The end of maple season is nigh! Please fill out the sap flow survey by noon tomorrow (Wednesday) if you wish to contribute to the weekly report. I would love to hear from you even if you have already pulled your taps. Reports on ice storm damage are also welcome. You can also text or email me with updates at:
Mobile: 519 835 5872
Email: jenny.liu2@ontario.ca
The unexpected warm weather of this week signals the abrupt end of the sugaring season for many in the province. Some folks in the colder regions are holding out until the weekend, but sap has definitively stopped flowing for those in many parts of Southern and Central Ontario. Yields range from excellent in Southwestern, below average/pending for Northern and Eastern Ontario, and average for everyone else.
It’s been a tough year weather-wise for many out in Eastern and Northern Ontario. Sugarbushes went from being frozen solid to thawing in 10-20 degree Celcius spring weather (with no freezing nights) in the matter of one or two weeks. The ice storm came at the most inopportune time for those in Eastern, coinciding with the largest runs of the season. Some producers have reported extensive woodlot damage that in some cases ended their seasons early.
Continue readingAnother week has come and gone, and the difference between the syrup yield of the southernmost and northernmost regions is increasing. Most of southwest appears to have pulled taps and are enjoying having made a bumper crop, while up in Algoma folks are reporting being 1-2 weeks behind a regular season with many yet to have significant boils.
Continue readingSpring 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.
Continue readingSap 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.
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.
Continue readingThe 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.
Continue readingThe 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.
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.
Continue readingThe 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.
Continue readingThis past week’s weather was similar to last week, with warmer temperatures resulting in good runs for those in the south. More folks up north are getting tapped in as well. However, a significant number are choosing to wait as we head into a two-week freeze that will affect most of the province save for those in the furthest south.
South of the border, Ohio producers are starting to see their soft maples budding and tapholes beginning to dry, though their sugar maple buds remain tight. Some are doubting that their syrup season will extend to March 1 (subscribe to Ohio State Maple extension here). For what it’s worth, I have not received reports of anyone in southern Ontario regretting tapping early.
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