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- [Mark] This is Mark Isselhardt,

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Maple Specialist with the
University of Vermont Extension.

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And this is another Vermont Maple Minute.

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Vermont produces more maple
syrup than any U.S. state.

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According to statistics from the USDA,

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Vermont made over 2.2 million
gallons of syrup in 2020.

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The crop is made by sugar makers

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with operations of all sizes.

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The average size of operation in Vermont

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has been changing over time.

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According to the most
recent census of agriculture

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of the over 5 million taps

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used by sugar makers in Vermont in 2017,

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76% came from operations
with 5,000 taps or more.

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This is despite the fact

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that operations with more than 5,000 taps

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only make up 20% of all the
operations in the state.

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Looking back at the statistics
from 10 years before,

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approximately 50% of the
taps came from operations

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with 5,000 taps or less.

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While there is no single
explanation for this change,

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some of the reasons include,

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efficiency of scale
with larger operations,

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increasing consumer
demand outside of Vermont,

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relatively stable prices for bulk syrup,

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and increased availability of capital

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from lending institutions.

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No matter the size of operation,

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all syrup must meet the
strict quality standards

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established in state and federal law.

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This is Mark Isselhardt,

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Maple Specialist with
University of Vermont Extension.

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And this has been another
Vermont Maple Minute.