September 29, 2021 / Montpelier VT - The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, along with several partners, are bringing together the maple industry, specialty products, and maple-inspired activities in a statewide campaign offering visitors and Vermonters alike the chance to rediscover favorite Vermont maple snacks, treats and local products, as well as discover new ways to enjoy Vermont's sweetest treat.
“The sugar maple brightens our Vermont hillsides each fall. It’s a colorful reminder how sweet this tree is,” Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said. “Without the sugar maple, there is no Vermont maple. Maple 100 is a unique way for people to think about maple even though it’s not sugaring season.”
Visit a new or cherished destination you’ve never seen and then drop by a brewery or distillery to see how they use maple. Combine a bike ride with a visit to a sugarhouse or farm stand. Pick out a favorite maple creemee from a local general store or along your way home from a hike in a Vermont State Park. Try maple cheddar and hot sauce for a sweet and spicy twist to your next grilled cheese or add maple candy crumbled into your favorite cookie recipe for an added burst of flavor. The possibilities never end.
This year, sugarmakers at Gagne Maple in Swanton developed a “Super Maple Adventure” for visitors taking in the world’s best foliage and wanting to learn more about Vermont maple. The sugarhouse tours start with a hay wagon ride to the woods where you can learn how syrup is made starting at the tree. There’s a self-guided “Woods Walk,” kids activities and of course the best part, maple tasting.
“We have locals as well as people from out of town, Connecticut, New York, Georgia,” said Jason Gagne. “We gave them a tour of the sugarhouse, let them try all the things we make like maple meatballs, donuts and creemees.”
The fall celebration of all things inspired by and tied to the famous sugar maple in Vermont is a chance to explore countless maple activities, adventures, and maple-inspired products across the state. The Maple 100 encourages Vermonters and visitors to uncover a wonderfully unexpected side of maple.
Find out more at VTMaple100.com, including details about featured local businesses, specialty products, recipes, and download a Maple 100 Bingo Card to join in on the fun. Sample and savor. Learn and mingle with makers. Get lost in discovering something new. There’s more to maple!
Contact: Julia Scheier | Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
802-522-7042 // Julia.Scheier@vermont.gov