As part of a Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded outreach, Michael Farrell, the director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Field Station at Lake Placid, has developed tools to encourage producers and landowners to help the north country realize its maple industry potential.

For woodlot owners wondering if they should lease their maple trees for syrup production rather than sell them for lumber, Mr. Farrell developed an analysis tool that compares a single maple tree’s potential for annual leasing income to the long-term return for timber production.

To help producers calculate whether it makes sense to buy sap from other producers, he created a spreadsheet program on pricing and return.

For producers already buying sap, Mr. Farrell has a spreadsheet program to track volumes and payments.

For details on the available resources, visit http://www.nnyagdev.org/index.php/mapleforest/maple.

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