Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

Updated: 37 min ago

Friday Food Insider: Maine maple producers are ready to take on the weekend

Photo / Courtesy Hilltop Boilers Hilltop Boilers is located at 159 Elm St. in Newfield.
By Alexis Wells

We're going into a sweet couple days as maple syrup makers gear up for Maine Maple Weekend.

Some sugarhouses are still feeling the effect of last year's losses. Even with the cold and snowy winter, maple syrup producers say conditions were not ideal for sap production.

Yet the show goes on.

Maine Maple Weekend is an annual promotion held one weekend in March. Maine’s maple producers open their sugarhouses to the public, offering maple product samples and demonstrations on how Maine maple syrup is made. Farms also offer games, activities, treats, sugarbush tours, music and more.

The maple syrup industry generates an estimated $55 million in annual economic activity and supports roughly 800 full- and part-time jobs across the state, according to the office of Gov. Janet Mills.

Weather worries

Photo / Courtesy Casey Belanger
Pictured is maple syrup in the making at 207 Tapper in Biddeford.

Casey Belanger, owner of 207 Tappers in Biddeford, started his business as a hobby with his father and uncle in 2015. He said the maple season has started slowly.

"We just had a record-breaking snowfall and extreme cold weather this year compared to the past three years," said Belanger.

Production has been slow but he's hoping that as it warms up, production will increase.

He said that Maine Maple Weekend accounts for 80% of his sales. However, he is still trying to make up for year's decline in sales. 

In addition to 2024 being an off year for production, Maine Maple Weekend was cancelled by Nor'easter. (It was rescheduled for an April weekend.)

"People are definitely ready to come out this year after not being able to last year," said Belanger. "We have a lot planned out for this weekend. We're trying to make it so people can turn this into a whole day situation."

Debi and Harry Hartford, the owners of Thurston and Peters Sugarhouse in West Newfield, said, "The season had a slow start due to cold temperatures, and now we are experiencing extra warm daytime temps, often without a freeze at night."

As they enter their 19th season, the retired educators look forward to teaching guests how to make syrup. 

"It's great for people to know where their food comes from," said the Hartfords in a joint email.

Ready for a busy weekend

In Newfield, longtime maple syrup producer Michael Bryant, one of the owners of Hilltop Boilers Maple Syrup, told Mainebiz that maple season started later than the past few years.  

"We are at 70% of a crop right now at our sugarhouse, which is very good," said Bryant. "With another week or so of freezing nights and warm days, we should be in great shape." 

Bryant and his brother Mark started Hilltop Boilers in 1984. They make syrup on a wood-fired evaporator and supply it to over 90 establishments across Maine.

Hilltop also trademarked Maine Maple Weekend. Bryant said this allowed them to use the name on various weekends and not be locked in by the state's official date of Maine Maple Sunday.

"We have found that by holding events on three weekends, we can accommodate so many more people and increase the fun and sales exponentially," said Bryant. 

Hilltop was also affected by last year's winter storm. Bryant said losing one big day is a big deal and "really hurt."

Hilltop expects to see 3,000 people on Saturday and 4,000 to 5,000 people on Sunday.  

"It will be very busy but brings a lot of revenue not just to us but our other vendors and surrounding businesses," said Bryant. 

Maine Maple Weekend festivities 

Maine is the third-largest producer of maple syrup in the country, producing more than 575,000 gallons each year. 

Some sugarhouses offer events on both Saturday and Sunday. The Maine Maple Producers Association provides more information and a description of each sugarhouse, including hours and activities.

Do you have a favorite spot to visit on Maine Maple Sunday? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to know! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

Sign up for Enews

Mainebiz web partners

Most Recent

Most Recent

Related Content

Thumbnail Working waterfront businesses will share in last of Maine's funding for winter storm recovery
Thumbnail Maine's top utilities regulator nominated for second term
Thumbnail Thomas College VP nominated as Maine’s next economics commissioner
Thumbnail Maine lobster catch hits a 6-year low in 2024

0 Comments

Order a PDF