past 50 years and for growing and building on your great reputation.”

Association directors Paul Wright of Greenville Township and Ed Emerick decided not to renew their three-year terms on the board. They were replaced by Gus Kern, Fairhope, and Matt Emerick. The other board members were retained, including Everett Sechler, president, Gary Blocher, vice president, Lynette Ely, secretary, and Mary Friedline, George Pope, Ron Brenneman and Kyle Hillegass.

Sechler gave the treasurer’s report and explained that the organization had a beginning balance of $13,060. After $43,241 in income and $44,998 in expenses, the organization tallied a balance of $11,303.

Miguel Saviroff, extension agent at Penn State Cooperative Extension in Somerset, spoke to the group about marketing their products through the Internet.

Queen Catelyn Hillegass of Berlin addressed the maple producers concerning her reign since March when she was crowned Maple Queen LXII. The Maple Festival Queen promotes the maple industry and maple festival throughout the year during numerous school visits, county and state events, at civic and local organizations. Her role is the single most important spokesperson for the Somerset County maple industry.

“Thank you for this opportunity to be your spokesperson and for working so hard all year long,” said Queen Catelyn. “All that hard work must be paying off because it’s tasting so sweet and good.”