Resource type: Practical Skills

Showing 71 – 80 of 310 resources

Guidance for Maple Open House Events During COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many maple producers were forced to cancel open house events during the 2020 sugaring season for the safety of the producers and their customers. This caused a major loss in sales for many maple producers throughout the maple producing region. While COVID-19 is likely to still be a concern for the 2021 sugaring season, we now have a better understanding of the virus and protective measures to keep everyone safe while staying open for business. Those measures and best practices are detailed in this guidance.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 1, 2020

Pandemic Prompts New Ways to Market Maple

Maple farmers experienced a difficult transition when the COVID-19 outbreak in North America resulted in the shutting down of sugarhouses to the public, particularly during some of the most crucial weekends for in-person maple sales. Sugarmakers had to quickly pivot in order to make up for lost sales in the sugarhouse as well as from wholesale restaurant and school accounts. This shift brought about some creative thinking and innovative solutions to reach customers and promote maple products. Some successful marketing, sales and agritourism strategies have not only helped producers recover lost sales, but have permanently enhanced their future sales approach and marketing plans.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 1, 2020

Forest Connect

A collection of videos on sugarbush management and sap production.

Date:
October 29, 2020

Sugarbush Leases

Negotiating legal lease arrangements for sugarbush.

Date:
October 22, 2020

Sustainable Tapping

How to tap trees for long-term forest health and sustainable production.

Date:
October 22, 2020

Some quick tips to achieve higher sap yield

Increasing the yield of sap from maple trees is the goal of most maple producers. While getting there isn’t a matter of one simple thing, by
following best management practices and paying attention to detail it is possible to increase sap yields, often quite dramatically. Includes links to videos.

Publication:
Maple News
Date:
October 3, 2020

Maple Performance Gel

Consisting of mostly sucrose, with some additional minerals, maple syrup is an ideal foundation for performance gels, and can satisfy a real need within the endurance running communities. We found that adding a thickening agent to maple, with the addition of flavoring and electrolytes, was the most ideal formula for nutritional benefits and consumer ease. A thorough processing step, clean and sterile packaging measures, and correct fill instructions are all vital in the shelf life and safety of these novel products.

Date:
October 1, 2020

Sugarbush Management Notebook

A sugarbush is a special type of woodland. Woodlands include a complex mixture of natural processes and attributes such as soil type, elevation, tree species, types of wildlife, history of use, tree age and more. Foresters can help maple producers gain an in-depth understanding of these factors to achieve a healthy and productivity sugarbush, but there are several steps a maple producer can take on their own.

Date:
October 1, 2020