There are several Missouri entities that are not involved in this initiative but they are "pushing in the same direction". Staff of the University of Missouri Extension, the Forestry Department of MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and MU Center for Agroforestry have expressed interest and encouragement, and I welcome their suggestions. Their future involvement will be necessary for applying for grants, improving communication and social media presence, and conducting workshops featuring forestry and syrupmaking experts.
The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, established in 1998, is one the world's leading centers contributing to the science underlying agroforestry, the science and practice of intensive land-use management combining trees and/or shrubs with crops and/or livestock.
http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/
In 2022, the staff of the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri may be conducting several workshops on the topic of making syrup products from Missouri trees (as allowed by covid policies). Such workshops will be publicized in local media of syrup producing regions of the state, and will be great opportunities for Missouri syrupmakers to exchange ideas, with the possibility of formalizing the network through an association of syrupmakers.
MU Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri campuses, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They have staff dedicated to forestry issues.
https://extension2.missouri.edu/find-your-interest/agriculture-and-environment/agricultural-systems-and-natural-resources/forestry
