Greetings from your President

Our Fall Tour is now past. We had a good day of fellowship and the sharing of information and ideas. Craig and Sandy Arnold were the organizers who did a fantastic job. The Thumb region had three inches of rain on Friday. Saturday was cool and overcast, but the rain stayed away. We would like to thank our fellow producers who opened their woods and sugarhouses to us. They were Rick Peters & Karen, Gerald & Katherine Nelson, Craig & Sandy Arnold, Steve & Sue Whitman and Robert & Darlene Nelson. A big THANK YOU to all for another fine tour.

Twenty-three folks from Michigan and four from Indiana took the bus trip to Burlington Vermont where they attended the Maple 2000 conference. This is the joint meeting of the NAMSC and IMSI. Vermont went all out for this meeting. There were business meetings for the two groups, tours, technical sessions, equipment displays and plenty of food. Special thanks to Mary Douglass for organizing the bus trip and making all the arrangements. All who went are already talking about doing the same next year. The 2001 meeting is scheduled for October 20-24 in St. Cloud Minnesota. Debbie Thomas was appointed to head up next year's trip.

One topic from the NAMSC meeting that should be of concern to all of us is the Research Fund. This fund is a source of monies for research projects relating to the maple syrup industry. The new small spout is an example of this kind of research. This fund is financed by a voluntary contribution of one-cent per container by producers, suppliers, or dealers. This has been included in the price you pay for your jugs and was paid to the NAMSC by the manufacturer. Some would list it on their invoice or include it in the catalog prices. Unfortunately, with the increased use of glass which comes from various sources, new jug manufacturers, and new dealers starting up, there is a great deal of confusion on who pays. This has resulted in greatly reduced revenues for the NAMSC Research Fund. Research is very critical to our maple industry. Please ask your dealer if they are making the one-cent per container contribution. If they are not, please encourage them to do so. Or, you can make that contribution yourself Contributions can be mailed to Michael Girard NAMSC Research Fund Treasurer, 39 Old Mill Court, Simsbury, CT 06070.

The 41st Annual meeting of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association will be held Saturday, January 20, 2001 at the Doherty Hotel in Clare. The format for the meeting is much the same as in the past. The room setup will be changed during the lunch break. We will then have two periods of four breakout sessions in the afternoon, with some sessions repeating. These sessions will be,

1. Someone from the Michigan Department of Agriculture will be there to review the new food laws passed this spring.
2. A lawyer will give a presentation on the benefits of making your operation a Limited Liability Corporation.
3. We hope to have Dr. Tim Perkins, the new Director of the Proctor Maple Research Center, University of Vermont, discuss the various research projects under way at the Center, including the small spout and tubing studies.
4. The always-popular beginner’s session.
5. Making candy and cream.
6. What's new in the sugar bush.

Steve Youdes will again be heading up the maple syrup and candy contest. Don't forget to bring your best maple syrup, cream and candy. The rules were published in the winter newsletter last year. Copies will be available at the meeting.

Gerald and Leola Lundstrum of Nashville will be honored with special recognition and lifetime membership in the Association. They have been Maple Syrup makers most of their lives. Gerald and Leola were one of the featured producers in our video. They have been involved with the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival for many, many years. They recently retired and sold their operation, but remain active in the Festival activities.

We hope to see you all in January 2001.

Larry Haigh
President, Michigan Maple Syrup Association