>> IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT MOST PEOPLE ENJOY A LITTLE MAPLE
SYRUP ON THEIR PANCAKES -- AND MAYBE ICE CREAM TOO.
MAPLE SUGARING HAS BEEN A NEW ENGLAND
TRADITION FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
BUT RESEARCHERS SAY CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING THE
INDUSTRY.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH WINTON PITCOFF, THE COORDINATOR
FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS MAPLE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION TO LEARN
MORE.
. CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAVING AN
IMPACT ON ALL AGRICULTURE AND ALL FARMERS ARE DEPENDENT ON THE
WEATHER AND AS THE LENGTH OF THE GROWING SEASON CHANGES AND WHEN
THE SEASONS CHANGE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
AS WE HAPPENS THE SEASONS BECOME LESS PREDICTABLE.
THE WEATHER BECOMES LESS PREDICTABLE, THE TEMPERATURE,
THE AMOUNT OF THE RAINFALL AND IT BECOMES HARDER AND HARDER FOR
ALL FARMERS TO PLAN FOR THEIR CROPS.
FOR MAPLE SYRUP IN PARTICULAR, THE SEASON -- THE CHANGING OF
THE SEASONS IS WHAT'S CRITICAL FOR WHEN THE SAP RUNS AND WHEN
MAPLE SYRUP CAN BE MADE AND FOR GENERATIONS SUGAR MAKERS WERE
ABLE TO COUNT ON THAT HAPPENING IN MARCH EVERYONE KNEW THAT'S
WHEN THE SUGARING SEASON WAS.
WITH THE CHANGING OF THE CLIMATE IT'S BECOME LESS PREDICTABLE IN
SOME WAYS IT'S ACTUALLY STRETCHED OUT LONGER AS WE HAVE
WARM SPELLS IN JANUARY AND SAP STARTS RUNNING AND FREES UP
AGAIN IN APRIL OR MAY END EARLIER IN MARCH AND SO THAT
UNPREDICTABILITY HAS MADE IT CHALLENGING FOR MAYBELING SUGAR
MAYBERS.
>> YOU NEED IDEAL TEMPERATURES.
>> FOR WHEN THE SAP IS GOING TO RUN IS FOR THE NIGHTS TO BE
AROUND 25 DEGREES OR COLDER AND THE DAYS TO BE 40 DEGREES OR
HIGHER.
>> AND SO WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM HERE IN THE INDUSTRY AND
HOW -- AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INDUSTRY IN
MASSACHUSETTS, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT?
>> SURE, THE MAPLE SUGAR MAKERS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTS 260
PRODUCERS AROUND THE STATE FROM HOBBYISTS WHO JUST HAVE A FEW
TREES ON COMMERCIAL PRODUCERS THAT HAVE OVER 10,000 TAPS AND
WE -- WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER 100 OR SO SUGAR MAKERS
OUT THERE THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY PART OF THE
ASSOCIATION.
THE ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 75 YEARS BUT SUGAR
MAKING IN MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MORE THAN 200
YEARS.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COLONISTS TALKED ABOUT IN SOME
OF THE EARLIER RECORDS OF BEING IN MASSACHUSETTS.
AND SO THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE
OF DECADES AS TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED, AS THERE'S BEEN MORE OF
AN INTEREST IN SUGAR MAKING.
AND AS MORE FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THE VALUING OF BUYING LOCAL EGG
CULTURAL FARMERS, AND THEY'RE PRODUCING MORE SYRUP AND SELLING
MORE OF THE SYRUP LOCALLY TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS.
>> AND CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY AS WELL SO THIS,
OBVIOUSLY, WOULD AFFECT ALL OF THAT THAT.
THE THAT UMASS DID TALKED ABOUT THIS REALLY -- THE STUDY BY THE
UMASS SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE YEAR 2000 BUT PUSHING THIS
PRODUCTION FURTHER NORTH, WHICH AS YOU SAID HISTORICALLY THIS IS
PART OF NEW ENGLAND'S WHICH IS PART OF OBVIOUSLY DEVASTATING
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> MAPLE -- SUGAR MAPLE TREES IN A VERY PARTICULAR CLIMATE HAS TO
THRIVE AND AS THE TEMPERATURES CHANGE AS THE WARMER MONTHS GET
LONGER AND THE COLDER MONTHS GET SHORTER, THAT'S CHANGING.
