Sunday November 19, 2023

8:00am

Breakfast showcasing Nova Scotia Maple Products

9:00am

Emerging Technology for Improved Efficiency and Higher Yields

Having more maple taps does not always translate to higher yields but it always creates more work. Utilizing new technologies and recent research can improve efficiencies and production yields.

Speakers:
Adam Wild, Director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest
Aaron Wightman, Statewide Maple Specialist and Co-Director of the Cornell Maple Program

10:15am

Nutrition Break

10:45am

Climate Adaptation Strategies in the Maple Industry

Changing climate adds challenges to maple sap production from tree health to sap spoilage in warmer weather. However, there are techniques that can be implemented to help to combat some of the

Speakers:
Adam Wild, Director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest
Aaron Wightman, Statewide Maple Specialist and Co-Director of the Cornell Maple Program

12:00pm

Lunch – Bass River Dining Room

1:00pm

Depart for Sugar Bush

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Maple Mist Farm, 1927 Kemptown Rd, Kemptown, Nova Scotia
Sugar Bush Workshop Stations
·      Soil sampling/amendments
·      Climate adaptation
·      Tubing design and layout
·      Operation overview

Speakers

Adam Wild

Adam Wild is a specialist with the Cornell Maple Program, Director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, NY. Cornell’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest is a 350-acre forest within the high-peaks region of the Adirondack Park dedicated to applied research and education for the maple industry. As director, Adam oversees all research operations including sugaring from a 7,000-tap commercial maple operation.

Adam is also Co-Director of the Cornell Maple Program, a state-wide outreach effort with region-wide impacts oriented towards supporting and sustaining growth within the maple industry. Cornell Maple Program is a world leader in maple research and extension housed within the department of natural resources and the environment at Cornell University. As Co-Director, Adam works one-on-one with maple producers and presents at workshops and conferences across NY and the entire maple producing region including New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Mid-West.

Aaron Wightman

Aaron Wightman is an Extension Associate in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment where he serves as the Statewide Maple Specialist and Co-Director of the Cornell Maple Program. Aaron’s applied research and extension activities support the growth of the maple products industry. This work includes the full range of topics related to maple syrup production from sugarbush management to new product development with a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and profitability. Aaron also manages the 7,500 tap research sugarbush and maple laboratory at the Arnot Teaching and Research Forest.

Ray Bonenberg

Ray Bonenberg is a maple producer in Renfrew County, located south of Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. Ray has been producing maple syrup for over 50 years and presently has a 1600 tap operation and utilizes a wood fired evaporator.

Ray was the Ontario contact for the maple grades initiative on the Board of Directors of the International Maple Syrup Institute and was instrumental in getting the program in place, communicating the outcomes on the Canadian side and convincing the Ontario government to adopt the new grades. Ray has also served as Ontario’s representative on the Board of Directors of the International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI) and was the President from 2017 to 2020. He received the Award of Merit from OMSPA in 2017. Ray was inducted in the International Maple Hall of Fame in 2020 and was awarded the Lynn Reynolds Memorial Leadership Award by the IMSI in 2022 as well as a Citation of Achievement from the County of Renfrew.

Kara Chisholm

Kara Chisholm is the Executive Director of the Agri-Commodity Management Association. She came to ACMA in May 2014 with recent banking experience and 15 years of customer service experience. She is originally from Nova Scotia but has spent time in Utah, USA, where she received her degree from Utah State University, the agricultural university in Utah. Prior to this position, Kara held the title of Finance and Program Manager at ACMA. She also has experience with strategic and regulatory planning as well as providing Governance training through ACMA’s Organizational Excellence program.

Jay Labonte

Jay Labonte is a Senior Relationship Manager within Farm Credit Canada’s commercial finance division, serving New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Like most that work in Agriculture, Jay is passionate about being part of the industry that fill our dinner plates and recognizes the importance & value of our food production systems in our local communities.  So much, that he decided to take on his own passion project and purchased a maple forest this past year and has started planning the development of a turnkey commercial maple sugar operation of 10,000 taps +.

Brad McCallum

Brad McCallum is the Manager of Compliance and Education for the Canadian Beef Cattle Check Off. Brad’s role is to work with stakeholders to ensure check-off collection, reporting, and remitting are done correctly. He also conducts inspections of producers, dealers, auction markets, processors, and provincial cattle associations to review and improve processes and reporting of check-off. On evenings and weekends, Brad be found managing his stable of Standardbreds, golfing or umpiring softball tournaments.