Agri-Tourism
Agri-tourism. Now there’s a word I’d not heard before. But apparently it’s a blossoming development in Upstate New York tourism. With the ski season over (did it ever really get started this year? Where was all our snow?) and the official summer tourist season not set to begin until May 31 (why does it start so late, anyway?), Upstate farmers are enjoying some attention thanks to the maple syrup industry.
Here’s a good story from Capital 9 News in Johnstown:
If you’re looking for a sure sign that spring is on its way, you don’t have to go any farther than the Mohawk Valley where maple syrup production is in full swing. Our Mark Repasky was out tapping the trees and finding out how syrup producers hope to cash in on a growing trend.
As the snow subsides and temperatures rise, Steve Savage grabs his drill and starts tapping for sap. “I tap about six thousand trees,” Savage said. To get the most out a season that only lasts between six and eight weeks, Savage has to be ready to go before temps start climbing.
The video clip is very good. It’s short, too.
I’ve visited a few farms as an “agri-tourist.” The kids, however, have only been to one farm, an alpaca farm in Sauquoit, NY. It’s been a desire of mine to take them to some local dairy farms and orchards so they can see what the Upstate economy is all about.
Hat tip Northview Diary. 
