It’s gonna be sticky and sweet!

May 30, 2023

Annual summer tour of maple syrup producers to gather in Perth, Ontario this July 19-23, 2023.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image by diapicard from Pixabay

Large and small maple syrup producers and industry stakeholders are set to gather in Perth, Ontario, on July 19-23 for the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association’s (OMSPA) annual Summer Tour. OMSPA represents approximately 600 maple syrup producers from across the province.

The Summer Tour is an educational conference focused on supporting the maple syrup industry in Ontario and consists of two days of tours to a range of sugar camps in the area and one day of technical presentations at the Algonquin College campus in Perth.

The theme for this year’s event is “From Here Forward” and will feature topics relating to improving woodlots, production operations, marketing, and continuing education in a changing industry.

“We invite maple syrup producers of all sizes—from backyard to large sugarbushes—to attend and gain more knowledge about maple syrup production in Ontario while networking with other producers and industry leaders,” said Dave Branson, Chair of the event.

The Summer Tour is open to both OMSPA members and non-members, and the program includes banquet guest speaker Robert Hocking, who is a business and brand strategist specializing in consumer behaviour and innovation.

Conference sessions will include topics such as woodlot management, operations, forest stewardship, and ways to optimize yields and sustainability.

Exhibits from industry manufacturers will be on display throughout the conference.

Stops on the sugar camp tours will be spread across the region and will include Adam’s Maple, Wheelers Pancake House, Sugar Camp & Museum, Canis Valley Maple, Century Maple, McEwen Acres, Golden Moment Farm, Gunnnebrooke Farms, and Blair’s Maple.

This event is sponsored by a range of industry leaders, including CDL, Dominion & Grimm, Lapierre, Hartington Equipment, and Farm Credit Canada, among others.

Registration for the conference can be customized for the full three-day package or for individual days or activities. To register, visit www.omspasummertour.ca.

For more information, contact Dave Branson at dave@bransonmaples.ca.

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.