Maple Weekend is in full swing across the state. It showcases the process from tapping a tree to tasting the syrup. 

One farm participating is Cedarvale Maple Syrup in Syracuse, where 20-year-old Michael Spicer is the new CEO. He's been tapping trees in his backyard for about half his life. 

"I think it's taken my heart over the past, about 10 years now," Spicer, a Marcellus resident, said.

For more than four decades Karl Wiles ran Cedarvale Maple Syrup, but he had enough and Spicer took over the maple operation in January. 

"I was about to go back to school and I found out [Miles] wasn't going to be making syrup anymore, and I couldn't help but make a call," Spicer said.

All the while, Spicer is still a full-time student at Hamilton College. 

"There's no better feeling than going through a long week of school, doing essays and tests, and then being able to be here," Spicer said. "And though it's still work, I'm putting in between 12 and 16 hour days when I come home on the weekends, it's enjoyable and relaxing."

Spicer has made about 400 gallons of syrup, about 20 times more than he has made in any previous season.

"The first time the vaccum tube turned on it just hit me," Spicer said. "All that work we've put in that last month came to life. I couldn't believe how much sap and syrup we were producing."

Some nights Michael is working until 2 a.m. Throughout the season, he has received a lot of help from loved ones.

"We had some family and friends that actually brought me my first buckets when I was eleven that I hadn't seen in years, and they've been here almost as much as I have, if not more, because I'm at school," Spicer said.

The sap has dried out for the season but the work doesn't stop.

"We have to take out the taps, clean the lines, repair some of the lines. We're hoping to expand a little bit," Spicer said.

The young entrepreneur is already thinking about next winter. Cedarvale Maple Syrup is open on Saturdays and Sundays.