Warm winter not a hurdle for GTA maple syrup festival
Posted February 22, 2024 5:12 pm.
Last Updated February 22, 2024 10:52 pm.
Preparation for this year’s Maple Syrup Festival at the Toronto Region Conservation Authority is underway and despite a warm winter, organizers say it’s looking to be a good year.
Heather Stafford says the festival dates will not change despite the weather forcing producers into an early tapping season. She said right now is the perfect temperature to keep things moving.
“[If a] puddle has a layer of ice on top … that’s what you want. You want puddles that are freezing at night and thaw during the day. That’s when the sap runs,” said Stafford.
Cold nights and warm days are ideal for them. “Our festival is lucky in that we do run for a full month. So, if the weather’s changing during that month, we will get at least a couple of weekends where we’ll have really good weather, we hope.”
She said since what’s produced here in the bush isn’t sold commercially, there’s less focus on how much is made overall and more on making enough for education programs.
“We just want to demonstrate and teach people about the magic of maple syrup,” said Stafford.
Some of their trees were just tapped in the last couple of days, and they experienced these warm temperatures at the beginning of the festival before, and things worked out.
“I think we’re gonna get a good sap run,” Stafford shared.
A few days ago, CityNews checked in with commercial producers and the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association said while most of the province was off to an early start, it would ultimately come down to the day-to-day conditions over the coming weeks.
“Whether it starts early or late, it’s all about how much of that perfect maple weather we get. Where we get a freeze up at night and, then a nice warm day.”
Stafford said the idea of changing the date of the festival has come up, but “every year seems to be different. So for now, we’re just keeping it as it is.”
The 2024 Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival kicks off March 9 here at the Kortright Centre for Conservation and at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Park.
