Chautauqua Grown Features: Big Tree Maple and Munsee Farms

CCE-Chautauqua’s Farm-To-Table Initiative features The Munsee Family

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (September 14th, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is excited to feature both Big Tree Maple and Munsee Farms, operated by the Munsee Family, as featured farms listed on the Chautauqua Grown directory. Chautauqua Grown is your source for all things local foods in Chautauqua County, including a directory of farms, restaurants, farmers markets, wineries, and much more, and is available online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua.

Big Tree Maple’s sugar house is located in Lakewood, NY on 2040 Holly Lane. They offer a self-service sales room that is open 24/7. This family business began in 1993 when Lloyd Munsee and his son, David, processed sap from 40 taps on their back porch as a “father-son project”. The business has since grown incredibly as they now operate with more than 6,000 taps with a fully-equipped sugar house that produces around 1,500 gallons of syrup annually. The Munsee’s market their product primarily from their sales room, where visitors can get a peek at the sugarhouse operation, and also offer wholesale and online sales. They have a wide variety of maple products including syrup, both in traditional plastic jugs and artisan glass bottles, maple cream, molded maple candies, granulated maple sugar, maple coffee, maple popcorn, maple barbeque sauce, and hard maple candies. Big Tree Maple is an active member of the NYS Maple Producers Association, and David serves as the President of the Chautauqua County Maple Producers Association. They actively have participated in Maple Weekend for many years, where they offer open house visits for the general public in the month of March. Big Tree Maple supports beginning maple producers by offering production advice and equipment as a maple equipment dealer for Lapierre, USA. They will also be partnering with CCE-Chautauqua to present an introductory workshop on Maple Production in October. Lloyd Munsee, of Big Tree Maple, has been involved in the industry for many years and has enjoyed watching it thrive and advance. “Maple production in New York is growing,” said Lloyd. “Syrup production goes up each year, not just for our business, but for the entire state”. To learn more about Big Tree Maple, visit their profile on Chautauqua Grown at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/chautauqua-grown/big-tree-maple, give them a call at 716-763-5917, or visit their 24/7 self-service sales room.

Munsee Farms is owned and operated by David and Carrie Munsee, along with their 3 young children, and is based on 50 acres in Panama, NY on 1381 Panama-Bear Lake Road. What began as a 3rd grader’s sweet corn project piloted by David, has grown into a full-fledged farming operation with a 25 year legacy that prides itself in offering high-quality, farm-fresh products directly to the consumer. “I like what we’re doing and enjoy selling directly to consumers,” said David. “It works for us to sell right at the farm gate”. The farm primarily offers sweet corn, but also provides naturally raised beef, pork, and chicken as well as fall ornamental products including pumpkins, cornstalks, straw, and mums. The Munsee’s grow 16 acres of sweet corn throughout the season and operate 4 roadside stands that can be found on the 4 corners in Ashville, Big Tree Maple in Lakewood, Lakeside Park in Mayville, and the home farm in Panama. They are proud to offer high-quality sweet corn from the very beginning of the season through the first frost. To learn more about Big Tree Maple, visit their profile on Chautauqua Grown at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/chautauqua-grown/munsee-farms, give them a call at 716-665-7414, or visit any of their self-service stands.

CCE-Chautauqua will be featuring our local farms listed on Chautauqua Grown through a series of press releases in the coming weeks. For more information about Chautauqua Grown, visit www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua, or contact Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator, at 716-664-9502 ext. 202 kaw249@cornell.edu.

Chautauqua Grown is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated September 19, 2016