WEST CHAZY — Parker Family Maple Farm had the honor of kicking off this coming maple month for the entire state of New York Friday.
As a symbolic and celebratory gesture, owners Michael and Laura Parker had New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball and Assemblymember Michael Cashman (D-Plattsburgh) tap one of their many maple trees.
TRADITIONS
Laura said their farm no longer regularly taps trees using this method; instead, most of their taps are all on high-vacuum tubing lines, so everything is “modern, sanitary and food safe.”
However, the old fashioned way makes for a good demonstration to see if the sap is flowing, she said.
“It’s really important to us to represent everyone from the smaller backyard maple producers to the large ones, like us, that are commercial size,” she said. “But with that size, we also keep in mind the traditions and the culture of our community.”
The West Chazy farm has been around since 1889, producing and selling maple syrup to the local community.
Over the years, it has grown so much, they are now one of the largest maple producers in the state and country. In January, Parker Family Maple Farm was even named New York State Agricultural Society’s 2026 Business of the Year.
“Maple is a huge part of the culture in this area and traditions. Many families have a history and still are producing maple syrup,” Laura said. “So we’ve got deep roots in this area, and we really hope that we can encourage that going into the future.”
MAPLE WEEKENDS
Representatives from the New York Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District, North Country Chamber of Commerce, as well as members of the Northern Adirondack Central School FFA were also in attendance for Friday’s kick off of Maple Month this March.
The event, Ball said, hopefully raised awareness about maple weekends being hosted by farms across the state.
This year, maple weekends run March 21-22 and March 28-29.
During these weekends, maple producers will open their sugarhouses for tours, tastings, demonstrations and more.
“All across the state, there’ll be people going to sugar shacks, and they’ll be seeing the smoke rise out the chimney. They’ll have a chance to talk to a family farmer, they have a chance to try some maple syrup, maple candy, maybe have a breakfast,” Ball said. “It’s a good opportunity to acquaint New Yorkers and connect the dots between our producers and our consumers.”
“We love to share the wonder of maple season in the spring with everyone during the maple weekends,” Laura said.
She said one of the main takeaways she wants people to gain from visiting during maple season is to really appreciate how maple production is such an integral part of the agricultural landscape in this area.
“When people think of agriculture, they typically may think of a farmer with grain and cows and livestock, whereas maple producing farms are still farms,” Laura said.
“We are tapping the trees that are naturally in the forest, but part of what we make comes from nature — it comes from those trees. So we need that sap. It’s our whole livelihood here on our farm, as well as for many other farms in this area.”
Ball said maple is the first agricultural crop of the season, and the industry is an important economic driver in the state, with New York ranking second in the country for maple production. State maple producers made 829,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2025.
Ball said maple brings in $30 million for the state annually. The maple weekends are usually the beginning of the season and a “shot in the arm” for farms..
New York is also home to the largest resource of tappable maple trees within the United States and more than 2,000 maple sugar makers, Ball said.
Parker Marple Farm is up to over 110,000 taps and producing over 50,000 gallons of maple syrup per year.
Due to the size of the farm, Laura said they usually start tapping around January and finish in February. Sap season begins shortly after and runs until mid-April, with March being the main part of it.
“We’re just really dependent on temperatures. We’re very weather centric with this agricultural product,” she said.
“We need it to be above freezing because the sap is mostly water for that to flow and then freezing at night, so the trees maintain their cycle that produces the sap. But it can be a little bit nerve wracking to get just the right balance every year.”
BUDGET
Because of the importance maple farmers have in agriculture, Cashman said that in the assembly, they are going to make sure there is a “strong, robust budget that puts agriculture at the center of the work that we’re doing.”
“It’s not just the North Country tradition that we’re experiencing, it is about a livelihood, a multi-generational livelihood,” Cashman said about Parker Family Maple.
“And what you’ve done and what you continue to commit to is an inspiration by example because you lean in with heart and hands, and you do so much. Thank you for everything that you continue to do.”