Sweet Talk: All Things Maple

This month, Adam Wild interviews Abby van den Berg, a tree physiologist and maple researcher at the University of Vermont - Proctor Maple Research Center. An expert on the effects of maple sugaring on the health and growth of maple trees, Abby recently conducted research on how "early" tapping affects our trees in the long run. Is it worth it to tap earlier than your usual tapping date? Or will some extra sap not be enough to outweigh the extra damage done to the trees? What does "early" even mean for different regions in a changing climate? Adam asks these questions and gets some insights that will help the Cornell Maple Program interpret their own early tapping research, and compare their data across different regional climates.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

This month, Aaron Wightman interviews three agroforestry, or "forest farming", specialists who double as educators with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). These three guests have been instrumental in the formation of a statewide agroforestry work team that connects CCE educators and researchers with the goal of improving the availability of resources to those interested in adopting some of these practices.

Brett Chedzoy is a Regional Extension forester who works for CCE of Schuyler County, and the forest manager of the Cornell Arnot Teaching and Research Forest. In addition, Brett practices silvopasturing at his family farm in Watkins Glen.

Steve Gabriel works with the Cornell Small Farms Program where he focuses on specialty mushroom production and agroforestry research and extension projects. He also runs Wellspring Forest Farm & School with his family in Trumansburg where they harvest maple and mushrooms and raise ducks and sheep in diverse habitats.

Tracey Testo is a program coordinator at the Cooperative Extension office in Columbia and Greene counties where she focuses on agriculture and natural resource issues. She is experienced with American Ginseng and forest mushroom production.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

This month, co-directors of the Cornell Maple Program, Aaron Wightman and Adam Wild, reflect on the past season of maple tubing and taphole longevity research. They give background information on the recent history of this type of research conducted by the program and then shed light on the newest findings that could help solve the problems facing 3/16" tubing systems.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

In this follow-up episode, Adam Wild interviews Dr. Jonathan Tremblay, an associate professor of kinesiology and human kinetics (AKA exercise science) at the University of Montreal. He is the first to research the effects of maple in "clinical trials", which, as Dr. Seeram explained, are research experiments done with human subjects. This type of research is crucial to understanding the benefits and unique properties of maple and proving how these components affect the human body. However, human clinical trials come with many challenges, as Dr. Tremblay explains. 

Dr. Tremblay's research focuses on maple as a fuel source for athletes. He explains how the research is conducted and what it takes to compare how maple is used by the human body during exercise, against commercial sports drinks. Human health research is not an easy undertaking, but but having scientific research to back-up health claims will greatly benefit the maple industry. 

You can find his maple-related research at: MapleScience.org/Jonathan-Tremblay

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

This episode, Adam Wild interviews Dr. Navindra Seeram, a natural product chemist at the University of Rhode Island whose research focuses on maple and human health benefits. His research has identified unique polyphenols to maple, and resulted in a nutraceutical maple syrup extract (MSX).

Dr. Seeram addresses myths and anecdotes about maple's beneficial health effects that have not been proven by science. He also goes into detail on the benefits that have been backed up by his lab group's research findings, and what it takes to get that evidence. Human health research is not an easy undertaking, but understanding maple's role as a functional food will greatly benefit the maple industry. Additionally, Dr. Seeram discusses other parts of the maple tree that could potentially be utilized for human consumption and other products.

Find his research and so much more at: URI.edu/maple

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

Music - Long and Low Cloud, Highway 430, both by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

This week, Aaron Wightman interviews two guests with different, yet compatible perspectives on sugarbush management. 

Peter Smallidge is the New York State Extension Forester, and Director of the Arnot Forest, and has been involved with maple research and extension since the late 90's. We asked Peter to discuss his research pertaining to syrup production optimization and forest regeneration. 

Zack Boerman from Audubon NY is a co-developer of the Bird-Friendly Maple Program. We asked Zack to share his expertise on sugarbush management from a wildlife conservation point of view.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

This week, Adam Wild interviews his predecessor at the Uihlein Maple Research Forest, Mike Farrell, now CEO and co-founder of the Forest Farmers and New Leaf Tree Syrups. They talk about everything from ways to get the most out of your production equipment, to the production of syrups from alternative trees: birch, beech, walnut.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

In this episode, Aaron Wightman, Co-Director of the Cornell Maple Program at the Arnot Forest, interviews Steve Childs, his predecessor. Steve served as the New York State Maple Extension Specialist since 2004 and has worked for Cornell Cooperative Extension since 1986. During his extensive career, he played a huge role in making the maple industry what it is today by researching and providing education on: sap collection systems, vacuum, sanitation, and value-added products. You can find several of his books and extension materials for free download at cornellmaple.com

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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

Get to know your hosts, co-directors of the Cornell Maple Program Aaron Wightman and Adam Wild. In this episode, they discuss past, present, and future research at the two CMP research sites, Arnot Forest in Van Etten, and Uihlein Forest in Lake Placid. They also make projections about the future of the maple industry, wax poetic about the coming maple season, and give a sweet taste of what's to come on this podcast.

Episode produced by Ailis Clyne

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