Certified organic maple syrup is produced by many Vermont maple producers and generally commands a higher price in the marketplace. In order to legally market your syrup as "organic" an approved third-party certifier such as Vermont Organic Farmer...
The sugaring season has been over for a while. Maple trees ended their annual period of dormancy when their winter buds broke, allowing new leaves to emerge. These lush green leaves are now working to produce all the energy needed for the tree to ...
Vermont laws governing the production and sale of pure maple syrup grant the authority to regulate to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. The regulations that have been developed as a result of those laws cover everything from the ...
Some producers use membrane separation (called "reverse osmosis" or simply "RO" within the maple industry) in addition to evaporation with heat. In this process, sap is forced through membranes that have pores which are large enough for water to p...
Like people, plants have strong mechanisms to prevent the spread of microorganisms within their tissues. Trees are capable of "walling off" wounds to prevent infections from spreading throughout the tree. This healing process also slows, and event...
Sugar makers rely on healthy, abundant maple trees to provide sap each spring. Taken together a group of maple trees managed for sap collection is called a sugarbush. Developing a healthy, productive sugarbush takes time and effort. Forests are hi...
Late summer, while leaves are still green is a good time to assess the trees in your sugarbush. Weak or declining individuals will show areas of crown dieback. Trees with more than 75% dieback will likely not survive but are still competing for li...
The recent period of expansion in the maple industry has seen both established operations grow and many new operations start from scratch. Some real estate listings of land include estimated potential taps. But how many of those taps are actually ...