Get Ready for Maine Maple Sunday Weekend, March 21 & 22

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

You know, the Blaine House grounds have long been home to a big maple tree in the front yard. And for many years, Maine governors have tapped that tree every spring for sap to be boiled into delicious maple syrup. This year, I carried on that tradition to honor the people who run the nearly two million taps and who produce more than 575,000 gallons of maple syrup in our state every year.

Those hard working folks have made Maine the fourth largest producer of maple syrup in the country. Producing and selling maple syrup generates more than $56 million in economic activity, and it provides more than 800 full-time and part-time jobs every year across the state. Well, if you've ever been to a sap house, you know how hard and fast those people have to work.

One of my favorite Maine traditions is the annual Maine Maple Sunday Weekend, which honors these folks and the maple syrup products they produce. During the 43rd Annual Maine Maple Sunday Weekend, which will be this year on March 21 and 22, sugar shacks across the state will open their doors for boiling demonstrations, and sugar woods tours, and live music, horse-drawn hay rides, pancake breakfasts, maple doughnuts, maple ice cream, maple salsa, maple whoopie pies, and plenty of maple products to sample and share. Bring your appetite!

You might also share your own maple syrup recipes with your local sugar shack, and it could be published in the Maine Maple Producers Association's cookbook. Whether you prefer dark and rich, or pale gold, or other delicious flavors, there's a maple syrup for everyone's taste.

I hope you'll join me in visiting one of our extraordinary sugar houses during Maine Maple Sunday weekend, the 21st and 22nd of March. A full list of participating sugar houses can be found online at MaineMapleProducers.com. That's MaineMapleProducers.com.

And when you go to the grocery store, be sure to ask for Maine-produced maple syrup. Since 2015, maple syrup has been Maine's official State Sweetener.

Whether you use your own Maine maple syrup on pancakes, or waffles, or carrots, or Brussels sprouts, [in] barbecue sauce, or on traditional maple snow candy, Maine maple syrup always makes life a little bit sweeter.

I look forward to seeing you at a sugar house this Maine Maple Sunday.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.