Date: Thursday March 26th

Time: 1-4 pm

Cost: Free, but registration is required

Minnesota’s forests provide wonderful gifts that can be responsibly harvested, including maple syrup. Join this UMN Extension workshop to learn about the history of maple sugaring in our region, the process for harvesting sap and turning it into syrup, and best practices for maple sugaring with tree health in mind. We will tour a homestead scale sugarbush and learn from local sugarmakers who have been stewarding their sugarbush for 40 years! This workshop is targeted at beginners but sugarmakers of all levels are welcome.

Location: We will meet at the Cook County Community Center for an introduction and classroom portion of this workshop, then travel as a group (using participant’s personal vehicles) to a local sugarbush for an outdoor tour. The sugarbush site is a 20 min drive from the Community Center on both paved and gravel roads. The program will conclude at the sugarbush.

Be Prepared: 

Please bring note taking supplies, a water bottle, and outdoor clothing for winter- we will be walking through potentially deep snow at the sugarbush, snowshoes will be helpful if you have them. 

There are no restrooms available at the sugarbush site, there will be an opportunity to use the restrooms at the Community Center before we travel to the sugarbush.

If you have mobility or any other accessibility concerns, please contact Sarah Waddle at swaddle@umn.edu preferably two weeks in advance of the workshop date so we can arrange for accommodations.