COBLESKILL — As the 2026 maple season approaches, producers across New York are exploring new ideas, methods, and equipment to make this their best season yet. From installing new tubing systems and improved spouts to refining vacuum setups and exploring innovative marketing strategies, maple makers are constantly improving efficiency, yield, and profitability. But beyond upgrading tools and technology, producers also need to invest in their most valuable resource — themselves.
Before the taps go in, take a weekend to connect, learn, and grow at the 2026 NYS January Maple Conference, hosted by the Catskill Maple Producers Association at SUNY Cobleskill on January 9–10, 2026. This in-person event offers maple producers — from first-time hobbyists to seasoned professionals — the chance to learn from leading experts, explore the latest equipment, and network with hundreds of peers from across the region.
Friday, January 9 – Trade Show and Keynote
Trade Show: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Explore the latest innovations and connect directly with top industry vendors.
Keynote Presentation: 5:30 PM
Join Glenn Goodrich and Nate Bissell for an inspiring discussion to kick off the weekend.
Saturday, January 10 – Workshops
Doors open: 7:30 AM | Workshops begin: 9:00 AM
Four workshop sessions will run throughout the day, each featuring up to eight concurrent presentations from leaders in the maple industry.
Session 1 — 9:00 AM
Glenn Goodrich – Saphouse Timesavers and Techniques
Mark Canella – Maple Business Planning and Industry Overview
Eric Bugbee – FFA Maple CDE: Preparing for Competition
Cameron Sheltra – Maintenance of ROs, Vacuum Pumps, and Extractors
Greg Zimpfer – What and How of Marketing
Peter Smallidge – Best Practices on a Small Wooded Acreage
Mike Lynch – Maple Creams: Perfecting Your Process
Nick Wendel – Filtering Syrup: Techniques, Tips, and Results
Session 2 — 10:45 AM
Nate Bissell – You Can Do Anything, But You Can’t Do Everything!
John Fessenden & Isaac Thrasher – Financial Tools and Strategies for Maple Enterprises
Scott Weikert – Maple for Beginners and Small-Scale Sugarbush Forestry
Aaron Wightman – Maintaining Sap Quality
Scott Reed – Coating Maple Nuts
Kevin Lawyer – Vacuum: Raising the Bar on Techniques & Equipment
Kory Woods – Sap Monitoring Systems: Your Time, Your Money
Session 3 — 1:15 PM
Nate Bissell – Selling What You Produce — and What Others Produce
Adam Wild – Making the Grade: Syrup Density, Flavor, and Grade
Nick Wendel – Back to Basics of Tapping: How-To’s and Why-For’s
Zac Smith – Reports from the Field: Marketing Strategies
Peter Smallidge – Practical ID, Ecology, and Management
David Nyle – RO Basics: Beginners and Budgets
Greg Zimpfer – Maple Water
Session 4 — 3:00 PM
Glenn Goodrich – Sap Ladders and Tubing Installation Tips
Damian Hill – Dreams, Visions, Risks, and Plans to Market Maple
Steve Childs – Ask Steve Anything (Virtual)
Aaron Wightman – Tap Timing and Methods for Optimal Yield
Mike Lynch – Getting Started: Tap, Boil, and Taste
Jennifer Horton – Don’t Lose It All! Protecting Your Investment
Eileen Downs – Invert Sugars: Why, What, and How
Gordon & Kyle Tibbitts – Growing a Business for Young Sugarmakers
Trade Show Vendors
Tentative vendors include major equipment manufacturers such as CDL Sugaring Equipment, H2O Leader, Lapierre USA, and Dominion & Grimm. Other participating suppliers and distributors include Memprotec, DSD International, RO in a Bucket, Waterloo Container, Farmblox, Maple Innovations, Maple Tech Tools, Bascom Maple Farms, Goodrich Maple Farm, Justus Asthalter Maples Sales, Maple Hill Syrup Farms, and Shaver Hill Maple.
Supporting organizations include American National Farm Family Insurance, Farm Credit East, Maple News, NYCAMH (New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health), NYS Maple Producers Association, New York Maple Foundation, New York Farm Bureau, New York FarmNet, and SUNY Cobleskill. Additional vendors may be added as space permits.
Learn More
An updated list of workshops, vendors, and conference details will be posted at
www.nysjanuarymapleconference.com Register today by accessing the website or emailing for a registration form. For inquiries, contact: info@nysjanuarymapleconference.com
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