When you think maple syrup, what comes to mind? For most it’s the New England area. But, Garrett County has one family that has been making maple syrup for generations. The Steyer family of Oakland boasts the oldest production in the county, now owned by Randall and Mike Steyer. When the weather starts to warm, the sugar maple trees start to thaw out. When these trees are tapped, a high water content syrup is taken from the tree to then be processed. This year, the Steyer’s are using 8,500 taps on their 100 acres of woodlot. Since not all of the water can be hand collected, 35 miles of rubber tubing is used to collect the majority of the sap. Production takes hours for 39 gallons of water have to be boiled off to make one gallon of pure maple syrup. This tradition is now shrinking in our state. In 2002 there were 16 licensed producers of maple syrup in Maryland, and that number is always shrinking. The Steyer’s will probably be producing for generations to come, production being a tradition as old as the family its self. Their syrup is sold world wide, and can be ordered from anywhere. So if you cant make it to the county, you can still have a taste of it.
The Steyer's can be reached by phone or mail:
301-334-2900
2727 Gorman Road
Oakland, MD 21550
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