LANSING, MI-- A board member of the Commercial Maple Syrup Producers of Michigan says extreme weather is putting a lot of stress on the industry.
Warm winter weather affects sap production and sweetness and has the potential of being extremely harmful on local producers. Dan Tassier says when it stays warm too many nights in a row, buds on the trees will swell. Once that happens the sap turns bitter and the season is done.
The average amount of sap it takes to make a gallon of syrup is about 40 gallons. Tassier says lower sugar content this year has resulted in some farmers needing 85 gallons of sap just to make one gallon of syrup.
