“When I was 18 years old Roy Martin told me the one thing that stays the same with maple syrup year after year is it’s unpredictable,” said Terry Hoover, president of the Waterloo Wellington Maple Syrup Producers.
That fact that was particularly evident this year, as many producers had already boiled a sap run prior to the group’s first tree tapping ceremony on Feb. 26 at Shady Grove Maple Farm west of Guelph.
“Last year we started boiling March 10th and most people around here have already had one boil (this year),” said Hoover, also the president of president of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.
“So it is earlier but it doesn’t mean that the season’s going to be shorter.”
Hoover’s operation had its first run on Feb. 20. He explained the warmer winter and mild temperatures shouldn’t cause any problems in production, but it really depends on what happens in the next few weeks.
The perfect conditions for maple syrup production are 5 C and sunny during the day and -5 C at night.
“All indications right now look like just a normal year,” Hoover said. “But yeah, a month ago when we never had winter yet we were starting to wonder.”
However, he did say the lack of a snow base could cause the trees to warm up and start growing earlier. When there’s a snow base, the tree doesn’t react to the warm temperatures immediately because the snow around the roots has to melt first. However this year, with a thin or non-existent snow base, the growing process could begin earlier if the temperatures stay consistently warm.
“When the buds pop out we’re done,” Hoover said, noting the syrup becomes bitter and there’s nothing the producer can do to make it edible.
With last year’s colder temperatures producers were told their syrup may be sweeter, but Hoover said that was not the case.
“That was an MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) guy and he was going around telling everybody the roots were frozen and the sap was going to be sweeter – so the first three runs last year there was no sweetness hardly at all,” Hoover said. “So that’s why when people ask me to predict … I’m scared.”
Because the maple syrup season started early this year Hoover said to keep an eye out for other produce like strawberries and raspberries and even hay because they’ll likely be ready earlier in the season as well.
