Ohio hosting national maple syrup gathering

AKRON, Ohio – Hundreds of maple syrup mavens will pour into Ohio this fall. And there’s still time to sign up to join them.
Hosted by the Ohio Maple Producers Association, the North American Maple Syrup Council and the International Maple Syrup Institute will hold their 2007 joint annual meetings – talks, tours and contests – in Akron Oct. 21-24.
Activities. The groups’ members – maple syrup producers, packers, wholesalers, marketers, researchers and equipment manufacturers – will attend a series of technical talks detailing new information and research findings related to maple trees, maple woods and maple processing.
Participants will view manufacturers’ equipment displays and demonstrations; will participate in a new Maple Forum offering live, illustrated “how-to” instruction; and will enter or enjoy a maple-themed photo contest and a maple syrup and confections contest.
Also slated are tours of the Warther Carving Museum, Dover; Lehman’s Hardware, Kidron; Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron; and sugarhouse tours in Holmes and Geauga counties.
The program wraps up Oct. 24 with an evening awards and recognition banquet.
Gary Graham, a district natural resources specialist with the Ohio State University Extension Center at Wooster, and Randy Heiligmann, a forestry scientist/specialist with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will host the meetings’ educational sessions.
Details. Registration costs $195 per person by Sept. 15 and $235 per person afterward, with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday breakfasts and the Wednesday evening banquet included. Other meals are extra.
For details and to register, call 419-869-7353, e-mail info@ohiomapleproducers.com or go to www.ohiomapleproducers.com.
The event takes place at the Crown Plaza Quaker Square, 135 S. Broadway.