March Declared 'Massachusetts Maple Month'

BOSTON, MA - March is now officially ‘Massachusetts Maple Month.’

Eat your heart out, Vermont.

Gov. Charlie Baker made the announcement in a press release Tuesday, saying he hoped the distinction would encourage Bay Staters to buy locally made maple products.

“Creating maple syrup is a time-honored Massachusetts tradition that the more than 300 maple syrup producers in the Commonwealth keep alive,” Baker said in the release. “I encourage residents to support our local maple syrup producers and purchase delicious Massachusetts maple products.”

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, close to 75,000 gallons of maple syrup worth more than $4.3 million was produced across Massachusetts in 2015. Additionally, attractions such as maple farms, bed and breakfasts, and restaurants that rely on the maple producing industry generate a revenue of $1.9 million annually.

To kick off the celebrations, join Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux and local and agricultural officials on Friday, March 4, 2016 at Stonegate Farms in Conway for a ceremonial sugar maple tree tapping. The event starts at 10:00 a.m.

No word yet from Vermont on the challenge to its maple syrup monopoly.

For more information, go to the MassGrown website and click on maple for a complete listing of maple sugar houses or www.massmaple.org.