Information and Resources for Sugarmakers

The North American Maple Syrup Producers' Manual

The 2006 North American Maple Syrup Producers' Manual is available. This edition is entirely new and contains contributions from twenty educators, researchers and maple producers from all across the maple region. Printed in full color the new manual has 329 pages and contains 13 chapters, 5 appendices and more than 150 illustrations. The information in this manual will be helpful to all producers whether you are just a beginner or an experienced maple producer or if you just want to learn more about the maple industry.

The cost for the soft cover edition is $37.50 plus shipping and 6% VT sales tax.

Contact Mary Croft at 802-763-7435 or email mcmaple@wildblue.net about obtaining a copy of this must have reference for your maple library.

Chapters and appendices included in the manual are as follows:

Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. History of Maple Syrup and Sugar Production
Chapter 3. The Maple Resource
Chapter 4. Planning a Maple Syrup Operation
Chapter 5. Managing Maple Trees for Sap Production
Chapter 6. Maple Sap Production - Tapping, Collection, and Storage
Chapter 7. Maple Syrup Production
Chapter 8. Syrup Filtration, Grading, Packaging, and Storage
Chapter 9. Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, Maple Candy, and Other Products
Chapter 10. Marketing Maple Products
Chapter 11. Economics of Maple Syrup Production
Chapter 12. Maple Production Facilities
Chapter 13. Safety in the Sugaring Operation
Appendix 1. Maple Equipment Manufacturers and Sources of Information
Appendix 2. Maple Chemistry and Quality
Appendix 3. Determining Proportions When Adjusting Off-Density Syrup by Blending With Syrup, Water, or Sap
Appendix 4. Identifying and Eliminating Undesirable Flavors in Maple Syrup
Appendix 5. Sugarbush Lease Agreement

Entering Maple Syrup and Products At Fairs

The time is here when fairs and field days are starting. Here are a few tips on entering your maple products to get the best results in the contests.

Maple Syrup – the most important thing to remember is check it before you send it!! Grade your syrup as if you were the judge – check the four basics – color, clarity, density and flavor. You don’t want to be "surprised" by the sample you submit. Also, make sure you use a new container; used containers can contaminate even the best syrups.

Maple Products – this year, a significant amount of light colored syrup was made near the end of the season. This syrup usually has a high invert sugar level, meaning your products will not have the right consistency or create a small enough crystal to be rated well in the contests. Make some small test batches before you make your entry in order to be sure you are submitting your very best product.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 802-828-3458 or your Extension Maple Specialist.

Henry J. Marckres
Chief, Consumer Protection—VT Agency of Agriculture

Mercury Thermometer Exchange: Maple Tubing and Mercury Thermometer Recycling Opportunities For Vermont’s Sugar Producers, Fall 2011

Vermont Solid Waste Districts have teamed up with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the University of Vermont Extension to offer two key pollution prevention opportunities for Vermont’s Maple Sugar Producers. 

Several Vermont Solid Waste Districts are offering maple tubing recycling to producers throughout the state. Districts are either charging a very small fee to recycle the tubing, or are offering free recycling. It is important to remember that costs to dispose of these materials run close to $100 per ton at the only 2 operating landfills in Vermont, so the arrangements being offered by the Districts are worth every penny. The tubing will be recycled into plastic sidewalk paving stones called Terrewalks, by a company called Rubbersidewalks, Inc.

Up to 250 producers can receive up to two free digital thermometers free of charge, in exchange for their mercury models. The digital unit is capable of reading in increments of 0.1 degree Fahrenheit at temperatures above 100 degrees F.    Please contact your local Solid Waste District to arrange your exchange.   Additional information regarding the tubing recycling program is listed below.

Lamoille Regional Solid Waste Management District is collecting for the month of September and October at the Johnson site only.  People MUST call to preregister at 802.888.7317 for an appointment. 

Chittenden Solid Waste District: Maple sugar tubing to be recycled at CSWD’s Williston Drop-Off Center (1492 Redmond Road, Mon-Sat 8-3:30). CSWD will accept tubing that meets the specifications outlined below, at no charge, from sugaring operations located within Chittenden County, from October 1 through November 30, 2011. Tubing from sugar bush located outside the county is subject to a fee of $10 per cubic yard ($10 minimum charge).  We encourage those with loads larger than a pickup truck to bring them directly to the main collection point in Georgia, VT (see info below). Fees may apply for tubing originating outside of Chittenden County.

Material Specifications:
-  Polyethylene (PE) tubing only. To determine whether your tubing is made from PE or PVC, clip off a sample and put it in a bowl of water.  PE floats; PVC sinks. 
- Plastic taps, tees and other fittings are OK to leave attached to tubing.
- Material must be as clean as possible in order to make this recycling program successful.
- If possible, cut mainline into 4-foot lengths. Coil or bundle tubing. Tie bundles together with tubing; do not use string or other material.
- NO PVC tubing.
- NO drainage, sewer, or water service lines.
- NO string or metal of any kind (wires, wire ties, metal hose clamps).

Tubing collected at the Williston Drop-Off Center will be trucked to the Northwest Vermont Solid Waste Management District (NWSWMD) in Georgia, VT, where it will be baled and hauled away for recycling.  NWSWMD accepts tubing year-round.  Please call ahead to make arrangements if you plan to bring your tubing directly to NWSWMD. Contact Tom Reynolds at (802) 524-5986; info@nwswd.org.

Northwest Vermont Solid Waste Districts’ Maple Tubing recycling program is ongoing by appointment. Please call 802-524-5986.

The Northeast Kingdom Solid Waste District is planning to accept tubing for the entire month of October at their facility in Lyndonville. They will collect tubing for free and will be collecting it in Lyndonville only. People must call ahead (626-3532) and make an appointment to drop–off tubing. When people call the District to make an appointment, the District may be able to direct them to their local recycling drop-off center, but not all facilities will have enough extra space to handle the material.

The District will also be collecting tubing in the spring of 2012 – most likely April.

Addison County Solid Waste District will take maple tubing any time during normal hours, but by appointment only.  The District wants to discuss the preparation of the tubing with each customer.  Generally, the District would like it to be relatively clean, coiled, and the coils tied up with other lengths of tubing.  (no metal, of course, and no PVC).  The District will accept the tubing at no cost provided that it is received this way.

Normal hours are Mon-Fri, 7-3 and Sat 9-1 (but NOTE that they still need to confirm an appointment time with us FIRST). (802) 388-2333.

Central Vermont Solid Waste District will be opening up a new facility in Barre, VT and will be accepting tubing at a later date. For more information please contact Mia Roethlein, Program Manager, 137 Barre St., Montpelier, VT 05602. 229-9383 ext. 106.

Mercury thermometer exchanges will also take place at the 3 Winter Maple Schools in January. Please contact your local Solid Waste District or Annie Macmillan at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 828-3479 or anne.macmillan@state.vt.us for additional information about either of these pollution prevention programs.

Maple Mainline

This publication is sponsored by the University of Vermont:

Click here for the current and past Maple Mainline issues. 

How to Recognize the Asian Longhorned Beetle

The following online guide was created by Bob Childs to help people recognize the Asian Longhorned Beetle.

Identify Asian Longhorned Beetle (PDF File, 190KB)

Sugarbush Lease form from UVM Extension

http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmaple/sugarbushlease.pdf