March is around the corner and that means the March Maple Madness Driving Tour is ready to roll. The tour is sponsored by the Ohio Maple Producers Association and maple producers across Ohio. The event takes place March 12 & 13, 19 & 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year there are 40 stops in Geauga County, Ashtabula County, Portage County, Lake County and across Ohio that will be open for the free, drive-it-yourself tour. Experienced sugar makers will be on hand to answer questions and conduct the tours.
Several Saturday only stops are Amish sugarhouses. Dress for the weather with coats and boots.
A complete tour stop list will be available at each stop or can be printed off at www.ohiomapleproducers.com. Some of the stops will be small operations where enough sweet, golden syrup is made for the family’s annual needs and some are large commercial operations.
New to the tour this year are Hale Farm, Hueston Woods and Hancock County Park District. The Burton area will also have a bus to select sugarhouses, fee charged. For complete bus information visit www.ridethebigbus.com.
For more information on the tour or maple production, contact Terese Volkmann, Tour Chair, 440-834-1415, or Volkmann@simcon.net.
Maple syrup is made in only a very small part of the entire world. Geauga County and northeast Ohio are in the heart of this amazing area. Maple syrup production in northeast Ohio dates back to Native Americans who tapped the maple tree each spring to make sweet sugar. The tradition continued, beginning with early settlers and has survived today.
Visit a maple operation during the 2010 March Maple Madness Driving Tour and learn about pure maple syrup.