ALSO THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS THAT INVASIVE
SPECIES THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO THRIVE IN BEFORE IN OUR AREA NOW
ARE -- THRIVE BEFORE IN OUR AREA NOW ARE, AND THEY'RE FEEDING ON
MAPLE TREES AND ACTUALLY KILLING MAPLE TREES THAT'S AN IMPACT OF
CLIMATE CHANGE IF WE LOSE THE TREES WE LOSE THE SYRUP.
>> I KNOW YOU TALKED BE ABOUT MITIGATION THINGS TO DO, YOU
KNOW, IN RESPONSE TO THIS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO US.
>> FOR ALL FARMS THERE'S TWO WAYS -- TWO PRIMARY ISSUES
AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE ONE IS MITIGATION WHAT CAN FARMS DO TO
ACTUALLY REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE FOR ALL OF US AND
THEY HAVE A BIG ROLE FOR THAT AND THE OTHER ADAPTATION HOW DO
FARMS ADAPT SO THEY CAN GROW THE COPS THEY DO EVEN IN THE FACE OF
CLIMATE CHANGE.
AS FAR AS MITIGATION MAPLE FARMERS HAVE A BIG ROLE IN THAT.
BY KEEPING FORESTS HEALTHY THEY'RE CREATING -- THEY'RE --
THEIR TREES ABSORB A LOT OF CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND
THAT HELPS TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND
MAPLE FARMERS HAVE AN INTEREST IN KEEPING THOSE TREES HEALTHY
BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY PRODUCE THEIR CROP.
ADAPTATION IS A LITTLE HARDER FOR MAPLE PRODUCERS THAN FOR
OTHER CROP GROWERS.
IT CAN'T BE DONE IN A CONTROL ENVIRONMENT LIKE A GREENHOUSE.
YOU DON'T IRRIGATE YOUR TREES.
IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM -- FROM ANNUAL CROPS, AND SO AS A RESULT
MAPLE FARMERS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE -- ARE GOING TO SUFFER A
LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
>> AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM FAMILIES WHO HAD THIS IN THEIR
FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, JUST PART OF
WHO WE ARE?
>> YEAH, IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO PREDICT.
THE PRODUCERS WHO DO THIS FOR A AND LIVING -- WHERE IT'S A BIG
PART OF THEIR FARMING OPERATION ARE BETTER ABLE TO ADAPT BECAUSE
THEY MAY HAVE STAFF OR CREWS THAT ARE ABLE TO HELP THEM AND
THEY CAN WATCH THE WEATHER AND TAP IN JANUARY AND GET AHEAD OF
WHAT MAY BE A WARMER SEASON BUT FOLKS WHO DO IT ON A SMALLER
SCALE AND PLAN TAKING OFF A COUPLE WEEKS FROM THEIR JOBS TO
BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR SUGARING OPERATION IT'S HARDER
AND HARDER FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW IF THE SEASON IS
GOING TO BE IN FEBRUARY AS IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO OR MARCH OR
EVEN IN APRIL AND SO IT'S MORE AND MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE
THERE'S A REALLY GOOD NARROW WINDOW WHEN YOU CAN COLLECT SAP
AND PRODUCE MAYBELING SYRUP.
IT'S NOT CONSISTENT ANYMORE.
>> IN YOUR ROLE WITH THE MAPLE PRODUCER ASSOCIATION ARE YOU
TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT AND SUPPORT FARMERS THE BEST YOU
CAN?
>> THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS MAKE THE FARMS TO BE AS
FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE AS YOU CAN.
ENCOURAGING THOSE TO BUY MORE LOCAL SYRUP.
IT'S GREAT ON PANCAKES AND PEOPLE USE IT FOR THEIR COFFEE
AND PEOPLE USE IT IN MARINADES AND COOKING AND BAKING AND THE
MORE PEOPLE WHO DO THAT AND SUPPORT THE FARMS, THE BETTER
ABLE THE FARMS ARE ABLE TO ADAPT.
