TRAVERSE CITY -- The long, cool spring this year has been perfect for at least one thing -- coaxing a vast amount of sap out of Michigan's maple trees.
Maple syrup production in Michigan reached its highest level in more than six decades this spring, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The same cold weather that's delayed the development of other crops and produce around the state has been ideal for syrup producers, who enjoyed an extended sap run this spring.
"It has been very good. The weather was absolutely fantastic, warm days and cold nights," said Leta Luchenbill, of Kewadin, an Antrim County maple syrup producer. "It was weather-wise the best I've ever seen."
Frederic Dohm, who tapped 2,000 maple trees on Old Mission Peninsula, agreed the weather was perfect and the sap just kept flowing.
"We added more taps and made more syrup than we've ever made," he said. "We were able to process it as it ran."
This year's estimated production of 115,000 gallons is 10 percent higher than in 2008, reports the USDA, and represents 5 percent of total U.S. production. It's the highest syrup production total in 62 years, and ranks fifth nationally behind Vermont, Maine, New York and Wisconsin.
Both Luchenbill and Dohm say the chatter amongst their fellow maple syrup producers across the region is that everyone had a banner year.
"Maple syrup is a crop that's different every year because it all depends on the weather," said Russell Kidd, district forestry educator with Michigan State University Extension and a maple syrup expert. "This year was characterized by no extremes in either way."
This spring provided a long, consistent period of freezing nights and above-freezing days, ideal sugar bush conditions that allowed the greatest syrup production in Michigan since 1947, he said.
"It was pretty even. There wasn't a lot of variation," said Scott Rozanski, meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Gaylord.
The heavy snowfall this winter kept the ground from freezing very deep, in turn permitting the sap to flow by about a week into March. Then a 20- to 25-degree daily difference between nighttime lows and daytime highs lasted through the first couple of weeks of April, perfect conditions for sap flow, said Rozanski, who also is a maple syrup producer.
Darker syrup was more prevalent this season, above the more golden-colored syrup that is generally considered better. Also, sugar content was down a bit, Kidd said.
Looking ahead, next year's syrup season may not be as sweet.
Michigan's sugar maples are under attack this summer by forest tent caterpillars, creatures that devour broadleaf hardwood trees. Springtime sap sugar content depends on the previous year's photosynthesis rates.
Heavy defoliation by caterpillars will mean less photosynthesis and potentially less sugar content next year, Kidd said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Syrup production
Michigan's maple syrup production in gallons
2009 -- 115,000
2008 -- 100,000
2007 -- 60,000
2006 -- 78,000
2005 -- 58,000
2004 -- 80,000
2003 -- 59,000
2002 -- 66,000
2001 -- 60,000
2000 -- 44,000
1999 -- 73,000
Source: Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service
Print this story
E-mail this story
