UMaine Extension offers resources for maple syrup season

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

March 11, 2019 Cooperative Extension, Economic Development, Outreach

Maine Maple Sunday is March 24, and tapping maple trees is a sure sign of spring.

A typical season for maple producers is a cold January and February, with trees being tapped in mid- to late February or early March depending on where in the state a sugar bush is located, according to Kathy Hopkins, a maple syrup expert with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

After tapping, the nighttime freezing and daytime thawing of the trees produces a sap flow that can be boiled down into maple syrup. Daytime temperatures from 40–45 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures in the mid-20s produce the best syrup, she says.

Despite the recent snow and cold temperatures, Hopkins says the forecasted weather conditions for the second week of March should get the sap flowing around the state.

The state has about 450 licensed producers of maple syrup and syrup products, according to Hopkins, as well as many hobbyists making syrup in smaller quantities for home use.

UMaine Extension offers several maple-related publications and videos through its publications catalog, including:

UMaine Extension also has produced videos that demonstrate how to tap a tree and test the quality of homemade maple syrup: