WINDSOR, Ohio — Maple syrup season is spring’s promise of summer’s bounty and the fall harvest.
Winters are long and cold in Ohio. But as spring approaches, many begin to itch to get outdoors and start the annual ritual of harvesting the first and sweetest agricultural crop of the year — maple syrup.
For 15 years, maple producers have joined together to open their sugarhouses to visitors for two special weekend tours.
Most stops are free. Experienced syrup makers answer questions and give guided tours to visitors. A drive through the area finds pails hanging on trees collecting the sap, but many also use tubing to bring the sap directly into the sugarhouse, saving time.
Ohio
Maple syrup is made in 69 of Ohio’s 88 counties. There are at least 1,200 maple syrup producers across Ohio. Ohio is a major maple syrup producer.
The Maple Madness® Driving Trail, sponsored by the Ohio Maple Producers Association and funded by the UDA 2014 Specialty Crop Block Grant program, provides the opportunity for people to visit a working maple sugar house and see first hand how pure Ohio maple syrup is made.
Dates
The drive-it-yourself tour, Ohio’s second largest agricultural tour, takes place March 14 and 15, 21 and 22, all across Ohio with the most stops in northeast Ohio area. Visitors can plan their own maple experience and stay as long as they want at any place.
For more information, visit www.ohiomaple.org or call 440-834-1415.
Maple Madness Tour Stops
