Tree tapping officially kicks off maple season in Somerset County

Sandra Lepley
·3 min read

FAIRHOPE ― Tree tapping at Hillegas Sugar Camp on Saturday afternoon kicked off the official start of the maple season with a big crowd of maple producers, dignitaries, princesses and many other attendees.

Reigning royalty 2023 Maple King Cody Lynch and Queen Maple LXXVI Laura Boyce tap the first official tree for the maple season during the tree tapping ceremony at Hillegas Maple on Dividing Ridge on Saturday. The sap did not drip from the old maple tree on the property because of colder temperatures during the day.
Reigning royalty 2023 Maple King Cody Lynch and Queen Maple LXXVI Laura Boyce tap the first official tree for the maple season during the tree tapping ceremony at Hillegas Maple on Dividing Ridge on Saturday. The sap did not drip from the old maple tree on the property because of colder temperatures during the day.

Pennsylvania Maple Queen LXXVI Laura Boyce and 2023 Maple King Cody Lynch tapped a maple tree on the Hillegas property along Dividing Ridge Road, to begin the 2024 sugar season. And, because of the colder temperatures, the sap wasn't dripping that day.

More: Tree-tapping ceremony set for Saturday at Hillegas Sugar Camp

Many producers have already started producing maple syrup and are hoping for a good season. The Somerset County Maple Producers Association sponsors this event the last Saturday of February every year.

Matt Emerick, emcee for the tree tapping event and also owner of Emerick's Pure Maple in Southampton Township, speaks about how only in Somerset County are maple gathering buckets called "keelers."
Matt Emerick, emcee for the tree tapping event and also owner of Emerick's Pure Maple in Southampton Township, speaks about how only in Somerset County are maple gathering buckets called "keelers."

Matt Emerick, owner of Emerick's maple camp near Hyndman, served as this year's emcee and welcomed the crowd to the ceremony.

The three Somerset County commissioners, Pamela Tokar-Ickes, Brian Fochtman and Irvin Kimmel Jr., served as this year's guest speakers. Brian Fochtman gave thanks to the maple producers in Somerset County for the tradition they put their "thumbprint" on so the rest can enjoy maple products.

Likewise, Kimmel encouraged everyone to go on Maple Taste & Tour starting this weekend to get a better understanding of how the maple industry works in Somerset County.

More: Somerset County residents place at annual PA Farm Show

"This is a wonderful Somerset County tradition," Tokar-Ickes said in her speech. "The wonderful work of the court and queen is part of that ongoing tradition. Everyone shares in these traditions. This is our story here in Somerset County and we have some of the finest maple products ever produced."

Lynch, who helps to operate Baer Brothers Maple in Somerset Township, received the 2023 Maple King title during the Pennsylvania Maple King competition held at the Sugar Shack in Festival Park at last year's Pennsylvania Maple Festival. A new king will be chosen the Friday before the festival on April 19. The first weekend of the festival will be April 20 and 21 and the next week April 24-28. Maple king competitors must submit at least nine maple products to be judged from 12 possible categories.

A large crowd gathered Saturday afternoon inside Hillegas Maple Camp in Allegheny Township for the annual tree tapping ceremony to launch the maple season in Somerset County.
A large crowd gathered Saturday afternoon inside Hillegas Maple Camp in Allegheny Township for the annual tree tapping ceremony to launch the maple season in Somerset County.

Boyce thanked everyone for their support as she is ending her reign as maple queen when a new queen will be selected at the 77th scholarship pageant at 7 p.m. April 6, at Meyersdale Area High School. At that time, contestants will vie for $5,500 in scholarships and a chance to become the new ambassador of the Pennsylvania Maple Festival and the maple industry.

Grace Oakes, a former maple queen and the director of the queen contest, said the festival and the maple industry are a splendid partnership.

'`Without maple production here in Somerset County, we wouldn't have the festival and without the festival, we would not have the opportunity for a scholarship pageant," Oakes pointed out.

There are 10 maple princesses vying for the crown this season. Each of them introduced themselves at the tree-tapping ceremony and gave a speech about their interests and their appreciation for maple production.

More: Somerset County property transfers for Feb. 12-16

The nine princesses in attendance were: Gracie Paulman, Meyersdale; Sydney Grosholz, Somerset; Zya Belardi, Somerset; Laurel Daniels, Meyersdale; Brooke Snyder, Rockwood; Samantha Hayman, Berlin; Maci Moore, Meyersdale; Kyley Emerick, Meyersdale; and Alana Kreger, Somerset. Princess Marcella Dupre of Meyersdale was unable to attend. Milroy Farms of Salisbury gave each contestant a pin made with a real maple leaf.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Tree tapping officially kicks off maple season in Somerset County