Maple Tree Tapping in Iowa

By Taylor on February 28, 2013 in Blog

When you think of Iowa, maple syrup isn’t necessarily the first thing to come to mind. But did you know that maple syrup is one of the oldest agricultural crops and that early pioneers in Iowa would tap maple trees for their annual supply of sweetener?

At INHF we love to learn about the unique history of Iowa’s natural resources; in fact, the foundation protected a woodland in Kossuth County that had been a syrup site for many years.

If you’re interested in taking part in this unique agricultural activity, a number of groups around the state offer demonstrations and hold maple syrup festivals to share this lesser known harvesting method with nature lovers:

Mahaska County Maple Syrup Festival – Saturday, March 2 from noon to 4 p.m.

Join the Mahaska County Conservation Board for their annual Maple Syrup Festival at the Eveland Access area. Visitors can take a hay ride to the “sugar shack” where they will watch and learn how maple syrup is made, or spend the afternoon exploring the black maple sugar bush and visit a Native American sugaring camp. And don’t fret if all of this tree tapping is giving you a craving for sweets,grab a sample of homemade maple syrup drizzled over delicious ice cream.

For more information, contact the Mahaska County Conservation Board at (641) 673-9327.

Maple Tree Tapping (Pottawattamie County) – Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Pottawattamie County Conservation wants your help celebrating the 20th anniversary of maple tree tapping at Botna Bend Park. Drill your own tree tap, learn how maple syrup is made from scratch & take home a sample of authentic maple candy.

Cost is $6 for those who did not pre-register. To check availability for the event, call (712) 328-5834.

Want to learn more about maple syrup production in Iowa? Visit the Iowa State University Forestry Extension’s website.