Can you make pure maple syrup in Kentucky? The answer is a resounding “Yes, you can!” In fact, there are a growing number of Kentucky woodland owners who are doing just that, and they recently wrapped up another season of maple tapping, boiling, and bottling.

If you haven’t realized it yet, trees are incredible organisms! Not only do they make their own food, but they are generous with their leftovers. Through a process called photosynthesis, they can feed themselves while at the same time, helping to maintain life on this planet. No big deal. Their leaves soak in sunlight and pull carbon dioxide (CO₂) out of the atmosphere and mix it with water absorbed through their roots to create sugars and oxygen. The sugars, which contain carbon (the “C” in CO₂), is then distributed throughout the tree, from the roots to the branches to the buds. Oxygen (the “O” in CO₂), the other byproduct of photosynthesis, is then released back into the air.