On March 12, 2016 we drove up to the Stevens Point area for the annual Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association’s First Tree Tapping ceremony. This year the tree tapping was held at the Casimir Gold Sugar Bush just north of Stevens Point. It was a beautiful and fairly warm day, and we watched Alice in Dairyland and the local state senator each tap a tree. There was no farm breakfast, like there was in 2015, but we learned a lot and got to sample some “maple water” fresh from the tree.
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- The 2016 First Tree Tapping was held at the Casimir Gold Sugarbush. just north of Stevens Point
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- Our host, Duane Greuel, told us a little about his sugarbush.
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- Alice in Dairyland was present to do the ceremonial tree tapping.
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- The local state senator read the proclamation from the governor.
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- It was a beautiful day to be outdoors.
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- Alice used a drill to do the tapping.
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- The sap began to run right away. Duane calls this tree Persephone – it was his largest producer last year.
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- There was a good crowd at the sugarbush.
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- The state senator got to tap a tree of her own.
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- We got to taste the sap right from the tree. Apparently they are going to try to market the sap as “maple water.”
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- This is the shed where the sap is boiled down.
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- The basic steps in making maple syrup.
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- We got to look inside and see the sap being boiled down.
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- And that was it for another year!