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Terry Laubisch
Maple Scholarship Announced |

Photo by Tom Rivers
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The NYS Maple Foundation's Terry Laubisch Maple Scholarship returns for 2019. All applications for the scholarship must be postmarked by March 15th. Any high school senior with a connection to a NYS maple operation (either as a family member or employee) and is planning to attend a two or four year college beginning in fall 2019, should consider applying.
Applications and guidelines are available on request from Mary Jeanne Packer (518-854-7669) or via download below.
The annual scholarship was established in 2016 in memory of Terry Laubisch, and provides $500 each to three different winners. “Terry was very passionate about promoting maple syrup and getting youth involved in the industry,” said Dave Campbell, Vice President of the NYS Maple Foundation. “We thought this was a fitting way to honor his memory. He'd be proud to see the quality of youth that are applying for this scholarship.” Funds from the scholarship are payable after the first semester of freshman year for winners.
Winners of the 2018 Scholarship include KristiAnn Frank of Verona, NY, Makayla Spicer of Marcellus, NY, and Alex Birchmore of Granville, NY. “Applicants come from all across the state,” said Campbell. “And the operations that these youths are coming from range from small hobbyist setups to businesses with more than 2,000 taps. But they all have the same passion for maple syrup, regardless of the size operation they come from.”
The New York State Maple Foundation is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to plan and coordinate training for maple producers so they can increase their efficiency and competitiveness, and to identify and support maple-related research. The foundation also works to inform and educate the public of the diversity and quality of the state's maple products, of how the industry has changed in NYS throughout the years and the environmental sensitivity needed to maintain a healthy sugar bush during maple production.
Funding for Foundation programs, including the Laubisch Scholarship, comes from donations made to the Foundation when producers purchase Taste the Tradition™ branded maple syrup jugs available through local maple sugaring supply dealers and produced by Sugarhill Container for the NYS Maple Foundation.
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THREE SCHOOLS WIN MAPLE SYRUP CONTEST AND EXPERIENCE A SWEET JOURNEY
New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York State Maple Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Schoolyard Sugaring: Maple Syrup Contest. In this contest, students and teachers were exposed to the time, patience, and science it takes to turn sap into syrup by participating in every step of the maple syrup production process from tapping the trees to bottling the syrup.
Over seventy K-12 teachers initially registered their classrooms to participate, and each classroom was equipped with a book, lesson plans, and an empty syrup jug to fill with their syrup and return for judging. We would especially like to thank Sugarhill Container, a division of Hillside Plastics, who donated the 1/2 pint “Taste the Tradition” branded jugs for each class to fill up with their own maple syrup. . Read full press release on winners here.
Winning Maple Photographs

Elementary Division – Town of Webb UFSD, Jeremiah Best (left)
Middle School Division – Malone Middle School, Kitty Eldridge & The STEAM Team (right)

High School Division – OCM BOCES, Chad DeVoe
On behalf of both New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York State Maple Foundation, we thank you for your participation in this inaugural contest! We hope to have you participate next year.
Foundation Projects Planned for 2018
- Support for the Cornell Maple Program
- Donation to the American Maple Museum.
- Donation to the North American Maple Syrup Council Maple Research Fund that generates seed money for universities and institutions that perform research benefiting the entire maple industry.
- The month of March in the NY Farm Bureau Foundation's academic year calendar that is distributed to teachers all across New York State.
- Contribution to the NY Ag in the Classroom Program’s new Schoolyard Sugaring Project.
- Terry Laubisch Maple Scholarship
The Foundation accepts applications for grants to support maple-related education, communication, and research projects throughout the year. Download from sidebar.
New York Agriculture in the Classroom

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Highlights of 2010-2016 Foundation Accomplishments |
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For two days in September 2016, director Remi Link spoke with 805 students from Oneida County at Conservation Education Days held at Delta Lake State Park near Rome, NY. Her program was on the importance of maple sap as a renewable resource and how does the “sugar” get into the sap. |
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New for 2016 is the Terry Laubisch Maple Scholarships. Three seniors who started college in the fall of 2016 were awarded this grant. |
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Over 800 6th grade students participated in the Oneida County Conservation Education Days. The two day event, held on September 2015, was a huge success. Student learned about wildlife, invasive species, recycling, sporting activities and maple trees as an important renewable resource. A program identifying native species of maple trees, discussing photosynthesis and pressure inside the trees was given by Remi Link of Link Maple Farm. |
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In 2012, the Foundation sponsored permanent Maple Education Trail Signs at the NYS FFA Oswegatchie Educational Center in Crogan, NY. These signs provide historical information as well as interesting maple facts that visitors can read as they walk along the trail and tour the facility. |

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In April 2011, hundreds of students from five different elementary schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx had an opportunity to learn about the process of maple production from tapping a tree to canning maple syrup from Billie Pickert of Springhill Maple Farm. Her educational trip was partially sponsored by the NYSMF. For the littlest Pre-K children, finger plays and songs about the maple tree kept their attention, while the older students learned about the science involved in making syrup. Most adults as well as students were surprised to learn it takes at least 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Children were able to “tap” a tree and experience firsthand the two ways to gather sap: buckets and tubing. All enjoyed her power point presentation that “invites” everyone into the process from the sugarbush to the sugarhouse through pictures on her farm. |
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2100 pieces of Pure NY Maple
Sugar were served in the box lunches at the commissioning of the USS New
York into the US Navy Nov. 7, 2011, in New York City.
The USS
New York (left) is made from 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that
include special operations against terrorists. The ship's motto? 'Never
Forget'.
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2018 Directors (as elected
1/17/18) -3 year terms
Click here for Director Volunteer Application
President
Mike Hill, Valley Road Maple Farm (Upper Hudson) (Term expires Jan 2019) 518-623-9783 maple1@nycap.rr.com
Vice-President
Dave Campbell, Mapleland Farms (Upper Hudson) (Term expires Jan. 2020)
(518) 854-7669 DAVE@MAPLELANDFARMS.COM
Treasurer
Remi Link, Link Maple Products (Lewis Co.) (Term expires Jan. 2021)
315-336-3030 linkmaplefarm@gmail.com
Secretary
Remi Link, Link Maple Products (Lewis Co.) (Term expires Jan. 2021)
(315) 336-3030 linkmaplefarm@gmail.com
James Hotaling, Smokey Hollow Maple Products (Central) (Term expires Jan 2021)
(315) 689-9833 jhotaling@cayugaswcd.org
Dan Weed, Schoolyard Sugarbush (Central) (Term expires Jan. 2019)
(315) 567-9900 daniweed@yahoo.com
Sarah Peavey, Cornell Ag Education Program Specialist (Education) (Term expires Jan. 2020)
slp279@cornell.edu
Dan Beasley, Sweet Trees Maple (Central) (Term expires Jan. 2021)
315-481-4060 rmadillo5@aol.com
David Swan, Homestead Maple (Northeast) (Term expires Jan. 2022)
518-846-3192 homesteadmaple@hotmail.com
The mission of the NYS
Maple Foundation is to plan and coordinate training for beginning and
established maple producers in order to increase their efficiency and
competitiveness; to inform and educate the public in order to increase
awareness and appreciation of the diversity and quality of the state's
maple products, of how maple products were made in NYS historically, of
how that process has changed over time, and the environmental
sensitivity with which sugar bushes are managed and syrup is produced; and
to identify and support maple-related
research.
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