US Company involved in Quebec Maple Syrup Heist

Feb 08, 2013

Canadian officials link $20 million stolen maple syrup case to a US company

Canadian officials have discovered a link between Maple Grove Farms, a US company based out of Vermont, and the $20 million in maple syrup that was stolen in Quebec back in October last year - 12 tractor-trailer loads of maple syrup went missing at that time. Maple Groves is one of the largest distributors of maple syrup in the United States.

A petition filed before the Board of Agriculture and Food Marketing in Quebec indicates that a Maple Grove representative purchased syrup from the heist ring leader Richard Vallieres at a cost significantly lower than market rates. According to Quebec media, Vallieres is well-known within illegal Maple Syrup distribution circles.

Maple Groves released a public statement saying “Maple Grove Farms purchased the maple syrup in good faith with no reason to believe that it was coming from Quebec or that it may have been stolen.”

Canadian authorities have made close to 18 arrests in the case. Officials have said that Maple Grove could face fines and trade sanctions. The investigation is still ongoing.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.