Maple sugarbush with collection buckets

Wisconsin Extension Maple Syrup Program

UW–Madison Division of Extension’s Maple Syrup Program is a three-year project supported by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through the Acer Access and Development Program. The program’s main areas of focus include the following:

  • Supporting sustainable forest practices of maple syrup producers, especially relative to climate change adaptation strategies
  • Providing resources and support to foresters and other advisors who work with maple syrup producers
  • Better understanding and supporting the needs of Tribal communities in Wisconsin related to maple syrup production

Extension partners with other organizations and programs to deliver the project including:

Research

The research component of the program seeks to understand how Extension, foresters, equipment suppliers, and others can effectively support existing maple syrup producers in Wisconsin, as well as how they can encourage more Wisconsinites to begin producing maple syrup. In 2022, we worked with our partners to develop and run a comprehensive needs assessment survey. With responses from 677 maple producers, the survey examined the landscape of Wisconsin maple syrup production along with current opportunities and challenges. A full report will be available soon.

We have published three academic journal articles analyzing data from the needs assessment. In November 2023, we ran a Facebook ad campaign testing how to effectively encourage non-producers to consider beginning maple syrup production. Visit our research page for more information.

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