WARDSBORO-Wardsboro Curtain Call and Wardsboro Public Library present “Many Meanings of Maple,” Saturday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at the Wardsboro Public Library.
Maple is far more than a seasonal treat in Vermont. It is a cornerstone of the state’s economy, ecology, and cultural heritage. “From sugarbushes tucked into rolling hills to the unmistakable ritual of spring sugaring, maple helps define what it means to live, work, and belong here,” wrote organizers in a news release.
In this talk, Champlain College professor Michael Lange, who holds a doctorate of philosophy from University of Wisconsin-Madison, invites the audience to look beyond the mechanics of sugaring and instead explore the deeper meanings maple holds for Vermonters.
Drawing on more than five years of ethnographic research with sugar makers across the state, Lange approaches sugaring not as a technical process, but as “a lived cultural practice.”
Rather than focusing on how to tap a tree, his work asks more human questions: Why has maple become so central to Vermont’s identity? How do traditions adapt while still feeling rooted in the past? And how does maple help shape a shared sense of place and values among Vermonters today?
Lange is a professor of anthropology and folklore and the author of several academic works on cultural identity. His recent research includes essays such as “Foodie Influence on the Culinary Meanings of Maple Syrup” and “Sweet Bedfellows: Continuity, Change, and Terroir in Maple Syrup,” which examine how tradition, commerce, and contemporary food culture intersect in Vermont’s maple world.
His latest book, published in 2017, Meanings of Maple, expands on this research and “offers a rich, accessible portrait of sugaring” as both tradition and transformation, wrote organizers. The book is available through the University of Arkansas Press, Phoenix Books, and other outlets, and was recently named a Choice “Outstanding Academic Title.”
Together, Lange reminds Vermonters that “maple is not just something that is made; it’s something that helps make Vermonters who they are.”
Space is limited; to reserve a spot, visit bit.ly/857-maple.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.