Maple Syrup History of Maple Syrup A Chief

Maple Syrup

History of Maple Syrup • A Chief threw his tomahawk into a sugar maple tree trunk • The sap started to run down the bark from the cut • Thinking the clear sap was water, the Chief’s wife poured it in with some meat she was cooking • As the water boiled away, a sticky sweet glaze formed on the meat, adding a wonderfully sweet maple flavor

The Story Lives On • Native Peoples continued to boil down the sap every spring • Early explorers record maple sugar as the only source of energy sustaining Native Peoples over long hard winter months • Settler came with metal tools and drilled small holes in the trees and traded the Native Peoples wooden troughs for buckets with covers • As maple sugaring evolved, arches were built containing the heat. Buildings to house the ‘boilers’ was the next step • Sugarhouses today still resemble those structures

Preparing for Maple Syrup • In February, the sugarmakers tap the trees. • After the taphole is drilled, a spout with a bucket and hook or bag is placed in the hole • March and April is sugaring season!

Sugaring Season • The warmer temperatures coax sugar maple trees to turn stored starch back into sugar • Sap is made as the tree mixes ground water with the sugar. • Sap is mostly crystal clear water with about 2% sugar. • 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of maple syrup • Sugaring season lasts about 4 -6 weeks • Must be below freezing at night and about 40 -45 degrees during the day

Watching the sugaring process…. • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=r. VXe. BOl 4 f. XY • Making Maple Syrup Part II • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=_tidds 7_g. DM

That’s a little about Maple Syrup!

Christmas Trees

Quick Facts • Approximately 25 -30 million Real Christmas Trees are sold in the U. S. every year • Almost 350 million currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U. S. • Grown in all 50 states • For every tree harvested, 1 to 3 seedlings are planted the following spring • About 15, 000 farms growing trees and over 100, 000 people employed by the industry • Average growing time is 7 years

Quick Facts • Top producing states include: • Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington • Most common species are: • Balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine • First written record of decorated tree was in 1510 • In the 1800 s, the Christmas Tree was introduced to the U. S. by German settlers

Christmas Trees in WI • 1387 farms with over 36, 000 acres of trees • About 1. 8 million trees are harvested annually and over 600, 000 wreaths and garland made each year • The economic impact of the Christmas tree industry is over $50 million annually • Wisconsin ranks #5 in number of trees harvested • An acre of Christmas trees provides for the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people

Careers in Christmas Trees • Seasonal work includes: • • Tree planters in the spring Shearing crews to prune the branches Harvesting crews in the fall Salespeople from Thanksgiving until Christmas Wreath and decoration makers Crop consultants Growers

More facts • To ready for harvest: each tree is cut, shaken to remove dead needles and then baled using a machine which presses the branches against the trunk • The net or twine used to bale the trees help protect the tree and make it easier to handle for shipping • Some plant small trees in pots • The trees are renewable and help stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=OU 9 GBg. D_f. KY

Be Prepared for a quiz on Apples, Maple Syrup and Christmas Trees tomorrow