MADISON - Eight projects, including one from Albany, will receive the 2017 Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Schools, Libraries and Communities Award during a program and reception at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness resort in Wisconsin Dells.
One of the awards will go to the Sugar River Sugar Bush program, a maple syrup project led by the Albany FFA Chapter. The project was started four years ago with 10 taps and a single class making a single gallon of syrup. It has grown into over 200 taps and 65 gallons last season. The increase is due to community involvement, with community members helping to tap, collect and cook syrup, according to a news release. During the 2017 season, 26 community members donated 452 hours, and 23 FFA members worked 533 hours on the project.
The cooking shanty constructed outside of the agriculture department will have a new cooker this year, with the help of FFA alumni, which will increase production four-fold. The syrup is bottled and sold with an FFA label at two locations in Albany, the school and through all FFA members. Syrup is also donated to local charity auctions and for back-to-school night. Though led by the FFA Chapter, the project includes 4-year-old kindergarten through fourth-grade students in learning about tapping trees, cooking syrup and final production. Proceeds from syrup sales support the Albany FFA Chapter.
Presented each year to nominated projects that "demonstrate the great potential and collaborative spirit of rural Wisconsin," this year's award recipients join 105 programs recognized since 2005. Nominated by education and library professionals, the 2017 award-winning programs will be recognized during the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance conference to be held today and Tuesday.
One of the awards will go to the Sugar River Sugar Bush program, a maple syrup project led by the Albany FFA Chapter. The project was started four years ago with 10 taps and a single class making a single gallon of syrup. It has grown into over 200 taps and 65 gallons last season. The increase is due to community involvement, with community members helping to tap, collect and cook syrup, according to a news release. During the 2017 season, 26 community members donated 452 hours, and 23 FFA members worked 533 hours on the project.
The cooking shanty constructed outside of the agriculture department will have a new cooker this year, with the help of FFA alumni, which will increase production four-fold. The syrup is bottled and sold with an FFA label at two locations in Albany, the school and through all FFA members. Syrup is also donated to local charity auctions and for back-to-school night. Though led by the FFA Chapter, the project includes 4-year-old kindergarten through fourth-grade students in learning about tapping trees, cooking syrup and final production. Proceeds from syrup sales support the Albany FFA Chapter.
Presented each year to nominated projects that "demonstrate the great potential and collaborative spirit of rural Wisconsin," this year's award recipients join 105 programs recognized since 2005. Nominated by education and library professionals, the 2017 award-winning programs will be recognized during the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance conference to be held today and Tuesday.
