Maple Sugaring
Small business owners, Maria Gleason and BJ DeRosia of Crossroad Maple in Bakersfield, Vermont use their two chocolate labrador retrievers daily when they are not boiling sap. Throughout the year the dogs, Rugar and Remi, help with bringing items back and forth in the woods to help the tapping and wind damage recovery move more quickly. The dogs will wear
vests sometimes to help carry items into the woods as well. "We move way quicker when they’re out
Videos courtesy of Maria Gleason
there with us," Maria says. "I don’t have to keep going to BJ if I have something that he might need. I can just hook it to the dog and put it in their vest and then BJ will call the dog to him instead of just having to run back and forth".
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Dogs are dependable and will always be there at work if you bring them. With great obedience training already in play, the training that goes into maple sugaring dogs is halfway there. Aside from bringing objects back and forth between the two, Rugar and Remi also help with moving branches off of the tubing and finding lost items, like gloves or tools.
Fast Facts
Vermont: Leader in Maple Syrup Production
Green Mountain Maple, a sugaring company, states Vermont is the number one producer of maple syrup in the United States. The maple syrup boiled in Vermont also accounts for 5.5% of the maple syrup in the entire world. In 2018 Vermont produced nearly two million gallons of maple syrup!
Organic vs. Conventional
Unusual Maple Recipes
The
Maple
Season
It typically takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup. The boiling season normally lasts about 4-6 weeks, but is entirely dependent on the weather. Once the temperature remains above freezing, the season is over.
There is only one ingredient in pure maple syrup and it's just that, maple syrup. Arcadian Maple, another maple sugaring company says organic maple syrup means it was produced in a woodland area with at least 15% of its trees not being maple. These areas also cannot be too close to farmland or Christmas tree farms that use pesticides.
Maple syrup is more than just a topping or a flavor. Maple is also used in many recipes, some of which you might not expect. Did you know maple is sometimes used to make salmon, pickles, chewy bars, punch, and even avocado salad?