Amanda Purcell is reporting in The Daily Mail that local maple syrup farmers are worried this year's season could be short. Unseasonably warm weather got the sap flowing early and the harvest began earlier than usual, in mid-to-late February. Ben Madey of Maple Leaf Sugaring in Ghent is worried his sap run could be tapped out early. "The warmer weather definitely worries me," Madey said, pointing to one Red Maple that was showing signs that it was beginning to bud. "The key is that the buds don’t come out. Once the buds come out, the syrup gets very off-flavored." Adam Cross of The Syrup Chick in Prattsville said it is too early to tell how the season will go. "If the sap runs through the first few weeks of March, that will be a good season," he said. The season typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the average maple syrup collecting season in New York in 2016 was 36 days. According to the National Maple Producers, there are at least a dozen maple producers in Columbia and Greene counties. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.