Climate woes sap tree flows

In eastern Canada, March and April are maple months – when you can indulge in a sugar shack brunch and celebrate the sweet flow of syrup. Here on Texada Island, Katrin Glenn and her family have produced Big Leaf Maple syrup on Rock Island Farm on and off since 2012.

But when they pulled the plugs off the trees mid-February, nothing came out.

“The trees took a hit from last year’s drought,” Katrin explained (pictured right with her partner in life and syrup Kelly Hughes and dog Georgia.)

BC’s Big Leaf Maples have also been hit this winter with Erysiphales fungi, a mildew infection that may be impacting their sap production.

Finally, Katrin said, the temperature hasn’t varied enough to get the sap running. For a good sap year, you need fluctuations.

“Everyone who makes syrup on the coast is truly disappointed – from Washington to here.”

What makes the lack of production particularly disappointing is that it was so good last year. In 2022, Katrin and Kelly processed 11,000 litres of sap into 220 litres of pure maple syrup, and sold out within weeks on Texada and in Powell River.

The product represents so many hopes for this region: alternate commercial uses for the forest; local, sustainable food; local manufacturing; and tourism.

Next year, they’ll try again.