Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is the first farm crop to be harvested in Michigan each year. And might it be the sweetest? Michigan Maple syrup season begins in February in lower Michigan and extends into April in the Upper Peninsula.

Michigan maple syrup facts:

• Maple syrup production is the oldest agricultural enterprise in the U.S.
• Michigan ranks 6th in maple syrup production in the U.S.
• Forty gallons of maple sap are needed to make one gallon of syrup
• Average maple syrup production in Michigan is about 90,000 gallons per year
• Michigan produced 148,000 gallons of pure maple syrup in 2013
• The 2013 maple syrup season was the longest on record at 32 days
• Economic contributions of the pure maple syrup industry to Michigan are nearly $2.5 million annually
• There are an estimated 500 commercial maple syrup producers in Michigan with some 2,000 additional hobby or home-use producers
• Maple syrup is one of the few agricultural crops in which demand exceeds supply

Nutrition:

• Michigan maple syrup has 50 calories per tablespoon and is fat-free
• Pure Michigan maple syrup has no additives, no added coloring and no preservatives
• Maple syrup has many minerals per tablespoon: 20 milligrams of calcium, 2 milligrams of phosphorous, .2 milligrams of iron, 2 milligrams of sodium and 5 milligrams of potassium