wARREN AGRICULTURE In The News

SERIOUS ABOUT SYRUP  Sugar Grove maple event draws dozens of entrants
By BRIAN FERRY bferry@timesobserver.com
Posted 3/28/2009 on the  Times Observer website

And the winner is... the entire Sugar Grove community.

On Friday, the ninth annual Sugar Grove Maple Competition and pancake supper brought competitors, judges, volunteers, and hungry people to the Sugar Grove Fire Hall.

The event raises funds for the Sugar Grove Volunteer Fire Department and the Sugar Grove Community Development Council and was hosted by the Sugar Grove Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary.

Three judges, Borough Council Member Kevin Nicklas, Sugar Grove Elementary School Principal Marcia Madigan, and local businessman John Schuyler, rated the color and taste of 27 entries in three categories.

They had a grading kit, including vials of industry standard benchmark syrup to compare the color of the entries. After holding the kit, with the sample syrup and the local entry side by side, up to sunlight, the judges rated the color. According to Schuyler, the goal for the entries was to be "as close to (the color of the sample) but not darker."

Several entries were a little darker than they should have been, according to the judges. Other entries were so much lighter they could have qualified in lighter divisions.

After checking the color, each judge poured a bit of each syrup into a spoon and checked the taste.

Some syrups were the correct combination of maple flavor and sweetness. The judges said other entries were too sugary, or had a slightly burned taste to them.

Both color and taste were judged on a ten point scale, with higher scores better. The color and taste scores were tallied and added to the other judges' scoring to determine a total.

David Bauer took first place in both the Supreme Light Amber and Supreme Dark Amber divisions.

Bauer's total score in all three categories earned him the year's John Hood Award for superior syrup.

According to information from the Development Council, Hood was the operator of the first grist mill in Warren County. In 1810, he brought a copper kettle from Pittsburgh to Sugar Grove "in which to boil maple sap into syrup. Since then, this region of Warren County has maintained a tradition of sugaring."

George Sanders took first in the Supreme Medium Amber category.

Bill Gourley and Loren Cable took second and third, respectively, in the light; Cable and Dean Morton were second and third in medium; and Bill Knisley and Morton took second and third in dark.

Any local syrup producer was welcome to enter, free of charge. An entry included one pint of syrup in a clear jar. Entrants were provided space in the fire hall entry from which to sell the products.

When the judging was complete, the remaining syrup was poured into containers and set out at the tables in the fire hall for the pancake supper.

"It's nice to see people come out to a community event," Sue Yovich said.

Sanders said he would like to see more people and more events. "We're trying to get back to the fire department as a community center," he said. "We're hoping with our Main Street program to have more events" and raise more money for the department.

In conjunction with the event were contests at Sugar Grove Elementary School.

Students in grades one through three participated in a picture contest while there was an essay or poetry contest for students in grades four through six.

Award winners in the Maple Syrup Picture Contest were: first place - Kody Passinger; second place - Caleb Eyler; third place - Zach Shults. In the Maple Syrup Essay-Poem Contest, the top three were: first - Holly Chapman; second - Julia Bauer; and third - Meghan Hagberg.

See also: Made in Warren County - Maple Syrup

Warren County AG AWARENESS WEEK is MARCH 28 - APRIL 4

FAMILY AG Day at the WARREN mall  | AG Awareness WEEK EVENTS

The 2009 Ag Awareness Week kicks off on March 28 with the 4th annual Family Ag Awareness Day at the Warren Mall. Each year this event has grown in size and stature and this year is no exception. With many local Ag producers, agencies, and activities, this is a fun-filled day for the whole family to enjoy. Come to the Warren Mall from 10:00am to 5:00pm to enjoy all of the fun and excitement.

4th annual FAMILY AG Day at the warren Mall

Activities
There are so many fun activities going on throughout the day that it’ll be hard to pick which ones to participate in! There will be cooking demonstrations going on at 12:00, 1:30, and 3:00 inside the old Kay Jewelers store. You can watch the food being prepared and then sample the delicious results. For a unique experience, take a horse-drawn carriage ride in the parking lot from 1:00 – 3:00.  Schedule of Events

There are several activities for the kids, including a pedal-powered tractor pull at 1:30 and 3:00. This is a fun competition for the kids to see who can pull the most weight by pedaling a tractor. 4-H will also be joining in the fun with its Kiwanis presentation from 11:00 to 2:00 and many other fun activities throughout the day at the 4-H table.

New this year, there will two adult and two kid “classes” at 12:30 and 2:00. The adult class at 12:30 will feature an “Ask the Expert” session on how to preserve food. Phyllis Wright and others will be on hand to explain how to preserve food and they will be happy to answer any questions you may have. For the 2:00 adult class, a Penn State Master Gardener will be conducting a session on landscaping with native plants. The 4-H Forestry After school program will be conducting the two kids activities during the same time periods.

Another special treat for the kids will be Preston Swanson’s quiz and game show. This will take place all day long at the Meldick Farms table with prizes being awarded to the kids. And for kids brave enough to try, there will be a live goat milking opportunity! Speaking of animals, there will be calves, lambs, alpacas, rabbits, and chickens.

Producers
The local Ag producers are at the front and center of Ag Day and this year there will be plenty of producers showcasing their products. Many producers will even be giving out free samples so be sure to stop at all of the producer tables and see what is grown and produced right here in Warren County.

The local producers include: Sweet and Savory Farm, Dancing Heart Farm, Lazy J Bison, Bully Hollow Alpacas, Big Horn Ranch, Meldick Farms, and Papa's Produce.

Agencies
Several agriculture, outdoor, and wildlife agencies will be on hand with displays and information about their services. This is a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with the agencies and have your questions answered.

They include: Trout Unlimited, Warren County Fair, Warren County Conservation District, Warren County Dairy Princess, Warren County Farm Bureau, Conewango Creek Watershed, PA Game Commission, Penn State Extension and Master Gardeners.

Ag Day at the Mall is only the first of many programs and events happening during Ag Awareness Week.

FAMILY AG DAY SCHEDULE

AG Awareness WEEK EVENTS

Penn State Extension and the Future of Ag Task Force are proud to sponsor Ag Awareness Week, 2009. This year’s Ag Awareness Week will be from March 28 – April 4 and will feature several programs every day of the week. 

Pre-registration is required. To register for any program, please use the mail-in registration form. All programs are “pay at the door.” The registration deadline is March 23, 2009!

Program Details with Speaker and Fee Information  | Mail-in Registration Form

March 30  - Agronomy day
Morning: Crop rotations, oil seed crops
Afternoon: Corn silage varieties, planting crops on a tight budget

March 31 - Conservation day
Evening: Backyard Woods (Conservation District) - FREE

April 1 -Dairy/Golf course day
Morning: Feeding cows on a tight budget
Afternoon: Energy alternatives for the dairy farmer
Evening: Turf and golf course management (Pesticide credits available)

April 2 -Vegetable day
Morning: Marketing and selling vegetables
Afternoon: Growing high quality vegetables
Evening: Growing a home vegetable garden, home food preservation - FREE

April 3 - Marketing day
Morning: Marketing value-added products
Afternoon: How to sell at a Farmer’s Market

April 4 - Forestry Day
Morning: Tree ID, basics of forest measurements
Afternoon: Estimating the volume and value of your trees

For more information call the Extension Office at 563-9388.