Topic: Tree Sugaring,

Format: Resource Hub,

Missouri-made maple syrup produced at MU’s Baskett Forest.

Maple trees (Acer saccharum, rubrum, and saccharinum) and others including black walnut (Juglans nigra) and American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) that are abundant in the lower Midwest can be tapped for their flowing sap in late winter as temperatures begin to warm above freezing during the daytime. Processed into syrup, sugar, and other value-added products, this sweet forest treat is healthy and delicious.
The Center for Agroforestry, with producers and Extension partners, are working to grow awareness of this non-timber forest product as a pathway to forest health and diversified forest harvests.

Here you’ll find a compendium of resources available on tree sugaring, from tapping, production and processing, to bottling and marketing. The resources are organized by region; keep in mind that climate and market contexts vary between regions. As more publications and other media are released specifically for lower Midwest sugaring, they will be added to this hub. For specific questions, contact us here.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Midwest Tree Syrup Producers Conference!

If you’d like to stay informed about upcoming events and new sugaring resources, sign up for Action in Agroforestry e-news.

Lower Midwest

In 2022, the University of Missouri, with the Missouri Maple Syrup Initiative and Missouri Maple Syrup Facebook group, recruited producers for an anonymous survey to understand the production costs and sales revenues for maple syrup products in this region. This is designed to help us develop online tools and educational material to benefit people interested in syrup production.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the The Missouri Sugarmaker Survey and interviews!

Below, you’ll find the downloadable producer worksheet that can be used to help track your annual production and sales, as well as the final report produced from the 2022 survey and interviews.

The following reports and Extension guides were authored with Alan Spell and Luke Dietterle as part of the University of Missouri Extension Exceed – Regional Economic and Entrepreneurial Development program. The survey, interviews, and reporting are funded by an Acer Access and Development Program (Acer) grant provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service.

These guides are also available at https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/dm3036 and https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/dm3037.

dm3036 Download

MO-Maple-Hobby-to-Sales_dm3037-1 Download

MapleSyrup_MOImpactBrief_Feb25-1 Download

Syrup-Worksheet-1 Download

MOMapleProd_22SurveyReport Download

**Download the Tree Sugaring tracker worksheet as an Excel spreadsheet**

Missouri tree syrup makers are connected to the forest in an intimate way, attending to late winter temperature fluctuations, noticing their trees’ health, and delighting in a sap flow that will result (with much time and care) in a sweet reward. Maples are not a preferred species in these forests, but where abundant, tapping them can yield a sustainable source of nutritious sugars. The Center for Agroforestry’s new project “Putting Maple on the Map in the Lower Midwest” highlights the important role these trees play in forest farming and ecological health.