BACK TO HOME
Headlines
Quebec's warehouses nearly empty of table grade syrup
Peter Gregg | March 9, 2022
COWANSVILLE, Que.—The reserve of table-grade syrup in Quebec is almost down to zero.
"I think it’s a couple million pounds left,” said David Hall, a sugarmaker from Cowansville, Que. and a board member for the Quebec maple producers federation.
A staggering, back-to-back 20 percent increase in sales and consumer demand over the past two years, combined with a short crop last year in Quebec and the U.S. has led to a situation many did not foresee.
“Is it unnerving? Yes. But there’s not much we can do about it,” Hall said. [ MORE ]
Legendary Vermont sugarmaker shares his maple wisdom
Peter Gregg | February 25, 2022
COLUMBIA CITY, Ind.—Focus to quality.
That was the advice from legendary Vermont sugarmaker Glenn Goodrich, the featured speaker at the recent annual meeting of the Indiana Maple Producers Association in Columbia City.
Goodrich offered folksy humor and helpful pointers, sharing what he has learned growing his dual operation in Cabot, Vt. and Eden, Vt. to upwards of 150,000 taps after starting out on a flat pan and cinder blocks.
“Everything we do is focused to quality,” Goodrich said. “Your customer is sophisticated. Tune up your sugarhouse. Small is ok but make it nice.”
Goodrich pointed out the differences between Vermont and Indiana sugaring that work in the Hoosiers’ favor.
In Northern Vermont, the days just don’t warm up enough to get huge sap runs as they do in Indiana, where sugarmakers can enjoy “3 gallon days,” he said.
[ MORE ]
Many quality defects found in online syrup, say researchers
Peter Gregg | February 24, 2022
MORRISVILLE, Vt.—Many quality defects were found in syrup bought online, Vermont researchers found.
Nearly in one in four samples of dark syrup bought online was off-flavor, according to a study conducted by University of Vermont Extension.
“Everything flows from quality,” said Mark Isselhardt, maple specialist with UVM Extension who conducted the study with colleague Mark Cannella, also of UVM Extension. “You can’t expect consumers to pay a premium and not give them what they are expecting.”
Isselhardt and Cannella bought syrup samples off the internet from various maple states including Vermont, New York, Maine, Ohio and Massachusetts and tested for clarity, density, color and off-flavor.
There were a total of 116 samples of Golden Delicate and 129 samples of Dark Robust. Three samples each were ordered from each producer. [ MORE ]
Maple manufacturers deal with supply issues
Peter Gregg | January 27, 2022
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Insane.
That’s the word that manufacturers of maple equipment and supplies are describing the marketplace as they try to keep up with orders with wildly fluctuating input costs.
Steve Caccamo, president of Next Generation Maple Products of East Syracuse, N.Y. shared with The Maple News just how crazy things have gotten.
Stainless steel, the most critical input for any equipment manufacturer in the maple industry, has seen dramatic shifts in pricing and availability over the past six months, Caccamo said. Nearly quadrupled.
For example, 4x10 sheets of 20 gauge stainless that was selling for $198 last year jumped to $715 per sheet on Oct. 13, Caccamo said.
Prices have since settled to $398 as of early January, but still double the price of last year.
“Some of our equipment has 40 different components and everything has doubled,” he said. “It’s brutal.” [ MORE ]
R/O pre-filters could be the next shortage scare
Peter Gregg | January 11, 2022
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Not time to panic yet but the latest shortage in maple supplies could be R/O pre-filters.
“They’ve been hard to get,” said Sandy Wilcox of Countryside Hardware in DeRuyter, N.Y. who was a featurted vendor at the New York maple conferences this weekend.
“Folks might want to get on to some,” she said.
Wilcox said at her store, one of the biggest suppliers in central New York, the 5 micron, 20-inch prefilters have been easier to find than the 10 micron.
“Those are in low supply or out,” she said.
At Maple Expert Solutions in Henniker, N.H. owner Clayton Christie was hesitant to say there was a shortage just yet.
“I know we are selling them fast and likely won’t have any left soon,” he told The Maple News on Tuesday. [ MORE ]
Showdown
Peter Gregg | January 5, 2022
VERNON, N.Y.—Pick one, pick both, pick neither.
Sugarmakers this weekend must pick between the “January Maple Conference” at the Vernon Downs Casino in Vernon, N.Y. and the “Mid-Winter Maple Classic” at the state fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y.
Both are scheduled for this Friday and Saturday located just 43 miles apart along the NYS Thruway.
The Mid-Winter Classic show in Syracuse will feature presentations by maple experts from Cornell University, the University of Vermont and Michigan State University.
The Vernon show will feature well-known entertaining speakers like Glenn Goodrich of Cabot, Vt. and Bruce Gillilan, formerly of Leader Evaporator.
[ MORE ]
China a big potential market for maple
Peter Gregg | January 5, 2022
MORRISVILLE, Vt.—Sugarmakers looking for new opportunity should know China is buying up maple syrup like crazy.
“I look at the data from China and I see a lot of potential,” said Qingpin Wang, Ph.D, a professor of economics at the University of Vermont.
Qingpin was one of the panelists on the “State of the Maple Industry” panel discussion during Vermont Maple Conference Week on Dec 10.
Wang said data on maple sales in China from 2009 shows there was hardly a drop of syrup sold there.
By last year it was up to 260 metric tons.
“That’s a lot of maple syrup,” he said. [ MORE ]
Red maples might not be so bad after all
Peter Gregg | December 14, 2021
UNDERHILL Ctr., Vt.—Might be time to start loving the reds.
Red maples are getting some attention from maple researchers who are trying to debunk their bad reputation.
“Across the maple industry there are lingering perceptions that the red maple is a ‘less than,’” said Dr. Abby van den Berg of the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center, during an online seminar on Friday.
Some sugarmakers say they don’t produce much sap and others say they produce an inferior flavor.
But van den Berg said early results from a two-year study on red maples may surprise the haters. [ MORE ]
Special
Subscription
Fall
Sale!
© 2025 The Maple News