Special to The Citizen
What began as a home school project has turned into a 16-year career of syrup making for New Hope native Dan Weed.
Weed is the founder of Schoolyard Sugarbush, a maple producing sugarhouse that primarily creates maple syrup.
“My sister had made syrup during a home school project while I was in college,” Weed said during the Maple Weekend open house held at Schoolyard SugarBush in New Hope, Saturday afternoon. “When I came home and was looking for something to do, my mother told me to try syrup making.”
He gave it a try and realized that it was something he enjoyed. Since that time, he has been tapping the trees and making maple syrup for sale in area farm stores and the Ithaca Farmers Market.
Although his primary product is the making of syrup, Weed said that he also makes items such as maple cream, candy and maple covered nuts, among other local favorites.
“If it can be made with maple I have probably tried it,” he said.
Weed's father, Donald Weed, who also helps with the maple making process, said that a favorite for customers are the syrups that are sold in collector decorative glass bottles.
The Weed family has long had a connection to syrup, though. Daniel Weed's grandfather was the founder of New Hope Mills, which specializes in the production of pancake mixes.
Maple weekend is a product of The New York State Maple Producers Association and includes more than 500 maple producers across New York state hosting open houses of various types. The association claims New York's maple has been named best tasting in the United States.
Once each year, the sugarhouses open their doors to the public to demonstrate the maple-making process - from the tapping of the trees, to the boiling the sap into syrup, and finally to the final stage of the finished product.
The process of maple production is a long and tasty one with many hours and approximately 40 gallons of sap going into just one gallon of the final maple syrup.
More maple
For additional information on Schoolyard Sugarbush, call (315) 497-3488. To learn about Maple Weekend, including other sites in the region hosting events, visit
www.mapleweekend.com
Weed is the founder of Schoolyard Sugarbush, a maple producing sugarhouse that primarily creates maple syrup.
“My sister had made syrup during a home school project while I was in college,” Weed said during the Maple Weekend open house held at Schoolyard SugarBush in New Hope, Saturday afternoon. “When I came home and was looking for something to do, my mother told me to try syrup making.”
He gave it a try and realized that it was something he enjoyed. Since that time, he has been tapping the trees and making maple syrup for sale in area farm stores and the Ithaca Farmers Market.
Although his primary product is the making of syrup, Weed said that he also makes items such as maple cream, candy and maple covered nuts, among other local favorites.
“If it can be made with maple I have probably tried it,” he said.
Weed's father, Donald Weed, who also helps with the maple making process, said that a favorite for customers are the syrups that are sold in collector decorative glass bottles.
The Weed family has long had a connection to syrup, though. Daniel Weed's grandfather was the founder of New Hope Mills, which specializes in the production of pancake mixes.
Maple weekend is a product of The New York State Maple Producers Association and includes more than 500 maple producers across New York state hosting open houses of various types. The association claims New York's maple has been named best tasting in the United States.
Once each year, the sugarhouses open their doors to the public to demonstrate the maple-making process - from the tapping of the trees, to the boiling the sap into syrup, and finally to the final stage of the finished product.
The process of maple production is a long and tasty one with many hours and approximately 40 gallons of sap going into just one gallon of the final maple syrup.
More maple
For additional information on Schoolyard Sugarbush, call (315) 497-3488. To learn about Maple Weekend, including other sites in the region hosting events, visit
www.mapleweekend.com
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