It’s maple syrup season, and as Ohio is ranked fourth in US production of maple syrup production, it’s a sure bet you’ve seen trees tapped throughout the community. But did you know that a group of dedicated folks in Hiram are harvesting maple syrup to support farmers in communities around the world?
For the seventh consecutive season, members of Hiram Christian Church have begun the arduous task of collecting and processing sap, then selling the syrup to raise funds for Growing Hope Globally. Jon Moody, one of the project organizers, shared, “With the money we raise, Growing Hope Globally works with rural families around the world to provide training and tools to small farmers. GHG programs enable these farmers to become self-sufficient and resilient in their farming practices to meet the challenges of weather changes and soil degradation, providing lasting solutions to hunger.
The project begins each season in Richard Masters’ sugar bush in Hiram Township, where trees are tapped. Church member Ron Etling, together with Jim Tolan from the Hiram College Field Station manage the field operation, directing volunteers from the church, the College, and community in how to tap trees and collect sap. Steve Pancost loans his tractor to aid in gathering multiple gallons of sap throughout the woods. Local maple processor Nathan Goodell transports the gathered sap each collection day to his family’s sugarhouse, where the finished syrup is processed and bottled. “Many hands come together to make this all possible,” Moody marveled. “What a wonderful community effort!”
And although the pandemic kept the group out of the sugarhouse last year, Moody noted that Goodell was able to sell syrup from the group’s 2020 efforts at wholesale for nearly $1,500. In seven years, the group has raised over $15,000 for Growing Hope farmers. “The need is greater than ever,” Moody implored. “We’re hoping for a productive year to continue our support of this impactful program.”
If you’d like to support the program by helping collect sap; or bottle, tag, or sell this season’s maple syrup, email Jon & Jane Moody at jandjmoody@msn.com or Kristen Pool at kjpool@gmail.com to added to the project contact list.
Growing Hope Globally is a Christian initiative that uses the proceeds from crops raised and sold in the U.S. to fund agricultural development programs overseas. The organization started in Ohio in 1999 and has blossomed into a network of community growing projects in more than 20 states, serving 2 million people around the world. The maple syrup project at Hiram Christian Church is one of twelve projects in the state. For more information, visit https://growinghopeglobally.org.
