BRATTLEBORO — The Windham County Maple Association will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m., in the Community Room of the Brattleboro Savings & Loan, 221 Main St.
Mike Farrell, director of the Uihlein Forest/Cornell University Department of Natural Resources, will touch on some of the main topics in his newly released book, The Sugarmaker's Companion, including pricing and selling maple sap, marketing to create a profitable business model, and tapping birch trees for birch syrup production. He will also have copies of his book available for sale.
Also, Tom McCrumm, owner of South Face Farm in Ashfield, Mass., and J.P. Welch, owner of Justamere Tree Farm in Worthington, Mass., will share the benefits and drawbacks of solar-power-assisted sugaring operations. They will explain how the setup works, how net metering works, and what grants and incentives may be available to Vermont producers. They will also speak on how the finances worked out for their individual systems.
There will also be an election of officers, and an election of delegates to represent the county at the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association's member meeting. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.