FACTORYVILLE, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Before the weather gets warmer and plants start to bloom Trees in NEPA undergo a sweeter kind of change.
A billow of steam this time of year is a common sight at Keystone College’s Sugar Shack.
The meaning behind it? Making maple syrup.
While there are some myths behind the production of sugaring, the actual hard work of boiling the sap down to syrup takes a lot of time and effort. Especially when they have to rely on mother nature.
Students at Keystone’s Sugar Shack have been producing authentic maple syrup since the early 90s, crediting the historical impact sugaring has in NEPA.
Kelley Stewart, Director of Keystone College’s Woodlands Campus, says “It dates all the way back to Native Americans that would’ve first found out that there was a high sugar content in those sugar maples and even some red maples.”
Every batch is different and changes throughout the season. Giving students the hands-on experience of creating a tap-to-table.
The sugar shack will be operating around the clock until the trees start to bud for spring, wrapping up the season.
The Sugar Shack will be hosting a Maple open house” on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
