Season Summaries

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Season Update #3: Warm weather on way, worrying some sugarmakers

| March 1, 2024

NORTHFIELD, Mass.—Some sugarmakers are shutting down in southern states and others are just getting started, as one of the weirdest weather maple seasons continues its warm patterns.

“For those that waited to tap until the last week of February, their season may start and finish in the same week,” said Les Ober, OSU maple consultant in Northeast Ohio.

Ober said sugarmakers in his state who tapped in January and early February are enjoying what will likely amount to an “average” season.

Everything could end next week, with a stretch of 60s and no freezing nights in the forecast, he said.

Sugarmakers in Massachusetts were seeing a similar forecast, as many gathered Friday for the annual first tree-tapping at Severance Maple Products in Northfield, Mass., with hosts Milton and Robin Severance.

Tapping the first tree was newly appointed state agriculture commissioner Ashley E. Randle, who used a traditional bit-and-brace drill, surrounded by a large gathering of local and regional dignitaries, FFA students and maple producers.

Sugarmakers at the event said they had a close eye on the weather apps in their phones. [ MORE ]

Season Update #2: Big production in early Feb; cool off this week

Peter Gregg | February 14, 2024

SCOTTSVILLE, N.Y.—The tale of two seasons continues as some sugarmakers are boiling away, happy with their early start and others making the decision to hold off, wondering if they made the right choice.

Sugarmakers were blowing up social media last week, pulling in oceans of sap during the unusual warm February. Other sugarmakers sitting on the sidelines are planning on pulling the trigger soon on starting their seasons.

“We’re tapping this weekend, but usually we’d be tapping in March,” said Dan de Roos, in Scottsville, N.Y.

In Hardwick, N.J., sugarmaker Tom Phillips was happy to see 14 inches of snow this week, slowing down the trees.

Phillips said he was going to tap during the warm up last weekend, but held off because there were no freezing nights in the forecast. [ MORE ]

Season Update #1: January boilers happy to go early

Peter Gregg | February 1, 2024

ANNANDALE, Minn.—Sugarmakers have gotten an early start on the 2024 maple season—even gravity producers in typically-frozen Minnesota.

Sugarmakers across the Maple Belt were drilling and boiling with gusto in January, many jumping into a season far earlier than ever before and getting good results.

“So far it’s going great!,” said Kia Czech, a sugarmaker in Annandale, Minn. who with her husband Adam, hung 330 sap bags and buckets this week.

Czech said she collected 460 gallons of sap so far with 2 percent sugar content. Their first boil on Jan. 31 sweetened the pans a little but she was hoping to have finished syrup by the weekend.

Last year her first boil was April 2. [ MORE ]

Vermont sugarmakers boiled 51 times from November to April

Peter Gregg | June 23, 2023

CUTTINGSVILLE, Vt.—Successful season.

The men of Stewart Maple of Cuttingsville, Vt. were tired but happy with the 2023 season.

They may have had the longest season in the U.S. with the first boil on Nov. 28 and the last boil on April 12.

“We made 6.3 pounds per tap,” said Elliott Stewart. “Our goal for the future is one gallon per tap. Which seems crazy and everyone laughs when I say that, but that’s what we’re working for.”

The Stewarts turn on pumps at the beginning of the season and turn them off on the last day. [ MORE ]

U.S. maple crop down 15 percent from last year

Peter Gregg | June 9, 2023

RUPERT, Vt.—The 2023 U.S. maple syrup crop was down somewhat over last year, with producers making 4.18 million gallons, down 15 percent from 2022, according to the USDA.

Vermont led the way with a total of two million gallons produced.

Runner-up states were New York with 750,000 gallons, Maine with 470,000 gallons and Wisconsin at 402,000 gallons, according to USDA. [ MORE ]

Quebec crop way down

Peter Gregg | June 5, 2023

LONGUEUIL, Que.—Quebec’s maple harvest totaled 124 million pounds, with an average per-tap production of 2.43 pounds.

It’s the smallest crop in five years, off dramatically from the 211 million pounds from last year.

In reaction, Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) last month announced it will be adding another 7 million taps into its production quota system.

These 7 million new taps must be installed by April 1, 2026. By that time, Québec will have a total of 58 million taps in production, the federation said.

Meanwhile, the Global Maple Syrup Strategic Reserve currently holds 33 million pounds.

Buyers and processors also possess an estimated 65 million pounds of inventory, the Quebec federation said.
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Cleanup. The season is not over when the sap stops running

Paul Post | April 12, 2023

RUPERT, Vt.—For many, the sap has stopped. Before putting a sugarbush to bed, critical steps should be taken.

"It's not enough to remove taps and move on," said maple specialist Mike Rechlin of Future Generations University in Franklin, W.V.

"You've got to get the gunk out. You don't want to leave it there. You want to clean it, but you want to do more than that. Cleaning is one thing, sanitizing is a completely different thing."

Cleaning alone doesn't rid lines of fungi, yeast and bacteria that can build up and ruin sap and syrup next season, if left untreated.

"Sap lines are porous material. Fungi, yeast and bacteria become imbedded in the porosity of that material, deep down in the line structure," Rechlin said during a recent talk, "The End of Year Clean, Sanitation 101.

"We want to kill the bacteria not only on the surface, but deeply imbedded in structure of that material. Spores and fungus can stay active and alive for two or more years. If they haven't been killed in your sap line, then it's there to cause problems before you ever tap a tree next season."

"So it's important to clean and sanitize so you aren't starting next year's race behind the start line," he said. [ MORE ]

Season Update #5: Lots of light syrup and big sap runs

Peter Gregg | March 20, 2023

HARPERSFIELD, N.Y.—Sugarmakers are making a lot of light syrup, as the season hits its peak.

At Shaver Hill Maple in Harpersfield, N.Y. there was an hour-long wait for pancakes during the first of two open house weekends at the farm, with a big turnout of visitors.

Meanwhile, out of the 1900 gallons of syrup made so far, 1700 gallons of it was light syrup, said owner Dwayne Hill.

“There’s an abundance of light syrup, that’s for sure,” he told The Maple News on Sunday.

Damian Hill said even the small backyard producers in the area had been making Golden.

“They’re all calling here telling us they can’t believe how much light syrup they’re making,” Damian Hill said.

Nearby, at Thompson’s Sugar Shack in Jefferson, owner Dan Thompson was also having a great season so far, with lots of light syrup made.
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