MAPLE 2008 North American Maple Syrup Council (NAMSC) International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI)

Transcription

1 MAPLE 2008 Announcing the 2008 Annual Meetings of the North American Maple Syrup Council (NAMSC) International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI) October 24-27, 2008 Amherst, Massachusetts The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association looks forward to welcoming you to our state for these annual meetings. An interesting and varied schedule of events have been planned for your enjoyment. In addition to the NAMSC & IMSI business meetings, we will have technical sessions reporting on the latest research in the field of maple; as well as some non-technical workshops on topics such as wildlife damage in the sugarbush, use of GPS, marketing via the gift basket business and other topics of interest to maple sugaring families. Tours will include visits to some local sugarhouses, the Sugarhill maple syrup jug manufacturing plant, a combination computerized sawmill/educational facility, a community food processing center for speciality foods, and other stops. A Saturday companion tour will offer visits to a butterfly conservatory, Historic Old Deerfield, the Yankee Candle facility, the Amherst College Natural History Museum, and/or other stops. Tuesday October 28 th is departure day, but a number of nearby sugarhouses will be open for a self-guided tour for those interested. Directions will be available at the registration desk. There will be a trade show of all types of equipment of interest to the maple producer, farmer, and forester; as well as many educational displays. A buffet dinner will be featured as part of the opening night of the trade show. We will have a special room set aside for a display of maple antiques and collections, as well as some hours set aside for collectors to talk and trade. If you have a collection of spouts, tins, molds, or other maple artifacts; please bring them (along with your spares to trade). Display tables will be available, the room will be staffed during the opening hours and will be locked at night for security. All of the events in connection with the annual meetings are being held at the University of Massachusetts Campus Center, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Amherst is conveniently located a short drive from both the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-91. For air travelers, Bradley Airport is about 40 minutes away. The Campus Center facility includes the Campus Center Hotel, where a block of rooms is being held for this meeting. Please contact the Campus Center Hotel directly to make hotel room reservations. Their phone number is (413) , Ext Please make your reservations as soon as possible, as they are undergoing renovations this summer, and not all of their rooms will available. Be sure to specify you are with the North American Maple Syrup Council group in order to get the special rate. Request a room from block #1801. Additional hotel rooms are also being reserved for us at these two facilities: Howard Johnson, and Econo Lodge, both located about 5 minutes away on Rte 9 in Hadley, Massachusetts. Please contact them at: Howard Johnson, ; and EconoLodge, Be sure to identify yourself as part of the maple producers group to receive the best rate. A map and directions to the Campus Center facility will be included with your conference confirmation. Some of the tours will be on a "first come, first served" basis, so be sure to register early if you want to be assured of a space on a tour. The registration deadline for the conference is September 15th. An additional fee will be charged for registration after that date. A tentative agenda is included with this announcement. Please pick up your complete and detailed agenda when you check into the conference registration area. If you have any questions about registration, please call Bill Markham, Registration Committee Chairman, at (413) You can Bill at: bill_markham55@yahoo.com. For any other questions about the conference, meetings or tours, please call Tom McCrumm, Mass. Maple Association Coordinator, at (413) ; info@massmaple.org.

2 REGISTRATION FORM Annual NAMSC and IMSI Meetings October 24-27, Amherst, Massachusetts Please make hotel reservations directly: Information enclosed Name or names Address City, State/Province Telephone & The meeting registration fee is all inclusive (except the Saturday companions tour and your hotel room). The fee covers all of the meals, meetings, functions, trade show, technical presentations, workshops, tours, entrance fees, etc. Fee per person Number of people Total $ Full registration (before Sept. 15, 2008) $ Full registration (after Sept. 15, 2008) $ Single day registration $ Friday evening trade show and dinner only: Adults $22.00 Children (under 16) $12.00 Banquet Dinner choice: Prime Rib Stuffed Chicken Grilled Salmon Monday Banquet only $28.00 Saturday Companion Tour with lunch $45.00 Total Remittance in US Dollars Please makes checks payable to : Mass Maple Mail registration to: Bill Markham, NAMSC registrations, P.O. Box 67, Glendale, MA Please check here if you plan to bring a display of your maple antiques.... (Schedule subject to minor changes, a complete & detailed time schedule will be available at the registration desk) Friday, Oct. 24, :00 - Registration Desk opens, Trade Show set up, syrup and photo contest entries accepted, collections room open 1:00pm IMSI Directors meeting 3:00pm Maple Specialists/Extension meeting 3:00 9:00pm Trade Show open 5:00pm NAMSC Directors meeting 7:00 9:00pm Trade Show & Dinner Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008 Companion Tour, NAMSC General Business meeting, workshops Afternoon: IMSI Directors meeting (con t as needed), technical sessions, non-technical workshops Sunday October 26, 2008 Afternoon: Technical sessions NAMSC General Business meeting (con t as needed), NASS report, workshops, IMSI General Business meeting Monday October 27, 2008 Busses leave for all day tour Evening: Social hour and closing banquet Tuesday October 28, 2008 Departure day, local sugarhouse open for visitors

