Cattaraugus and Allegany Events
By Norah Stevens, Reporter, Seneca Nation Official Newsletter
Have you ever attended the Annual Pancake Breakfast put on by Gakwi:yo:h Farms? The Seneca Nation Official Newsletter touched base with Gakwi:yo:h Farms’ Acting Director Gerry Fisher and learned more about the origin for the breakfast and what the farm is busy with this month.
The annual breakfast will be held on the Allegany Territory at the Allegany Community Center (ACC) on Saturday March 15th, 2025, from 9am to 12pm (noon). Another breakfast will be held on the Cattaraugus Territory at the Cattaraugus Community Center (CCC) on Saturday March 29th, 2025, from 8am to 12pm (noon).
The first community breakfast originated back in 2019 and was held at the Stanley “Sully” Huff Building which took place the first Maple Weekend. Over time, an event on the Allegany Territory was established. Fisher shared she enjoys hosting the breakfast because it is a chance to see community members and share information about the farm.
Gakwi:yo:h Farms is currently in full swing for the Maple Season and production. This season can last from anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Starting from late February to March or March into early April depending on the climate. The farm shared their tapping operation with us. They use a dropline system when collecting sap. Once they tap the maple trees, they connect tubes which allow the sap to flow into the main tube line. The sap is the flows into the main storage tank.
Gakwi:yo:h Farms produced about 12,000 gallons of sap last year, equaling 200 gallons after being boiled down to produce maple syrup. About 80% of the product made is sold. This same maple syrup they have worked diligently on will be featured at the breakfast event. Along with white corn pancakes, bison sausage also harvested locally from Gakwi:yo:h.
The products are available for purchase at The Seneca One Stop (Cattaraugus/Allegany only at this time), The Seneca Allegany Casino & Resort, The Seneca – Iroquois National Museum, and at the Gakwi:yo:h Farms location at 13594 Taylor Hollow Road Collins, NY 14034. Fisher also mentioned the farm has tried recipes with the syrup including maple sugar, maple cream, and maple candy.
The farm has partnered with various organizations and different departments within the Seneca Nation and continues to foster non-profit work within the Western NY region. On average 20% of what the farm produces is donated to community events. The farm has also set up at Food Truck Fridays at the Seneca Iroquois National Museum in Salamanca, New York in the summer.
They also have some upcoming outreach events. Every spring in May, they provide tilling services and host a plant sale in hopes of community members planting their own gardens and harvesting fresh food. Also, this spring they will be kicking off a new compost initiative. The mobile market will be set up tentatively on March 21st from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Seneca Allegany Administration Building (SAAB) with the Gakwi:yo:h Farm’s seed library.
