Contacts:
Kelly Loftus, Agency of Agriculture, (802) 828-3829

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Montpelier, Vt. – Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee announced the arrival of maple season in Vermont. Vermont has approximately 2,500 maple producers that are currently collecting sap and making maple syrup, the State’s first agricultural product of the year.

“The maple season is off to a good start in Vermont,” said Secretary Allbee. “The weather has been perfect for sap to run with frosty nights and warmer sunny days, and most producers in the State were able to make their first gallons of syrup this week. We have reports from producers that the quality and taste of the syrup is some of the best in years. ”

“Maple producers will be boiling maple sap to make maple syrup over the next month, which is a tradition in my family and in many other families in Vermont. The work is rewarding and the product is extraordinary,” said David Lane, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. “I encourage all Vermonters to take advantage of the upcoming Maple Open House Weekend to see and taste for yourself one of nature’s sweetest treats, maple syrup.”

To celebrate Vermont’s maple season, the industry is hosting its 7th Annual Maple Open House Weekend on March 28-30, 2008. Over the course of the weekend, sugarhouses across the State will open their doors to the public in an effort to share the process of syrup-making from tree to table. The public is invited to take free tours and see the process first-hand. Some sugarhouses offer pancake breakfasts, gift shops and horse-drawn sleigh rides as well. For more information and for a list of participating sugarhouses, visit www.vermontmaple.org.

Bruce Martell, Agriculture Development Specialist with the Agency of Agriculture works closely with maple producers in the state and said, “Maple producers throughout Vermont are looking forward to a good year. Most have started boiling and some have a good quantity of syrup in jugs already. The sights and smells of sugar making is something everyone should experience so, as an industry, they are inviting the public to visit a local sugar houses on Maple Open House Weekend to experience this legendary process in person.”

Tapping sugar maple trees has been a long tradition in Vermont dating back to the 1700’s. Warm days and cold nights are ideal for sap flow, and therefore, the typical sugaring season usually runs from late February through early April. The harvest season ends with the coming of spring’s warm nights and the first stages of bud development on the trees.

The maple sugar industry is an important contributor to our economy. Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S. with over 460,000 gallons produced in 2006. This is a 12 percent increase in production from 2005. Maple syrup sales alone total almost $22 million. Many producers have told us that this year could be the best ever for the maple sugaring industry in Vermont. Demand for quality Vermont maple products along with the strength of the Vermont brand name are fueling higher demand than ever in the United States and from emerging markets such as Asia and Europe.

For more information about agriculture in Vermont, visit www.vermontagriculture.com