Showing 1 – 10 of 19 resources

Syrup with Saps

Business is booming if you own a commercial sugar bush! As forest managers, this means more and more of us are hearing from landowners interested in starting or maintaining a sugar bush. Unfortunately, if you are like us, you did not learn about maple syrup in forestry school. This episode’s guest, Mark Isselhardt, Extension Maple Specialist with the University of Vermont, helps us unpack the fundamentals of sap production, sugar bush management, and how the industry has changed in the 21st century.

North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, 3rd Ed.

Since 1958 the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual has served as a basic reference source for the production of pure maple products. This 2022 edition provides up-to-date, science-based information and recommendations relating to all aspects of the industry. The guidelines presented will help users ranging from the hobby and beginning producer level to those well-established in the industry. In addition, the information herein will benefit foresters, land managers, Extension and outreach personnel, and others aiming to provide assistance to those in the maple industry. Numerous photographs, tables, a glossary and hyperlinks to selected source materials are included.

This publication is also available in print, at www.mapleresearch.org/ordermanual.

The Northeast Maple Economy: Crop Distribution and Outlook

As the US domestic maple syrup crop continues to grow the influence of different scales and types of business can shape local communities and national trends. Survey results presented here demonstrate the dramatic difference in the scale of maple enterprises as represented by tap count and the resulting working forest acres these businesses utilize.

Perceptions of U.S. and Canadian maple syrup producers toward climate change, its impacts, and potential adaptation measures

The production of maple syrup is an important cultural and economic activity directly related to the climate of northeastern North America. As a result, there are signs that climate change could have negative impacts on maple syrup production in the next decades, particularly for regions located at the southern margins of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) range. The purpose of this survey study is to present the beliefs and opinions of maple syrup producers of Canada (N = 241) and the U.S. (N = 113) on climate change in general, its impacts on sugar maple health and maple syrup production, and potential adaptation measures.

The Work of Maple Associations

A panel discussion at the NAMSC annual meeting offered a number of suggestions for ways state and provincial associations can help their members.

What’s trending

The 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture reveals trends in growth for number of producers and number of taps in many states.

Are NASS Maple Surveys Underestimating Production?

Some have questioned the accuracy of NASS’s Maple Syrup estimates. The most common criticisms typically include: some producers don’t return their report, some don’t report accurately, and some don’t receive a report. I will address each one separately.