SPRING FORWARD INTO DAYLIGHT

SAVINGS TIME TONIGHT... THE

SAP IS FLOWING...AND FAMILIES

AND FARMERS ACROSS OUR REGION

ARE FIRING UP THEIR SUGAR

HOUSES. LOCAL 22'S NICK

ANASTASI SPENT THIS AFTERNOON

AT ONE OF THEM TO CHECK OUT

HOW IT TURNS SAP INTO SUGAR...

HI NICK.NICK HI MIKE,

THAT'S RIGHT.... I WAS HANGING

OUT WITH MIKE ISHAM AND HIS

WIFE ON THEIR FARM....

WHERE THEY SHOWED ME HOW THEY

MAKE SOME OF THE SWEETEST

STUFF ON EARTH.

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"THATS GOOD IM HAPPY"THATS

MIKE ISHAM... HE'S A FIFTH

GENERATION FARMER, AND OWNER

OF ISHAM FAMILY FARM IN

WILLISTON.HE TAKES PRIDE IN

HIS WORK... "A LOT OF PEOPLE

SAY ITS THE BEST MAPLE SYRUP

THEYVE EVER TASTED"MIKE

CREDITS THAT ALL TO THE

BOILING PROCESS THAT HE

FOLLOWS. "IT'S ALL SMALL

BATCH, WOODFIRED, CRAFT MAPLE

SYRUP. IT'S MINIMALLY

PROCESSED AND STILL DONE THE

OLD FASHIONED WAY."AND RIGHT

NOW, WE'RE IN PRIME SUGARING

SEASON. "WHAT WE NEED ARE COLD

NIGHTS AND WARM DAYS. IT'S IN

THE SPRING TIME WHEN THE TREES

ARE BRINGING UP THE LIQUID

FROM THE GROUND UP THROUGH THE

TREE TO FORM THE LEAVES IN THE

SPRING. ITS THE LIFE BLOOD OF

THE TREE."THIS WINTER HAS BEEN

FAIRLY MILD... AND AS THE

CLIMATE TRENDS TO WARMER

WINTERS, MIKE SAYS THAT

CERTAINLY CHANGES THEIR WORK.

"AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES, WE'RE

GETTING LONGER THAWS IN THE

WINTER, WINTERS ARENT AS COLD.

SO WE'RE DOING MORE SUGARING

EARLIER. THE SUGARING SEASON

STARTS EARLIER AND ALSO ENDS

EARLIER."BUT REGARDLESS OF

WHEN THE ISHAM FARM STARTS

TAPPING... THE ONE THING THAT

REMAINS THE SAME IS THEIR

SWEET PROCESS."IT TAKES TIME,

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT

THE SAP IS COOKED AT 212

DEGREES AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

THAT BRINGS OUT THE FLAVOR AND

THE MINERALS IN THE SAP

ITSELF. THE COOKING IS THE

IMPORTANT PART, IT'S WHERE YOU

GET THE FLAVOR."

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NICK MIKE TELLS ME THAT THE

BEST TIME FOR SUGARING IS

RIGHT NOW DURING THE BEGINING

OF MARCH... SO GET OUT THERE

AND GRAB IT WHILE IT'S FRESH.

LIVE HERE IN THE STUDIO...

NICK ANASTASI... LOCAL 22

NEWS. .

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MIKE NEW YORK GOVERNOR