3 2008 NAMSC Maple Photo Contest The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association invites you to enter your best sugaring photographs in a competition of maple sugaring photographs from throughout the maple region. Contest Guidelines 1. Photos must include a clearly identifiable object or activity directly related to the process of making maple syrup or maple products. These can be applicable nature images, pictures of people involved in sugaring, sugarhouse/sugarbush scenes, product images, or your own creative design. The three categories are described below on the entry form. Winning entries from previous NAMSC/IMSI photo contests are not permitted. 2. Photos are to have been taken by the entrant who is a member of the NAMSC, the IMSI, or a member of an affiliated state or provincial maple producers association, and who is not a professional photographer. 3. The following film formats will be accepted: Glossy color print, glossy black and white print, digital print taken with a camera resolution greater than 3.2 megapixels. No slides or posters may be entered. 4. Prints must be mounted on a flat, rigid board or similarly matted. No folders or glass frames allowed. Minimum print size is 5 x 7 (13cm x 18cm). Maximum mount size is 12 x 17 (30cm x 40cm). 5. Prints must have the entrants name and address on the back. Prints may be titled on the front. Prints with the entrants name on the front will not be accepted. 6. Only one entry per category will be accepted. 7. Photographs will be judged by The People s Choice procedure. All those attending the maple conference will get a chance to vote on their favorites until Monday afternoon October 27 th. 8. Selected entries may be published in official publications of the NAMSC and on their website Entry Form Maple Photo Contest Farm or Sugarbush Name: Producer Name: Mailing address: Phone and Category If registered for full conference $3.00 Nature, landscapes, sugarhouses $ $ Maple people on the job, in the sugarbush $ $ Creative maple photography, close ups, unique $ $ perspectives, digital photo manipulations Total Payment Due $ $ If not registered for full conference $5.00 Make payment out to Mass Maple Association Please bring your entries and this entry form with you to the registration desk. You may mail the photos, check and entry form in advance if you prefer. They must be received by October 15, Ship to: Massachusetts Maple Producers Association 755 Watson Spruce Corner Rd. Ashfield, MA Questions? - Contact Tom McCrumm, or tom@massmaple.org

4 2008 NAMSC Maple Syrup & Confections Contest Who has the best maple products this year? Enter your best Pure Maple Syrup and confections from 2008 in a contest at the fall NAMSC meeting. Bring a pint or half liter sample for each grade entered. You do not have to be registered for the conference to submit an entry. All entries must be produced by you in 2008 and become the property of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association. Syrup will be judged on USDA grades of color, density, clarity, and flavor (See the separate Syrup & Confections Contest Guidelines). All syrup will be placed in similar glass containers without labels for judging, and will be on display during the conference. All winners will be announced at the NAMSC banquet on Monday October 27th, Awards will be given to the winners in each category (Light Amber, Medium Amber, and Dark Amber; or the Canadian equivalent). The cost for each entry will be $4.00 (U.S. Dollars) if you attend the conference. If you do not attend, the entry fee will be $8.00. Make check payable to Mass Maple Association and bring the payment, entry form and your entries to the conference registration desk by Friday evening October 24 th, If you want to send in your contest entry ahead of time, ship to: Massachusetts Maple Producers Association 755 Watson Spruce Corner Rd. Ashfield, MA If you ship your entry, please do so well in advance. We strongly suggest that syrup be packed in tin or plastic and wrapped securely. The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association is not responsible for damaged or lost entries, or for shipped entries not received by the deadline of 4pm, Monday October 20, It is probably best to bring your syrup and confection entry personally Entry Form Maple Syrup and Confection Contest Farm or Sugarbush Name: Producer Name: Mailing address: Phone and Grade / Category If registered for full conference $4.00 Syrup (Light Amber, Canada Extra Light) $ $ Syrup (Medium Amber, Canada Light) $ $ Syrup (Dark Amber, Canada Medium) $ $ Maple Candy (Molded Soft Sugar) $ $ Maple Cream (Maple Spread) $ $ Total Payment Due $ $ Make payment out to Mass Maple Association Questions? - Contact Tom McCrumm, or tom@massmaple.org If not registered for full conference $8.00

