82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 8, 1995 It'S Drizzlin ’ Pure Maple Syrup In Somerset County GAY BROWNLEE Somerset Co. Correspondent SALISBURY (Somerset Co.) “Stack about three of them hot pancakes on a platter and pass the maple syrup, please. While you’re at it spear me a couple links of sausage to go with ’em.” Some folks would insist upon grammatical correctness in that re quest but they couldn’t inhibit the gusto of that first savory bite tan talizing their palate. Every year around this time that fare rises to glorious heights of popularity as visitors to the Penn sylvania Maple Festival converge upon Meyersdale and Salisbury to sample pancakes and maple syrup served by local Lions Clubs. It’s a time of jubilation, when old and new Mends celebrate the Creator’s simple gift to mankind sap from sugar maple trees. With the help of gravity it drips prodigiously when late winter nights are cold and the days are pleasantly warm. If a spile has been inserted in the tree’s lower trunk, sweet water rolls out the little spillway, splash ing drop by drop into a collection vessel. It’s boiled down, filtered several times, monitored and checked some more until, finally it reaches syrup density and a beau tiful amber color. According to official reports '.t Cour ranks fust in the to their modern facilities these days. Here, Dorothy Jeffrey, veteran of maple sugarin’ exhibits the variety of by-products many county producers keep in their shops the year around. This hand-crafted sugar wagon was constructed and used by William Wagner, great-grandfather of Dale Jeffrey who operates Wagner’s Sugar Camp, West Salis bury. No longer used, the wagon Is exhibited at the camp on the Tub Mill Run Road. Wagner’s andjnany Somerset County maple producers welcome visitors to observe their operations. state in maple production. Yet, the state’s overall production lags well behind all of New England, New York, Ohio and even Michi gan. Somerset County, however, has an extremely high concentration of sugar maple trees and maple producers who take the season seriously. Some of the backyard ladders are never counted because the syrup they make is for person al use only, including farmers and non-farmers. That’s why some 35 members of the Somerset County Maple Producer’s Association feel they’ve earned the right to cele brate. In the space of a few weeks they’ve given hundreds of thou sands of gallons of sugar water the tender loving care needed to eva porate it into thousands of gallons of maple syrup. And that excludes time spent creating other taste teasing by-products of the sticky stuff. On April 22,23,28,29 and 30, the 48th Annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival will be held in Meyersdale with a newly crowned queen, Rebecca Cogan of Somer set. reigning over the numerous events. She, her two maids of hon or and court of princesses, will welcome the throngs of visitors and direct them to demonstrations, historical places, area maple camps and the ever-popular pag- eant “Legend of the Magic Wa ter,” presented at the Meyersdale High School. The Maple Queen Scholarship Pageant won by Miss Cogan stresses education. As its winner she received a $5,000 savings bond from the Pennsylvania Ma ple Festival, Inc., and a $5OO scho larship from the Somerset County Maple Producers Association, and many other gifts. Danielle Svonavec, Rockwood, the first runner-up got a $2,000 savings bond while a $l,OOO sav ings bond went to second runner up Jennifer Brown of Friedens. Gary Blocher, owner of Milroy Farms Sugar Camp is the current Maple King. His successor will be named on April 21, the day pre ceding the festival since Blocher is ineligible to succeed himself in that capacity. The new king will have receiv ed the highest combined scores in classes of this year’s syrup, sugar cakes, sugar crumb, sugar-soft (maple spread or cream); indivi dual collective exhibit and gift pack. All entries must have been produced in Somerset County. Blocher comes with an endur ing maple background, from his late father, and his mother’s fami ly as well. He said this year’s weather fluctuations hurt produc tion elsewhere. “Production-wise, Somerset County was fortunate this year,” t Jj e was really good, he said. “Some other localities Milroy Farms Sugar Camp is on were less fortunate with the me River Road, RDI, Salisbury, j weather conditions. The North- rajmiy operation that includes his east, for instance, was too cold w “ e rances * son ason » mo then suddenly last week it got too t * ier Thelma Blocher. warm ” Planned by the Pennsylvania He said that locally the quantity Maple Festival, Inc. the seasonal of production was about average, (Turn to Page B 3) - a familiar sight in Somerset County where trees are drizzling maple syrup. fpMESIEADj Dale Jeffrey, owner of Wagner’s Sugar Camp, Tub Mill Run Road, West Salisbury, Is testing maple syrup at the complex-looking steam finishing unit. Making maple syrup In Somerset County is important business since the county ranks first in the state’s maple production. Here, Brian Arnold, an employee at Wagner’s Sugar Camp, West Salisbury is routinely checking the sap evaporation process In the “piggy-back” boiler. N £ * * Vrs UTES
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