Somerset County Maple Producers celebrate end of maple harvest

SOMERSET ― The Somerset County Maple Producers' Association celebrated the end of the maple harvest during its annual meeting and banquet Saturday at the Somerset Masonic Temple.

Everett Sechler, president of the association, welcomed the group and emceed the annual event.

Matt Fisher, vice president of the Pennsylvania Maple Association, traveled from Mifflin County to be at the annual event and spoke to the group about how the state association recently updated its website for the purpose of more syrup sales and also as a reference point. He also encouraged producers to participate in the state fall tour in November.

Mark Ware, executive director of the Somerset Historical Center, discussed the progress with the Pennsylvania Maple Museum, set to open next spring at the center for the annual Maple Taste and Tour.

"If I were to put the Pennsylvania Maple Museum into maple term perspective, I would say we are having a good run," Ware told the crowd. "The building is being prepared, artifacts cleaned and research ongoing. We have collected some unique artifacts that I think will be a nice addition. Of particular interest are the Miller Machine Co. pocket pan and the Cook evaporator. The Cook one may be one of only a few in existence."

Ware said Matt Thomas from California, Pa., who has published numerous articles and books on maple sugaring, has been lending his expertise for the project. Ware passed out a handout on the project and invited everyone to stop by and see the progress at the Somerset Historical Center.

During the meeting, Lynette Ely, Matt Emerick and Andy Sanner were elected to three open positions on the nine-member board for three-year terms.

Ely, secretary, read the minutes from the previous meeting, while Kyle Hillegas, treasurer, gave a report.

Mike Lynch spoke about the spring maple tour. Lynch said the 2024 tour will be held for two weekends the first and second weekend of March instead of only one weekend, in case of inclement weather, but the producers are not required to participate both weekends. He said the state organization is heading in that direction and other tours throughout the state are starting to hold their events over two weekends in the spring.

Mary Friedline discussed this year's activities, such as the Somerset County Fair booth, Mountain Craft Days, the Pa. Farm Show and the Pa. Maple Festival.

Laura Boyce, Pa. Maple Queen LXXVI, spoke during the banquet and thanked the producers for the opportunity to represent the industry. Boyce also won the Maple Wisdom Award, sponsored by the producers, and she said she is trying to tell others as much as she can about maple production. Boyce played the piano and sang a song as entertainment for the banquet.

Melissa Friend Blocher, a maple festival director and maple producer, gave a report about the 2023 Maple Festival, which was once again held a month later for the third straight year.

"The festival did well," she said. "We had two rainy Sundays and that is never good when that happens, but it can be expected."

Blocher said the festival association is concentrating on small groups touring instead of tour buses, which was commonplace years ago. Also, the association continues to offer summertime camping at Festival Park and it is growing "exponentially" with tent campers and biking trail travelers, she said.

Blocher encouraged more maple producers to enter the festival's contest and also make a stronger showing at the Somerset County Fair in August because that helps get the word out about maple production in the county.

Cody Lynch of Baer Brothers Maple received the Pa. Maple King award during the banquet. He originally won the Maple King contest prior to this year's Pa. Maple Festival in spring. This is the first time Lynch has received this award, which was presented by Lee Hoffman on behalf of the Somerset Rotary Club.

Lynch is part of a family team at Baer Brothers Maple in Somerset Township that includes his parents, Mike and Sherry Lynch, and brother, Reagan Lynch, among many other family and friends.

The Lynch family began their sugar camp in 2009 along Sugar Cake Road, And former owner George Baer, who died on March 31 of this year, had always been very helpful at the camp.

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.

In addition to the maple production, Mike Lynch serves as the Southern United States manager for CDL USA, traveling frequently throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, setting up CDL intelligence systems.

The Emerick family of Southampton Township received the Champion Syrup Award sponsored by PNC Bank, represented by Gina Mostoller. Matt and Stephanie Emerick and their children, Tyler, Kailee and twins Sarah and Daniel, along with Matt's father, Ed Emerick, work together as a unit to produce award-winning syrup at Emerick's Pure Maple.

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Somerset County Maple Producers celebrate end of maple harvest