BROOKINGS, S.D. – SDSU Extension and McCrory Gardens in Brookings will host their annual maple syrup and tree tapping workshop on March 23, 2024.
The Maple Syrup Workshop is from 10 a.m. to noon in the great hall of McCrory Gardens, giving participants a hands-on tutorial on collecting sap from maple trees. The first 100 participants to attend will get a free bucket and tapping system, provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Acer Access and Development Program. The event is free to attend.
John Ball, professor, SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist, will give a presentation on collecting sap and will demonstrate “Sap on Tap” to provide sap samples.
Unlike previous years, participants won’t tap the maple trees on location. Ball said last summer’s dry weather stressed the trees; tapping trees leaves hole wounds, and the stress would leave those open holes vulnerable to infection.
“We are giving the trees a rest this year,” Ball said. “A homeowner putting a tap or two into a tree would not have the same level of concern.”
Participants can still practice putting a tap into tree stumps, with materials and guidance provided by SDSU Extension Master Gardener Perry Johnson. The day will also include coloring pages for youth participants and ample time to ask questions of the presenters and Chris Schlenker, McCrory Gardens Director of Horticulture and Grounds.
“It’s a good workshop for all ages and abilities to come learn about the whole process and maybe gain a new idea or two,” said Sydney Trio, education coordinator at McCrory Gardens and SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant.
The event started in 2011 as a collaboration among SDSU Extension horticulture and forestry experts Peter Schaefer, Rhoda Burrows and David Graper – also the former director of McCrory Gardens – to demonstrate the feasibility of maple syrup production in South Dakota.
Schaefer’s vision to see small-scale commercial maple syrup production in the state has been realized in McCrory Gardens’ own maple syrup. Trio said stock is low due to decreased sap production in 2023, but there will be samples at the workshop. McCrory Maple ice cream, recently created by the SDSU Dairy Bar using the popular local syrup, will also be available to sample and purchase.
For more information, contact Sydney Trio, education coordinator at McCrory Gardens and SDSU Extension Horticulture Assistant.
