Canadian Maple Syrup ‘Rebels’ Clash With Law

New York Times ^ | 20 August 2015 | Ian Austen

[Lorianne]

The scenic and narrow lane that leads to Robert Hodge’s sugar camp is surrounded by a cat’s cradle of plastic piping that draws sap from 12,000 trees. At the end of the lane, a ramshackle hut contains reverse osmosis pumps to concentrate the harvest. A stainless steel evaporator, about the size of a truck, finishes the conversion into maple syrup.

Just one thing is missing: the maple syrup.

For weeks, security guards, hired by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, kept watch over Mr. Hodge’s farm. Then one day, the federation seized 20,400 pounds of maple syrup, his entire annual production, worth about 60,000 Canadian dollars, or nearly $46,000.

The incident was part of the escalating battle with farmers like Mr. Hodge who break the law by not participating in the federation’s tightly controlled production and sales system.

“It’s a good thing that I’m not 35, 40 years old because I’d pack up all my sugar equipment that’s movable, and I’d go to the United States — oh yes, in a minute, in a minute,” said Mr. Hodge, 68.

[MayflowerMadam]

“He worked on an osmosis system to cut the time to turn the sap to syrup.”

My cousin has a big maple syrup business in Western NY. On the same spot where his dad had a “sugar bush” vat with fire underneath, my cousin has a building with a reverse osmosis operation. The sap is piped from the trees straight into the building’s tank. Quite a change from what I remember from the ‘60s.

Definitely at the sugar-on-snow with donuts. Never heard the pickle angle, though.

[Daffynition]

The pickle is supposed to cut the sweetness of the sugar....one bite of each...as you consume. Goes great with hot spiced cider!

The drip gravity sap gathering must have increased production thousands fold. I’ll bet they can’t keep up with producing it to syrup b/c of the new volumes of sap.

I heard somewhere one man can work 500 trees in one day using the old buckets/pails; with the new drip-tube system he can do 15,00 trees in one day, by himself.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

I've heard it was true. While I am no fan of George Bush (at least not anymore) nor Jean 'Crouton', Rick Mercer is a .

Mercer is a whiny, unfunny, socialist, sodomite Newf who, if it weren't for the socialist CBC having too much money, too few ideas and a 'progressive' agenda that make MSNBC look absolutely conservative, Mercer would be fishing 4 months of the year and drawing 'pogey' the other eight, while supplementing his income by picking up empties on the side of the road and possibly offering 'lip service' to sailors on the St. John's waterfront. Talent? Even less than Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz (Jon Stewart).

I never found This Hour Has 22 Minutes to be even slightly funny. The last funny show I found on TASSKanada aka the CBC was the Royal Canadian Air Farce. Since then the CBC has made BBC news reporting look 'balanced' and 'fair'.

Now, ask me how I REALLY feel about the CBC and what they define as 'komedy'!

[Daffynition]

I value your opinion....you're our *gal-on-the-ground for all things Canadian! Bless you!

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

I got some news for ya. God equipped me with an ‘outie’ not an ‘innie’. I ain’t no ‘gal’. Please see my profile, especially about the choir I sing in.

There is also a FReeper named ‘Formerly Proud Canadian’ (no ‘A’ at the beginning of their handle), but I don’t know that person’s gender.

[chaosagent]

“Live Free or Die”

Maybe the aliens will like it.

[Graybeard58]

You can make some sweet money there. Have you seen the price of real Maple syrup in the grocery stores?...............

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Yeppers, I have, I occasionally buy it but usually stick (no pun intended) to butter and sorghum molasses for my pan cakes.

[thecodont]

Poutine has arrived in the SF Bay Area!

http://smokespoutinerie.com/Locations.aspx

[Daffynition]

How fun! Can’t say I’d like a poutine eating contest.

Too much!

[visualops]

give me a link then. lately every one I see, even stuff from Canada and Vermont, has regular sugar.
plus since I moved here I discovered it’s damn near impossible to find here in north Florida.
I’ll be ordering my plum pudding online this year.

[visualops]

actually I should say I’ll be ordering it online too lol I don’t need no link lol
But everything I saw in stores over the last few years, said “maple sugar candy” on the box but the ingredients would also list sugar.

[cornfedcowboy]

The maple syrup out of Quebec is like manna from Heaven. Worthy of a war IMO.

[cornfedcowboy]

I had poutine last week in Quebec. Try it with Montreal smoked meat if you get a chance. Outstanding.

[uglybiker]

Our coun-try reeks of trees!
Our yaks are real-ly large!
And they smell like rotting beef carcasses!