Maple Grading Change

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Created on Friday, 15 March 2013 15:46

Written by Catherine Vitale

CABOT - Vermont has its own unique, and always evolving set of maple grading standards.

Those standards may change to something more universal and beneficial to sugarmakers.

 Vermont maple products are known through the nation, and the world. According to the USDA, 80% of Vermont maple was sold in bulk, 15% through retail, and 5% was sold wholesale. Maple is a staple of Vermont’s economy, and sugarmakers depend on out-of-state and international business alongside in-state sales.

Unlike other states, Vermont has their own set of maple grading standards. These standards do not include much description for someone who is uneducated about maple, or cannot understand English. Lawmakers are hoping to ease these concerns with J.R.S 014, a joint resolution to “adopt an administrative rule to implement international maple grading standards in Vermont”. The resolution, now a bill, is intended to use descriptive words to make it easier to translate maple grades into other languages.

Ruth Goodrich co-owns Goodrich Maple Farm, and has welcomed visitors from all over North America, South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Africa and Asia, even places like Mongolia. Goodrich understands the struggles in translating maples grades.

“Change comes hard sometimes for people, but we’ve become a global community. The current terminology we use for our grading system is not translating well into the multitude of languages around the world,” she says, “It doesn’t give a correct descriptor, so what they’ve done is they’ve come up with the right descriptor words that will translate correctly into all those other languages.”

The bill states that sugarmakers would still be able to use the current Vermont grading system on their packaging in addition to the new International maple grading standards. Currently Vermont has 5 grades of maple. The lightest, Vermont Fancy, will become Grade A Golden (Delicate Taste). Grade A Medium Amber will become Grade A Amber (Rich Taste). Grade A Dark Amber will be categorized between Grade A Amber (Rich Taste)and Grade A Dark (Robust Taste) depending on its color and flavor, and Grade B will be categorized as Grade A Dark (Robust Taste). In terms of Commercial Grade, the grading change means more to Goodrich than simply being able to reach more customers.

“It allows us to take our commercial syrup, which we cannot sell in a retail container now, and be able to market that in a retail container for a cooking grade of syrup that will bring us a better price for our product,” Goodrich said. She also explained that despite how good the flavor was, no commercial grade syrup was allowed to be sold retail, so she would have to send it off for less. Goodrich said many retail customers miss being able to buy good flavored cooking syrup.

According the USDA, Vermont accounted for 39% of the United States’ maple production, and 61% of New England’s maple production in 2012. During the 2012 season Vermont sugarmakers producer roughly 750,000 gallons of maple. That amount of maple would fill roughly 37 and a half swimming pools. Vermonters are proud of their maple, and for most, real maple syrup is a staple.

Bonnie Paris, Manager of The Lyndon Freighthouse in Lyndonville meets many travelers looking for a taste of Vermont. Paris makes sure that they get the best maple experience.

“We actually haven’t even considered serving artificial maple syrup, which I wouldn’t call maple syrup. I don’t know what you’d call it, but we don’t even go there,” Paris said.

With support from many restaurants and customers from close by and far away, sugarmakers like Goodrich can continue to do what they do best. Goodrich and her team ship and sell maple products and equipment across the country. Goodrich gets so busy, her answering machine says, “we’re here from 7 until we go home.” During maple season, the Goodrich family rarely sleeps. They are up in the early morning hours running their shop and taking orders until around 5 p.m., but the work doesn’t stop there.

“…about 5 o’clock in the afternoon when most people quit and go home, we start boiling, and we might boil for 10 to 15 hours, and (we’ll) maybe lay down for an hour, and if you can sleep that’s great,” Goodrich said, “You get up and you do it again, and again. The season can last up to six weeks. By the time you get done, you feel like you have cement blocks strapped to your feet.”

J.R.S 014 has passed through the senate, and is currently in the House Committee on Agriculture. Whether grading standards change, or not, Vermont maple producers will continue business as usual.