Norm and Judy Stoner's Maple Syrup
Our Maple Syrup Operation
Our property was purchased in August 1999. This location was tremendously appealing with rolling hills (for tobogganing), a creek meandering through, a large maple bush and a pond (for fishing and skating). The property is only four kilometres from Port Elgin on a paved road. These factors made the property ideal for setting up a farm gate business.
According to local stories, maple syrup had once been produced on the property. Family members have been producing maple syrup for decades, so mentors were readily available to help us plan, find equipment and get started.
First, the bush was inventoried for numbers and health of crop trees. During the summer of 2001, the sugar camp was built. (The siding on the sugar camp is pine that was harvested with a wood mill from the Stoner family farm south of Goderich.) During the fall of 2001 and winter of 2002, mainlines were set up, laterals attached (5/8 inch tubing) and drop lines installed. The first year, four mainlines were installed. Many purchases had to be made: a wood-fired evaporator, a vacuum pump, and a vacuum tank. The first syrup was produced in March 2002.
In the fall of 2002, three more mainlines were added. An additional mainline was added in 2007 for a total of 8 mainlines.
We have over 800 taps in our sugar maple bush that covers about 10 acres. A typical year will produce at least 1 litre of syrup per tap and average between 800-1200 litres each season.