Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Miscellaneous: syrup, Maple Candy
Practices
- Crop Production: food product quality/safety
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
- Farm Business Management: marketing management, market study, value added
Proposal summary:
In marketing maple products in a slow economy, farmers need to attract consumers with NEW products using creative marketing strategies. Maple sugar houses are destination points for many tourists. The sale of maple candy is usually a favorite souvenir. Candy made in distinctive shapes, for example, the state where it is being sold, adds additional sales thereby increasing total sales.
Using a FDA approved silicone rubber to make unique shapes for Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts is this project's experiment. The plan is to create viable product molds, provide a program for development, production and marketing of this new maple product for area producers. The product sales will be monitored monthly and statistics will be evaluated for sales period in regards to gross and net sales, change in sales due to new product addition as well as workability of production and the sales plans.
Talks will be given at maple association meetings and instructions created for the production of these molds.