Is The Warm Weather Creating a Sticky Situation For Michigan’s Maple Syrup Supply?

The warm weather we’ve been having has probably been enjoyable for many people, but for others, it could be disastrous.

The Michigan Maple Syrup industry, the 5^th largest in the country, is being impacted heavily by the swings in weather. President of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association Kirk Hedding says that the weird weather is bad for volume, and it also “opens the door to new invasive species and disease”.

Warmer weather also makes maple tree sap less sweet, meaning more of it needs to be used to make syrup. Dan Tassier of the Commercial Maple Syrup Producers of Michigan says that some farmers have had to use 85 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup; that’s more than twice what it usually takes.

Hedding says that if the warm weather continues, we could see a “severe impact” on the industry.