New York, NY – Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) hosted her 8th annual Maple Day in Manhattan with the Verona-Verona-Sherrill School District (Central New York) to teach elementary school students in her district about the importance of New York State agriculture and maple syrup production. As a member of the New York State Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Assemblymember Rosenthal plays a critical role in promoting local agriculture and business.

“Students in the district love Maple Day in Manhattan,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. “Especially during a three-day-period of State math testing, the students relish the opportunity to get out of the classroom and tour the Maple Van. We are bringing New York State agriculture to the City, and the students get to learn while having a great time!”

Organized by Keith Scheibel, an agriculture teacher at Verona-Verona-Sherrill High School and President of New York State Agricultural Teachers Association, maple syrup runs through Keith’s veins. Every year in May, Keith travels with half-a-dozen of his agriculture students to New York City in the Maple Van. The Maple Van provides an interactive experience for students, who walk through and learn how maple syrup is made. And students don’t leave empty handed; they receive “shots” of maple syrup, maple syrup flavored cotton candy, fun maple syrup recipes to try at home with their parents and a maple bookmark from Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal.

Each year, Assemblymember Rosenthal selects two lucky public elementary schools to be stops on the Maple Tour. This year the schools were P.S. 51: The Elias Howe School on West 44th Street (Principal Nancy Sing Bock) and P.S. 811: The Mickey Mantle School on West End Avenue (Principal Barry Daub).

New York State is the second largest producer of maple syrup in the country, with more than 1,500 commercial producers making nearly 600,000 gallons of maple syrup each year. New York State makes 18% of all maple syrup produced in the country.

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal represents the 67th Assembly district, which includes the Upper West Side and parts of the Clinton/ Hell’s Kitchen neighborhoods in Manhattan.