Spring just got a little bit sweeter Warm days mean sunshine and sweetness for maple industry

Author: Caitlyn Olson

Washington has its apples, Wisconsin has its cheese and Vermont has, of course, its maple syrup. This state is the biggest source of maple syrup in the United States, home to approximately 2000 producers, all of whom have been hard at work during these first few weeks of warm weather.

Sugaring is a relatively straightforward process: harvest the sap from maple trees and remove the water to concentrate it into syrup. Naturally, techniques have modernized over the years and vary from farm to farm, but collection basically involves a taphole drilled into the tree, through which the sap passes into either a bucket or enters a system of tubes. Farmers then transfer it to the sugarhouse and boil it down into syrup using heated metal pans called evaporators, while emitting the huge amounts of steam that inform passersby that the operation is up and running. The concentration is dramatic: for every 40 gallons of sap going in, only one gallon of syrup comes out.

Before the product can be packaged, labeled and delivered, though, the manufacturer must carefully test it for taste, density and color. Vermont has a strict set of laws regarding its maple sugar production that include a prohibition on preservatives and detailed guidelines of the four different categories, or grades.

Grades range from the lightly-colored and delicately-flavored "Vermont Fancy" to the dark and robust "Grade B." Which describe the point in the season from which the syrup comes (earlier for Fancy and later for B), preference for one over the other is purely personal.

Sue Folino is a fan of Medium and Dark Amber, the two middle grades, and her opinion ought to count for something, since she and her husband, Dave Folino, run Vermont's largest certified organic maple farm. Located near the town of Starksboro, Hillsboro Sugarworks sits on 350 acres of land and comprises 14,400 tapholes. It is a young business - only two years old - although Dave has been sugaring since 1979.

The couple decided to enter the industry full-time when the opportunity arose to purchase a substantial piece of land. Their customers are primarily whole-sale accounts, including natural food stores, restaurants and Middlebury College. Costs are minimized as the couple run the entire business themselves, with Sue taking care of marketing matters and Dave tromping around in the woods looking after tree health and wood maintenance.

They work hard to make sugaring their primary source of income, but Sue reports satisfaction with the new routine: "The lifestyle, just being outdoors and having such flexibility in our schedules, is really great."

Although the business occupies them year-round, the off-season production and upkeep cannot compare with the intensity of the harvest that takes place these first few warm weeks in spring. Sugaring in Vermont typically lasts around six weeks, beginning in early March when the alternation between freezing and thawing causes the sap to flow. This winter, however, was unusually warm, and some farmers made the decision to tap early and begin boiling in January. The Folinos opted to wait until the normal starting time and have been happy thus far with their results.

Since a good-sized crop for Hillsboro Sugarworks is around 500 gallons, technology plays an important role in its sugaring process. The business is among the first in the state to use smaller, lower-impact spouts for collection and to switch to the energy-saving reverse osmosis technique within the sugarhouse. While innovations like these are more functional and environment-friendly than old practices, they do lack that certain earthiness.

"You don't get the steam, the smell, the old rustic building, the wood-stoking fire," said Sue.

"You miss out on the traditional feel of it, but as far as efficiency and reduced oil use, these [new methods] are a good thing."

Fortunately, the Folinos have not yet been forced to turn to the harmful side of technology, pesticides. Invasions of the native forest tent caterpillar as well as the non-native Asian longhorn beetle currently represent severe threats to Vermont producers, and the only spray offered by the state is not organically certified.

Perhaps an even greater issue facing farmers, though, came not from the environment but from syrup manufacturers. Until several weeks ago, the Vermont labeling laws had allowed for large packing companies to important syrup from Canada or out-of-state, sell it under names such as "Maple Groves of Vermont" and only mention the product's true source in fine print on the back of the container. New legislation now requires that the label clearly display the origin on its front.

While industry issues like this one afflict actual sugaring businesses, they can be blissfully ignored by the countless Vermont families who engage in the tradition on a smaller scale.

Haik Kavookjian '09.5, has been sugaring with his family since 1992. They started off tapping two trees, collecting the sap in plastic milk jugs and boiling it on the stove. They now produce around five or six gallons each season that they give to friends and keep for their own consumption. Kavookjian calls the spring his favorite time of year and says he always looks forward to the harvest.

"Although maple sugaring is quite a lot of work, it is one of the most relaxing and rewarding activities I've experienced. There is nothing as relaxing as sitting in our steamy sugarhouse, reading a book and watching the sap boil into syrup. The satisfaction that comes from filling a bottle with hot syrup, right off the stove and sealing the cap tight is incredible," he said.