Catskill Mountain Maple Syrup
is a family affair down to its roots.
Our history goes back to the early years of the 19th century when our ancestors—the Walter family—settled in Grahamsville and established a tannery specializing in leather for workhorse team reins. During the Civil War, the tannery produced boot leather for soldiers after it was sequestered for the Union war effort. Fire consumed the tannery in 1889.
But the family stayed on. A 7th generation lives in the same house in which the first local Walters lived. My wife Barbara and I live on a farm nearby
Our sugarhouse is located on land where a children’s camp called Camp Shadybrook once stood.
The original sugarbushs we developed are at the Shadybrook property. Over the years we have expanded our maple-syrup-producing capacity by acquiring over 800 contiguous acres on which thousands of sugar maple tress thrive. We also purchased three additional farms in the Grahamsville area, each with a maple trees galore. We lease th e maple resource from our neighbors and friends, Paul and Diane Guenther, whose farmland contains two splendid sugarbushs. All of our maple trees are located within 9 miles of our sugarhouse.
When not working hard to make sure Catskill Mountain Maple syrup is the absolute best we can make, we are two busy people.
Barbara, who hails from Pennsylvania’s Poconos , is a real estate lawyer and a Justice for the Town of Nerversink, an elected position she has held for over 26 years. She also serves on the Boards of Directors of a bank and insurance company and is involved in a number of local not-for-profit efforts.
I am a merger and acquisitions lawyer (thus, perhaps, my love for acquiring more maple trees!). I, too, serve on several Boards of Directors . I am General Counsel for the American subsidiary of TOMRA, the world’s largest beverage recycling company, General Counsel for two economic development organizations in Sullivan County, Town Attorney for Neversink, and Planning and Zoning Attorney for the town of Liberty.
We enjoy an active life, as you see. But no part of it is sweeter than our family and the fine maple syrup products we all proudly produce together.
Walter Garigliano