This month at the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association Winter Institute and Maple Vendor Trade
Show in Marshfield, Jim and Sara Adamski of Adamski Sugar Bush in Antigo were awarded the 2022 producers of the year.
The award went to two maple syrup producers who go above and beyond whenever asked to do anything for the WMSPA, in any job they do or volunteer to do.
Jim Adamski is a past president of the association and a delegate to the North American Maple Syrup Counsel. He’s also been on the board of directors for many years.
Jim and Sara have worked at the Wisconsin State Fair selling maple products for the association. Jim helped organize the North American Maple Syrup Annual Convention in La Crosse and has put on many workshops for the Winter Institutes. He has shared his great knowledge of the maple industry with other state associations. He’s been invited to the Minnesota Maple Association several times as a guest speaker.
Jim and Sara are fourth generation maple producers in the Adamski family. Jim, with the help of his grandpa and dad, tapped 100 trees in his grandpa’s woods in 1988 at the age of 15 as a 4-H and FFA project. That year, Jim sold Reynolds Sugar Bush 110 pounds of syrup. After his expenses, his profit that year was $2.80. Jim thought this could be a money-making business. Jim’s FFA teacher nominated him for the State FFA degree. In 1989, he worked for Reynolds Sugar Bush, collecting sap. That same year with his FFA teacher, principal and parents, Vicky and Gary, he traveled to Kansas City for the National FFA Conference where he received the American FFA degree.
History is repeating itself for in the Adamski family. Jim and Sara’s son, Jacob at the age of 5 started tapping the maple trees in his grandpa’s back yard. Sara Adamski, being a 4-H Leader encouraged Jacob to join 4-H at the age of 5. Being the 5th generation of syrup producers, Jacob has exhibited his maple syrup at the county fair for the past 10 years and has always received blue ribbons.
Thirty-five years later, the Adamski ‘s along with their son, Jacob tap approximately 10,000 trees and takes in sap from another 4,000 taps. In 2016, Adamski Sugar Bush became a Certified Organic producer of maple syrup.
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