New York, NY – New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF, Manhattan) hosted her annual “Maple Day” event on April 16, 2010 for students at P.S. 166, P.S. 87 and P.S. 9. The event offered urban students the opportunity to learn about one of the state’s largest agricultural products. New York is the third largest producer of maple syrup in the country and produced 362,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2009.

“Students in my district have access to museums, Central Park and other top-notch cultural amenities, but they don’t receive enough exposure to farming, nature and the environment,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “That’s why I began hosting Maple Day in 2008 to teach students about how maple syrup is extracted and the importance of conservation.”

The event was organized in partnership with the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School in Verona, New York and took place in a 28-foot trailer built for interactive activities and demonstrations for students, including “tapping” trees to extract the sap that is later refined into syrup and other activities. At the conclusion of each lesson, district students were presented with a maple syrup sample to remember and commemorate their experience. The event offered students a chance to learn about areas of New York State they would otherwise not hear about.

“New York City students need to experience the natural gifts that our state has to offer,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “I am always saddened to learn when students in my district have never had the opportunity to visit a farm, explore nature firsthand or even taste real maple syrup. For this reason, I am grateful for the work provided by the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School. Programs like Maple Day help present alternative viewpoints and inform students about life in our state beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods.”

Assemblymember Rosenthal’s event was in part inspired by a statewide maple campaign that was held on the weekends of March 20-21 and 27-28 to promote maple consumption and support New York’s farms by attending activities ranging from tapping and sugar-boiling demonstrations to more traditional fair-style events. It was also held in the spirit of the “locavore” or slow foods movement which encourages local consumption.

“By promoting regionally grown foods, we strengthen our upstate farms and ensure a healthy food supply that requires less carbon to transport,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal.

Assemblymember Rosenthal (D/WF) represents the Upper West Side of Manhattan and parts of Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen.