BOSWELL, SOMERSET COUNTY - Between his father and his son, Lowell Friedline's family represents three generations of maple syrup making at the Walnutdale Maple Farm.
"My sister and I used to load our sleds with a bucket," he said. "We'd tap a tree and we'd drag it over to a kettle place."
Over the last few years, Friedline has noticed the season beginning earlier than usual.
"We started in the last week of January last year," he added. "We started this year, in the first week of February."
Friedline says the maple syrup season generally begins in the middle of February and can last until early-April.
"Recently by the middle of March, we've pretty much closed down," he said.
Friedline's son isn't too concerned about the recent early starts to the maple season.
"I don't see a trend per-say," he said. "Maybe there is and maybe there isn't, but technology is allowing us to start tapping a little earlier."
In 2012, about 96,000 gallons of maple syrup was made in Pennsylvania, putting the commonwealth in 5th place in terms of maple syrup production, right behind the state of Ohio.
According to the Department of Agriculture, U.S. maple syrup production was down 32% overall in 2012. The report cites warmer than usual temperatures in some states as a possible reason for the drop in production.
"My sister and I used to load our sleds with a bucket," he said. "We'd tap a tree and we'd drag it over to a kettle place."
Over the last few years, Friedline has noticed the season beginning earlier than usual.
"We started in the last week of January last year," he added. "We started this year, in the first week of February."
Friedline says the maple syrup season generally begins in the middle of February and can last until early-April.
"Recently by the middle of March, we've pretty much closed down," he said.
Friedline's son isn't too concerned about the recent early starts to the maple season.
"I don't see a trend per-say," he said. "Maybe there is and maybe there isn't, but technology is allowing us to start tapping a little earlier."
In 2012, about 96,000 gallons of maple syrup was made in Pennsylvania, putting the commonwealth in 5th place in terms of maple syrup production, right behind the state of Ohio.
According to the Department of Agriculture, U.S. maple syrup production was down 32% overall in 2012. The report cites warmer than usual temperatures in some states as a possible reason for the drop in production.
