Sweet Season

John Gladden's reply: I'm not aware of any maple producers specifically offering hands-on opportunities, though there are a number of festivals around Ohio where visitors can at least get an up-close look at the process. Perhaps one idea might be to volunteer at a local maple syrup festival. I'm sure the sponsoring organizations can always use a helping hand.

Another suggestion would be to visit the Ohio Maple Producers Association Web site at http://www.ohiomapleproducers.com. There's a list of Ohio producers, many of whom offer open houses. The reader might contact one or two in his neck of the woods and offer free labor -- or labor in exchange for some syrup. Producers who use tubing are pretty self-sufficient, but those who still collect the labor-intensive way using buckets might welcome the help!

John I was reading your article about the maple syrup harvesting, I have always been interested in visiting a place and help harvest some the syrup. I live in Lime, Ohio which is about 60 miles south of Toledo. Could you email me some information on this.