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New York Farm Viability Institute

A Strong Future for New York Agriculture

Project Profiles

NYFVI Project Sweetens Markets for New York’s Maple Producers

Converting maple syrup into confections - sugar cakes, maple cream, lollipops, cotton candy, etc. - can increase producer income four- to five-fold. A significant amount of New York syrup, however, leaves the state in bulk barrels, says New York State Maple Producers Association President Dwayne Hill. A 2004 Cornell University survey shows only 30 percent of New York’s producers make maple cream and molded sugar products, less than 10 percent make confections, and only 8.8 percent of the producers’ gross income comes from value-added product sales.

Stepping up to provide producers with training in value-added production, a quality standards handbook and more is a New York Farm Viability Institute-funded project team that includes Cornell University Maple Specialist Steve Childs, Cornell Maple Program Director Brian Chabot, Arnot Forest Director Peter Smallidge, Uihlein Maple Research Station Director Michael Farrell, NYS Food Venture Center Director Olga Padilla-Zakour, NY FarmNet/FarmLink Director Steve Richards, Brian Henehan and Judith Barry of Cornell’s Business Business Structure Assistance Program, and a dozen NYSMPA member-producers.

The team is:
• researching to determine the most marketable value-added maple products
• evaluating product quality testing tools
• drafting, testing, and publishing Maple Value-Added Product Guidelines
• offering 6 hands-on Maple Confections & Value-Added Workshops in Fall 2006
• in 2007, offering Pricing & Profit Training workshops built with producers’ input

• training 5 Cornell Cooperative Extension educators in value-added product development
• looking long-range to a cooperative marketing effort to supply value-added products to urban/suburban retailers.

The workshops offer producers the opportunity to evaluate the production techniques and economics of making, pricing, and selling new and high quality products.

New Yorkers consume significantly more maple products than are produced in New York. Project leaders believe producers can increase their incomes ten to thirty percent in two to three years’ time through value-added products and improved marketing. Smallidge says, “The New York Farm Viability Institute’s funding of this project and the producers’ enthusiasm put that goal easily within reach.”

For More Info:
Steve Childs, Cornell University 607-255-1658

Value-Added Brings Sweet Success to NY Maple Producer: click here for a profile on Merle Maple