The tree tapping is well underway and now only time will tell how well the sap will run.
“It’s an exciting time for us. It’s an exciting time for maple syrup producers,” said Dale Martin, who along with his brother Paul hosted the Waterloo-Wellington Maple Syrup Producers’ (WWMSP) official first tapping ceremony in their sugar bush on Feb. 22.
The Martins, who tap between 9,000 and 10,000 trees, are among the local producers hoping for a good season after a difficult 2012.
In southwestern Ontario, the window of opportunity for collecting typically runs four to six weeks.
“Last year the season was about two weeks because of all the warm weather we had,” said WWMSP chair Fred Martin.
While producers are optimistic for a better run this year, Fred Martin notes last summer’s lengthy drought has had an impact on the moisture content of the trees and producers must take care not to jeopardize their health by taking too much sap.
The Feb. 22 event, which attracted a number of area politicians as well as producers for the tree-tapping ceremony and a lunch of pancakes and sausage, has become a tradition in this region in the past 10 years, said Martin.
“It’s just a great way to bring a bunch of producers together just before the season starts,” he explained.
The Waterloo-Wellington region is among the highest producing regions for maple syrup in Ontario.
“We live in a blessed part of the country,” said Wellington Halton-Hills MP Michael Chong, who noted North America is the only place in the world where maple syrup is produced. Chong said with three young children, his family goes through a lot of syrup at breakfast time.
“My wife calls it liquid gold,” he quipped.
