[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1929-S1930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

               JACKSON'S SUGAR HOUSE AND VEGETABLE STAND

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, each year as winter makes way for 
spring, across my home state of Maine you will see maple trees lined 
with metal buckets poised to collect delectable maple syrup. Maine is 
the third largest producer of maple syrup in America, and last year 
experienced a 14 percent increase, generating a remarkable 360,000 
gallons. As maple sugar season commences and Maine looks forward to 
celebrating the time-honored Maple Sugar Sunday, I rise to commend 
Jackson's Sugar House & Vegetable Stand located in Oxford, ME.
  Often times a small request sparks a marvelous business enterprise. 
For Roger Jackson, owner of Jackson's Sugar House & Vegetable Stand, 
his passion for maple syrup was reignited a few years ago when his 
granddaughter sought help for a school project on how to make the sweet 
liquid. Although Roger had been producing maple syrup on and off since 
he was 6 years old, his granddaughter's question renewed his love for 
this New England staple. And the results have been incredibly sweet.
  As a veteran in maple syrup production, Roger is familiar with the 
trials and tribulations that go along with this endeavor. While it is 
often hard to turn a profit as a small producer, the smiles on his 
customers' faces truly make it all worthwhile. Further, compared to 
when Roger was a child, improvements in technology have certainly 
enhanced and eased the process of turning sap into maple sugar. For 
example, today Jackson's Sugar House uses a stainless steel 
evaporator--equipment that enables them to easily remove water and 
ensure better control over the quality of their product. This 
evaporation process is a vast improvement over Roger's childhood maple 
making experiences involving boiling sap over an open flame.
  Roger's expertise in maple syrup has certainly not gone unnoticed. He 
was recently appointed by the Maine Department of Agriculture 
Commissioner, Walter Whitcomb, to the Maine

[[Page S1930]]

Maple Task Force Study Group to represent producers of maple sugar 
products with 1,000 or fewer taps. This Task Force was created in May 
of 2011, as part of the State's legislation ``To Study the Promotion 
and Expansion of the Maine Maple Sugar Industry.'' Roger's 
participation on the task force has been instrumental in ensuring that 
the needs of small producers and mom and pop sugarhouse operations are 
vigorously advocated.
  Maple syrup and all maple sugar products are certainly among the 
sweetest commodities produced in Maine. Thanks to the proficiency and 
resolve of individuals such as Roger Jackson, Maine continues to 
produce the highest quality maple products. I am proud to extend my 
congratulations to Roger Jackson and everyone at Jackson's Sugar House 
& Vegetable Stand for their dedication to excellence, and offer my best 
wishes for their continued success.

                          ____________________