NORWICH – It’s a sticky business, but there’s plenty of viability for the maple sugaring industry in Chenango County, say experts at the Cornell Cooperative Extension.

In light of that, the organization will host a maple sugaring tour this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Steve Beckwith farm, 229 Plymouth North Norwich Road in Plymouth. Cost is $7 to attend and includes lunch.

Focus of the tour will be on the tricks and trades of modern maple sugaring, and ways in which producers can make their venture most profitable. The event will be steered by Steve Childs, an educator of the Cornell Maple Team.

“This is a good workshop for people to improve their current sugaring operation, or for people who are looking to start a new sugaring operation,” said Ken Smith, Executive Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County. “The maple industry has been transformed over the last ten years because of the advent of vacuum tubing and reverse osmosis, so it has become much more possible to have a successful commercial maple operation than it historically has been. Education has always been by demonstration and word of mouth in the industry, so this will be a good way for people to learn.”