5 2008 NAMSC Pure Maple Syrup & Confections Contest Entry Guidelines Amherst, MA October 24, 2008 Contest Categories Include: Syrup (Light Amber, Medium Amber, Dark Amber) (Canada equivalents: Extra light, Light, Medium) Maple Candy (also called soft sugar or molded sugar) Maple Cream (also called maple spread or maple butter) Copies of score sheets will be provided to contest entries. Contest guidelines for syrup density (Brix) follow those used in Massachusetts (see how syrup will be judged below ). MAPLE SYRUP One entry per sugarbush/farm per grade category Enter one sealed 1 pint or ½ liter (500ml or 16oz) container per grade category entered. No points are given for fancy containers, ribbons, etc. Affixed to the container of each entry (sticker, tag, written on, etc.) should be the sugarbush name, producer name, address and syrup grade Syrups will be displayed during the conference How Syrup Will Be Judged: Syrup will be judged in a two-step process as follows: Step 1: Entries will be evaluated for acceptable density, color category, clarity, and flavor according to the following standards: Density: Should be greater than or equal to 66.0º Brix and less than or equal to 68.9º Brix. Color: Color category of entry must conform to color grade as determined by the judges using an original USDA color grading kit. Clarity: Should be clean and clear, with no visible impurities (cloudy, sugar sand etc.). Flavor: Should be free of off-flavors and representative of grade category entered (i.e. a light amber syrup should taste appropriately for the light amber category, not like a dark amber). Entries judged as not conforming to the above standards will be disqualified. All entries judged acceptable receive the designation excellent, and progress to Step 2 for final judging. Step 2: Entries judged acceptable in Step 1 will be judged and ranked according to best flavor by a panel of 3 judges from geographically distant locations within the maple region. This flavor ranking will be the final and sole determinant of placement for awards. Maple Syrup Awards All entries judged excellent receive a ribbon 2 nd, 3 rd, place rosettes for each of three grade categories 1 st place rosette and award for each of three grade categories A best of show rosette and award will be awarded to the syrup so selected by the judges.

6 MAPLE CANDY How Candy Will Be Judged One entry per sugarbush/farm Enter one box with 6 pieces of small maple leaf candy No points are given for fancy boxes, ribbons, etc. Affixed to the container (sticker, tag, written on, etc.) should be the sugarbush name, producer name, and address Candy is not to be crystal coated Appearance no white areas, or mold, good uniform color, good shape/form Texture hardness, crystallization (not gritty) surface texture Flavor representative of maple candy with no off flavors Awards For Maple Candy All entries judged excellent receive a ribbon 2 nd, 3 rd, place rosettes 1 st place rosette and award MAPLE CREAM One entry per sugarbush/farm Enter one 8 ounce (or equivalent)t plastic or glass container of maple cream No points are given for fancy containers, ribbons, etc. Affixed to the container (sticker, tag, written on, etc.) should be the sugarbush name, producer name, and address No extended shelf life cream allowed How Maple Cream Will Be Judged Appearance no separation, no air bubbles, good color Texture hardness, no crystallization (not gritty) Flavor representative of maple cream with no off flavors Awards For Maple Cream All entries judged excellent receive a ribbon 2 nd, 3 rd, place rosettes 1 st place rosette and award For questions on the contest contact: Tom McCrumm, 755 Watson Spruce Corner Rd, Ashfield, MA Phone tom@massmaple.org