Lewiston Auburn Film Festival - April 13-15, 2012

The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will be held on April 13-15, 2012 in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine.  The second annual Lewiston Auburn Film Festival (LAFF) is going to be a three-day extravaganza complete with opening night festivities, a full day of films in downtown L/A, top-notch awards show, brunch, and filmmaker panels.

Based on the success of last year’s event, where more than 1,000 festival goers attended screenings of 100+ films from all over the world, the staff at LAFF has been working hard to make LAFF 2012 bigger, better and on par with festivals found in larger, more well-known cities.

Learn more at www.lafilmfestival.org.

Maine Maple Syrup Producers Tapping Trees Early

Maine maple syrup producers are tapping trees early this year due to the mild winter.  Maine is the third highest maple syrup producing state - behind Vermont and New York. The maple tree sap can be made into maple syrup, maple butter, maple candy, and maple cream.  Read more in "Maine maple producers able to tap trees with early spring", NECN.com, March 8, 2012.

Maple Sugar Tapping at Blaine House by Governor LePage

AUGUSTA – In an effort to promote Maine maple syrup, Governor Paul LePage today joined Commissioner Walt Whitcomb, Commissioner Bill Beardsley, Legislators and Maine Maple Producers for an annual tradition – the tapping of a maple tree on the Blaine House lawn.

Maine Maple Sunday is fast approaching. The event, held annually on the fourth Sunday of March, takes place March 25 this year. As part of this year’s celebration of maple syrup production, more than 125 sugarhouses will be open around the State. Sugarhouses welcome visitors to participate in syrup and candy sampling, demonstrations of making syrup, sugarbush tours and a variety of other activities. “The potential for job creation in the maple industry is huge,” said Governor LePage. “The Maine maple syrup industry represents a great opportunity for Maine to promote its natural resource-based economy, a major part of our economic engine,” added the Governor.

Currently, Maine has 1.47 million taps and produced 360,000 gallons of maple syrup last season, a 14% increase from 2010. The latest yearly figures show that Maine generated nearly $13 million in revenue from the maple industry.

“We are pleased that Governor LePage will once again be kicking off the maple syrup season with the tapping of the tree on the Blaine House lawn,” said Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “This industry is a great example of Maine’s multiple uses of its natural resources and how a wood lot has an array of benefits – maple syrup, wood production, recreation and open space.

“Maine’s maple sugar industry provides a tremendous opportunity for growth in Maine’s natural resource sector,” said Conservation Commissioner Bill Beardsley. “This is an example of how agriculture and forestry are intertwined. In 2011, Maine was third in the nation producing 13 percent of maple syrup in the U.S.,” Beardsley stated.

Info above from "Governor LePage Promotes Maple Sugar Season at Blaine House", Maine.gov, March 7, 2012.  Learn more about Maine Maple Sugar.