Sweet Talk: All Things Maple

This month, Adam interviews Cornell Maple Program colleague Dr. Catherine Monserrate. Catherine is the resident Food Scientist at the Cornell Maple Program, with a satellite office in Geneva, NY at the Cornell Food Venture Center. She helps maple producers make sure their processes and recipes are in compliance with food safety regulations, and that they consistently result in high quality maple products.

In this conversation, Adam and Catherine discuss all things Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), including a new online course: BF 154 Good Manufacturing Practices for Sugarhouses. This course is asynchronous and self-paced and is hosted on the Cornell Small Farms website. Learn more and enroll here: https://smallfarmcourses.com/p/bf-154-good-manufacturing-practices-for-sugarhouses

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Mark Cannella, Extension Professor and Farm Business Management Specialist with University of Vermont Extension. Mark works on maple economics projects throughout the Northeastern United States and leads a national maple business education initiative. In this episode, Adam and Mark discuss national consumer preference data and how a business can interpret that data to apply it to their marketing strategy.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Dr. Ali Kosiba and Jason Lilley, co-developers of a new Sugarbush Management course hosted by University of Maine.

Ali is a forest ecophysiologist and Extension Assistant Professor of Forestry at the University of Vermont. Jason is an Assistant Extension Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and a Maple Industry Educator at the University of Maine.

The course is online and asynchronous. To learn more and register, visit: https://extension.umaine.edu/micro-credentials/resilient-sugarbush-management/

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Connor Youngerman, Agroforestry and Mushroom Specialist with the Cornell University Small Farms Program. Connor helps farmers diversify their operations through adoption of agroforestry practices, specifically forest farming of medicinal herbal plants, nursery stock, and mushrooms.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Scott Zehr, a 4th generation maple producer at Maplewood Sweets in Watertown, NY. Together, they discuss developing a business mission, a personal motto, and brand ethos, as well as how and why to communicate those ideas to the customer.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Mark Isselhardt, University of Vermont Extension Maple Specialist. Mark's extensive experience with judging maple syrup contests at county fairs, and even international contests, makes him a great resource for those looking to win a blue ribbon this year.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Nick Wendel of Wendel's Maple and More in western New York. Nick is a maple equipment dealer with H2O Leader and has a lifetime of experience with all things maple. From tubing, to RO units, to evaporator pans, Nick has excellent advice for making off-season cleaning as effective and easy as possible.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam catches up with regular guest of the show, Dr. Abby van den Berg, an independent maple researcher who also holds a faculty position at Future Generations University. Together, they discuss what's really going on in the sap and in the evaporator that ultimately results in the flavors we know as pure maple syrup.

Episode Produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Sweet Talk co-hosts and co-directors of the Cornell Maple Program Aaron Wightman and Adam Wild share the mic for a final episode together. As Aaron departs the Maple Program to pursue other endeavors, Adam asks him to reflect on his past ten years of service to the maple industry and his favorite things about the maple community that he will always be a part of.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

Music - Long and Low Cloud by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This month, Adam interviews Joël Boutin, a maple specialist, consultant, and educator from Québec, Canada. He is considered by many to be the foremost maple expert working today. After 40 years working in the maple industry, he has much to share, and, amazingly, still much to learn as the industry rapidly grows and changes. This episode focuses on best tapping practices that could help ensure success this sap season.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne.

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Funk and Flash, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)