Somerset County Maple Producers celebrate spring harvest

The Somerset County Maple Producers' Association celebrated the end of the maple harvest during its annual meeting and banquet held at the Kingwood Church of God Fellowship Center in Upper Turkeyfoot Township on June 25.

Everett Sechler, president of the association, welcomed the group and related that after such a busy season it was good to sit down and relax with friends.

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"We have been fortunate to have a good group of directors," said Sechler. "They are dedicated to promoting maple and we all work well together.

"Prior to the meeting, several producers participated in a seminar given by Les Ober, an Ohio State Extension maple specialist, and Mike Rechlin of Future University in Egypt, who spoke on "Improving Maple Syrup Quality and Identifying Off Flavors in Maple."

During the meeting, Kyle Hillegas, Cindy Newman and Everett Sechler were elected to three open positions on the board for three-year terms.

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Lynette Ely, secretary, read the minutes from the previous meeting, while Kyle Hillegas, treasurer, gave a report. Mike Lynch spoke about the spring maple tour and Mary Friedline discussed this year's activities, such as the Somerset County Fair booth, Mountain Craft Days, the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Pennsylvania Maple Festival.

Ella Wheeler, Pennsylvania Maple Queen LXXV, spoke during the banquet and thanked the producers for the opportunity to represent the industry. She related that she has been visiting elementary schools, is writing a children's book about maple production and keeping busy at other events. Lydia Renzi and Kylie Sipple, maple princesses, were presented as the Maple Wisdom Award winners.

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Melissa Friend Blocher, a maple festival director and a maple producer, related that the 2022 Maple Festival, which was once again held a month later for the second straight year, turned out to be a well attended event for the 75th annual celebration.

"Not many festivals can say they have been around 75 times," she said. "The Somerset County Fair does exceed that number here locally and we are about four years ahead of the Jubilee. It is a longstanding festival in our area and it was nice to see the anniversary celebrated."

She explained that the festival has about 10,000 people who come through the gate at Maple Festival Park but parade day the second Saturday usually has the biggest crowds and not everyone comes into the park that day so the attendance numbers are most likely much higher.

"What we did notice is that people are spending a little less because I guess they are tightening up their pocketbooks in the current economy," she said. "The festival installed a new showcase for the producers and there were eight producers in the contest this year. We encourage more producers to enter because it is a great way to get your name out there. It is not necessary to enter all 10 categories in the contest but when visitors see your name in the showcase, it makes a difference."

Jason Blocher received the Pennsylvania Maple King award during the banquet along with his wife, Melissa Friend Blocher. The award was presented by Somerset Rotary Club, represented by Harold Shaulis. This was the third time for Blocher to be maple king with his last titles being earned in 2016 and 2018.

Jason and his wife, Melissa Friend, own and operate the generational maple camp of Milroy Farms in Elk Lick Township.

This year, while the Pennsylvania Maple Festival celebrated its 75th year, Milroy is celebrating its 80th year in business.

Jason Blocher's father, the late Gary Blocher who died in 2017, served as maple king six times between 1986 and 2000. Gary was a past president of the Somerset County Maple Producers and a spokesman in many ways for the maple industry locally. Jason's mother, Frances, who died in November 2012, operated the kitchen year-round filling orders for syrup, candies, soft cream, spread, crumb sugar and taffy.

Jason and his wife, Melissa, and their crew of helpers have kept things going strong by making syrup and other products from their 17,000 taps every year.

"The maple business used to be a side income on the farm but now it is our main source of revenue," said Jason in an earlier interview. "Maple has been good to this family over the years and that is why we have focused all our efforts on it."

In a bittersweet moment, Baer Brothers Maple of Somerset Township received the 2022 Champion Syrup award from PNC Bank, represented by Mary Lynch Friedline. Maple producer Joel Friedline died in an accident on his farm on July 24 last year just shortly after receiving the Champion Syrup Award in April. He was part of a family operation with his wife, Mary, brother, Jon, and parents, Lowell and Carna Friedline on the family's dairy farm in Jenner Township.

"We are honored to follow in the footsteps of Joel Friedline, who won the Champion Syrup Award last year and often brought that honor home to Walnutdale Maple several times," said Mike Lynch in an earlier interview. "Our son Reagan wanted to compete in the contest and we are glad to have been chosen for Champion Syrup."

The Lynch family began their sugar camp in 2009 along Sugar Cake Road in Somerset Township, And, former owner George Baer, now in his 80s, still comes back to be a part of the season.

Baer Brothers Maple Camp was on the Baer's farm beginning in the early-1900s as a source of syrup for personal consumption and for trading. In 1971 the camp began to form into what it is today under the ownership of George and Bonnie Baer and their family.

Today they are producing about 2,000 gallons of maple syrup in a good season on 5,000 taps but while the process is still the same since the early years, the technology has revolutionized the business.

In addition to the maple production, Lynch operates a cow-calf operation and serves as the Southern United States manager for CDL USA, traveling frequently throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana setting up CDL intelligence systems. As part of his work at CDL USA, he sells and services Smart Maple Production Network (CDL Intelligence) for other maple producers.

The evening of the maple producers' banquet concluded with door prizes and photographs of the award winners.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County Maple Producers celebrate harvest at banquet