Get your fill of maple products March 16-17 during Maple Weekend
- by LaKeshia Knarr
- March 5, 2019
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Explore the Pine Creek Valley & PA Grand Canyon and the Dark Skies landscapes of the Pennsylvania Wilds while touring maple-producing farms and finding some of the best-tasting products from the region during the 15th Annual Maple Weekend.
Hosted by the Potter-Tioga Maple Producers Association, Maple Weekend provides an opportunity for individuals and families to take a road trip to visit as many maple farms as they desire. This year’s tour includes 17 participating farms across the two counties.
On March 16-17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., travelers will have the opportunity to take farm tours, learn about the unique history of the trade and facility, see demonstrations, and taste (or purchase!) pure maple products.
And you might be surprised by the variety of maple products out there! This tour is sure to expose you to more than just the traditional maple syrup often found at the breakfast table. From maple cotton candy and maple milkshakes, to maple lemonade and jellies, to maple salad dressings and barbecue sauces, these entrepreneurs know how to create tasty innovations!
For example, at Miller’s Purely Maple, located at 2766 Hills Creek Road in Wellsboro, you’ll find a mix of products, from maple-infused treats: crumb sugar, cream, coffee, jelly, granola, mustard, and even a rub — so you can add the sweetness to foods of your choosing.
While visiting Miller’s Purely Maple, participants will be able to see the shop and speak with Dale Miller, who owns and operates the company with his wife, Melanie. Dale and Melanie have been involved in the maple industry for nearly their entire lives. Dale dabbled in the trade before he met and married Melanie, whose family produced maple while she was growing up. Today, the couple oversees their own farm in Tioga County, which includes a sugar bush covering 570 acres and encompassing 7,000 taps.
Sap is collected using a tubing system that connects to the trees and runs underground. Once sap reaches the sugar house, it is processed into quality maple syrup over a wood fire. And other byproducts are made from there!
Each season, the Millers produce an average of 1,000 gallons of syrup, reaching a goal they set for themselves in the early days of their business. They’ve now set their sights on reaching 1,500 gallons each season.
The couple operates a small retail shop adjacent to their home year-round, and over the weekends in the summer you can find their sweet syrup products at their concession stand at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.
Maple farms participating in 2019 include:
Miller’s Purely Maple
2766 Hills Creek Road
Wellsboro, PA 16901
www.millersmaple.com/new/
Brydonson Farm
Coudersport, PA 16915
814-274-9680
Hamilton’s Maple Products
Ulysses, PA 16948
814-848-983
www.hamiltonspuremaple.com
Rathbun & Weber Maple & Honey Products
Shinglehouse, PA 16748
814-698-2481
Sons of Dunn Family Farm
Coudersport, PA 16915
814-274-7247
Sticky Bucket Maple
Sabinsville, PA 16943
814-628-2230
www.stickybucketmaple.com
Fitzgerald’s Family Farm
Coudersport, PA 16915
814-274-7825
www.fitzgeraldsfamilyfarm.blogspot.com
Wending Creek Farms
Coudersport, PA 16915
814-274-7280
Brookfield Maple
Westfield, PA 16950
814-367-5284
www.brookfieldmapleproducts.com
Patterson Farms
Westfield, PA 16950
814-628-3751
www.pattersonmaplefarms.com
Raker’s Sugar Bush
Liberty, PA 16930
570-324-2501
Triple D Maple
Middlebury Center, Pa 16935
814-258-7690
www.tripledhorsefarm.com
Jim & Dora Tice
Mainesburg, PA 16932
570-549-5257
Butler Family Maple
Tioga, PA 16946
570-835-4983
Asaph Maple Farms
Middlebury Center, PA 16935
570-376-3191
Lynn & Carol Mitstifer & Family
Liberty, PA 16930
570-324-3745
Sunrise Maple
Westfield, PA 16950
814-367-7811
814-628-3110
For more information, including specific addresses, descriptions of activities at each farm, and a tour map, visit www.pamaple.com/2019-maple-weekend.html.
Photos featured in this article of Miller’s Purely Maple were taken by photographer Bill Crowell / Budget Artist for the Creative Makers of the Pennsylvania Wilds – A Traveling Public Art Show. Both are members of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania, a network of artisans and producers from the Pennsylvania Wilds. You can learn more about the Creative Makers Exhibit and purchase images from the show at pawilds.shop/collections/creative-makers-exhibit.
For more information about the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania, visit www.wildscopa.org.
