Resource type: Practical Skills

Showing 61 – 70 of 313 resources

Maple Career Development Event: A Guide for Career and Technical Centers of Vermont

On May 7th, 2019 the first ever FFA Maple Career Development Event (CDE) was held at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont. A CDE is a competition that is designed to test skill development and prepare students for careers in the particular area of focus. CDEs are held for many different disciplines such as forestry, tractor driving, and dairy handling. The CDE’s are often used by high school career and technical centers as a way to assess students’ knowledge and compare results between schools that are teaching similar material. Additionally, CDE’s serve as a way for students to build their credentials, with students often including their CDE experience on their resumes.

Date:
January 1, 2021

Maple: A Sap to Syrup Guide: A Manual for Career and Technical Centers of Vermont

This manual was developed primarily for use by Vermont Career and Technical Center educators and students. It can be used as a reference as students learn about aspects of sugarbush management and syrup production. Biology, chemistry, math, history, and the culture of maple syrup making can enrich the educational experience as well as provide technical skills for students interested in working in the maple industry. The overall goal of the manual is to create consistency in the sugaring techniques that are taught throughout Vermont and as a guide to prepare students for the Vermont Maple Career Development Event. This manual can also be a valuable resource for anyone interested in sugaring, from the back-yard sugar maker to a new employee joining an established maple syrup producer.

Date:
January 1, 2021

Designing & Installing a Maple Tubing System 

Adam Wild, the director of Cornell University’s Uihlein Maple Research Forest located in Lake Placid, NY, shares information about basic tubing design and installation for both gravity and vacuum systems.

Date:
December 7, 2020

Forestry & Sugarbush Management 

Mark Isselhardt, UVM Extension’s Maple Specialist, shares results from a recent survey of professional foresters that includes approaches and challenges to successful sugarbush management.

Date:
December 7, 2020

Online Advertising Tools & Takeaways 

Advertising your business online can often seem overwhelming if you don’t know where to start and what you’re trying to accomplish. Zac Smith, UVM Extension, and Mike Lannen, Eternity Marketing, show you how to set tangible goals, start small, and expand your online advertising with a variety of tools.

Date:
December 7, 2020

Resilient Businesses: Adapting to Change 

Maple producers and sellers are adjusting many aspects of their businesses to adapt to the shifting environment of the national pandemic. During this session Mark Cannella, UVM Extension, shares successes and considerations from shifting operations, marketing, and financial approaches to remain viable. Canella is joined by Jenna and Jacob from Baird Farm to share some of their perspectives. 

Date:
December 7, 2020

Sugarbush Water Quality & AMPs 

Understanding how roads and water interact in the sugarbush is important for many reasons. Dave Wilcox, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation Watershed Forester, provides a clear understanding of how acceptable management practices (AMPs) used in timber harvesting can help improve water quality, reduce erosion, and keep access to the sugarhouse open.

Date:
December 7, 2020

Maple Storytelling With Photography & Social Media 

Use photography and social media to connect with consumers and market your business. Learn some basics of photography with your smart phone and how to use your photos to engage with an online audience including: best practices for posting compelling pictures and stories on social media, what to avoid, and how to use what you have to take good quality pictures and effectively engage potential customers. With Chadwick Estey (City Market/Onion River Co-op), Jenna Baird (Baird Farm), and Abby Roleau (Gateway Farm).

Date:
December 7, 2020

Maple Tele-Medicine: What is Making my Syrup Taste Sick? 

Most people recognize good tasting syrup and many can pick out when syrup tastes off, but occasionally there is a flavor that is not easily identified. Mark Isselhardt, UVM Extension, and Henry Mackres, retired Vermont Chief of Consumer Protection, discuss syrup flavors (and off-flavors) and sample syrup sent in advance of the session for diagnoses.

Date:
December 7, 2020