WITH THE SEASON BEING SHORTER -- I MENTIONED TECHNOLOGY IS THAT
SUGAR MAKERS OVER THE YEARS IS ANOTHER FORM OF HOW THEY'VE
HELPED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, HAVE ADOPTED ALL
KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES MEAN THEY USE LESS FUEL AND JUST
GENERALLY, HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND
SO BY BEING ABLE TO ADON'T THOSE TECHNOLOGIES THEY CAN ALSO
PRODUCE SYRUP FASTER SO THAT WHEN THERE ARE THOSE SURPRISE
RUNS OF SAP IN JANUARY OR IN APRIL OR WHENEVER IT MAY BE, THE
SUGAR MAKERS ARE BETTER PREPARED TO TURN THAT SAP INTO SYRUP AND
SO WE ENCOURAGE AND HELP SUGAR MAKERS ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGY LIKE
REVERSE OSMOSIS OR HIGH EFFICIENCY eVAP RARITIES.
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF MAPLE SYRUP.
>> IT HASN'T CHANGED WHEN NATIVE AMERICANS FIRST DISCOVERED THAT
YOU COULD TAKE THIS SAP THAT COMES OUT OF A TREE FROM A WOUND
IN A TREE AND BOIL IT DOWN AND MAKE SOMETHING SWEET AND THAT'S
ESSENTIALLY ALL IT IS.
IT'S A SINGLE-INGREDIENT PRODUCT.
IT'S THE SAP FROM SUGAR MAPLES AND RED MAPLE TREES.
IT'S SUBTRACTED THROUGH TUBING OR BUCKETS AND BOILED TO A
CERTAIN CONSISTENCY TO A CERTAIN SUGAR CONTENT TO BECOME MAPLE
SYRUP.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF STEPS ALONG THE WAY OF CLEANING THE SAP,
FILTERING.
YOU CAN USE A REVERSE OSMOSIS MACHINE AS I MENTIONED THAT
HELPS REMOVE SOME OF THE WATER FROM THE SAP SO THAT YOU HAVE
LESS TIME IN THE EVAPORATOR, LESS TIME BOILING, LESS FUEL TO
USE, AND SO LESS IMPACT ON THE CLIMATE IN THAT WAY BUT
ESSENTIALLY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME PROCESS ESSENTIALLY TAKING
THE SINGLE INGREDIENT SAP FROM THE MAPLE TREES AND BOILING IT
DOWN TO THE PROPER CONSISTENCY TO BE SYRUP.
>> HOW MANY GALLONS OF SAP WOULD YOU NEED FOR SO MANY GALLONS OF
SYRUP?
>> THAT'S ACTUALLY -- CLIMATE CHANGE PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS AS
WELL IS THAT SAP IS OF VARYING SUGAR CONTENTS.
IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM BELOW 1% SUGAR TO AS HIGH AS 4 OR 5%
SUGAR IN REALLY GOOD TREES AND; WHEREAS, SYRUP IS ALWAYS 66%
SUGAR SO IT HAS TO BE BOILED DOWN UNTIL ENOUGH WATER HAS BEEN
REMOVED SO THAT THE SUGAR CONTENT IS THAT MUCH HIGHER BUT
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A RESULT -- AS A RESULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE THE
AMOUNT OF STARCH THAT THE TREES BUILD UP IN THE SUMMERTIME
CHANGES FROM YEAR-TO-YEAR DEPENDING -- LAST YEAR WAS A
RAINY YEAR SO THERE WAS LESS STARCH IN THE TREES AND THAT
IMPACTS THE SUGAR CONTENT AND THAT IMPACTS HOW MANY GALLONS OF
WATER YOU HAVE TO BOIL OFF BEFORE YOU GET TO MAPLE SYRUP.
THE RULES USED TO BE 40 GALLONS OF SAP TO GET ONE GALLON OF SAP.
THAT CHANGED WHERE THERE'S SOME YEARS TO GET ON TO THAT BUT
USUALLY IT'S 50 GALLONS OF SAP TO 1 GALLON OF SAP.