AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills celebrated the start of Maine’s maple sugaring season by tapping the Blaine House maple tree.
Mills was joined by Amanda Beal, the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and Dunn Family Maple Farm Owner, and Maine Maple Producers Association President Scott Dunn.
"Last year was a down year," Mills said at the event. "We were basically, everything was closed down. This year we are open for business, we're open for people to shop and buy the goods."
The annual tradition sets the stage for Maine Maple Sunday Weekend and is an opportunity to pay tribute to an industry with an estimated production value of $21.6 million.
"Every sugar house is going to be doing something different. But this year is definitely going to be a different event as producers are doing their best to comply with covid requirements," Scott Dunn, president of the Maine Maple Producers Association, said.
The Maine maple industry's annual statewide economic contribution, including multiplier effects, is an estimated $48.7 million, with more than 800 full- and part-time jobs and $25.1 million in labor income.
Maine is the third-largest producer of maple syrup in America, with 580,000 gallons produced in 2019, and is home to the largest maple-producing county in the country – Somerset County.
Maine Maple Sunday Weekend is set for March 27-28. Participating sugar houses are taking steps to follow CDC guidelines and prepare their facilities and staff to welcome guests safely on site.
The full list of participating Maine Maple producers can be viewed HERE.