ONmaplesyrup

Sap Flow Overview

Spring is certainly the most exciting time of year.. each week of the maple season brings about new developments at a breakneck pace that likely no other crop can match. Producers in the far South are finishing their seasons, and there are many reports of 2023 being a record year, especially for those who started early. These folks began pulling taps and cleaning in the last week. There’s also a shortage of bulk barrels in this area due to the unexpected bumper crop, which is having an effect on supply in other areas of the province.

Further north and east, the only signs of spring are birds returning all over the province. The last week has seen generally good sap flow and folks are slowly but surely approaching their annual average yield.

Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Tuesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Thank you for your participation!

Sap Flow Overview

Sap flows this week have been strong in the southern part of the province for those who tapped later, and slow for everyone else. In the southern region, there are signs that tapholes are closing, especially for those who tapped early. Bud swell has begun in both hard and soft maples. There is also a wide range of yield reported, most likely due to the different tapping times.

Further north and east in the coldest regions of the province, producers have barely begun collecting sap and a number are just getting tapped in this week. There is promising maple weather in the next week or two.

Taphole Reaming/Refreshing

I have received several questions from producers about the benefits of reaming or refreshing tapholes, especially those that have been in place since mid-January or early February.

The first reports of sugar maple bud swell are coming in! Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Tuesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Thank you for your participation!

Sap Flow Overview

The cold weather of this past week meant that some folks in the south had time to get organized, get cleaned up and get ready for the next round of sugaring weather. A few lucky producers in the south and in Quinte district experienced good sugaring weather and were able to make a significant portion of their crop. In most regions, sap flow has yet to start in earnest; many folks out in Ottawa Valley are still waiting to tap. There is general optimism that next week will bring at least a few days of sugaring weather, and the long-range forecast looks promising.

Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Tuesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Thank you for your participation!

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a five-year agreement between Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments that will help improve productivity, competitiveness, and resilience in the agri-food sector. It replaces the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP).

Ontario will see upwards of $1.77 billion in support over the life of the agreement, from 2023-2028. This agreement will be finalized this month and come into force on April 1, 2023.

What does this mean for you?

Sap Flow Overview

Cold weather slowed sap flow for most of last week, but over the weekend it warmed up sufficiently for producers to collect a decent quantity of sap even in the colder regions of the province. As was the case last week, some producers in the south have reached 100% of an average year’s crop while much of the rest of the province remains frozen. More cold weather is in the forecast for the next few weeks.

Sap Flow Overview

The freeze has set in in the majority of the province, and little sap was collected in the past week. Producers are using this time to regroup and get organized if they have already tapped, to fix leaky lines, and to clean out their evaporators if they have been able to boil. The freeze is expected to last for a few weeks in the colder parts of the province. Southwestern Ontario was the only region that had significant sap flow in the past 7 days. In Southwestern and Waterloo-Wellington, there seems to be general optimism for a prolonged season.

Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Tuesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. All responses are helpful, including from those who haven’t tapped yet! You can also text or email me with updates at:

Mobile: 519 835 5872

Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca

Thanks to everyone for your participation.