By Amanda Voyer, Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association
At 126 years old (founded in 1893), the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association holds the bragging rights of being one of the oldest agriculture associations in the country and the pride of having maple declared “The Official Flavor of Vermont”. It is not just because we’ve been doing it for so long that so many people think of Vermont when they think of maple syrup, but rather it’s the quality of the maple syrup produced here that creates that lasting correlation. It’s true our maple heritage runs deep, but it is the consistency of quality that impresses on consumers to think of Vermont when purchasing maple. The Association’s mission includes continuing to promote and protect the branding of pure Vermont maple through the work that we do.
We currently have more than 1,000 members of the Association, with the membership being comprised of maple producers as well as industry members. Our work includes providing educational opportunities for our members through conference and workshop offerings; outreach through our printed newsletters and electronic communication on a variety of topics applicable to our members; maple marketing and promotion efforts through events we coordinate and participate in; and a variety of tools and resources made available including marketing materials, grading kits, and reference documents. We also work on behalf of our membership to form collaborative relationships with external organizations and agencies to address topics ranging from government affairs at both the local and national level and broadening our marketing reach.
With the dramatic increase in production over the past ten years, the advancements made in research and technology contributing to that growth, and an amplified need to have market demand match that expansion, we are looking to strengthen our association by increasing our membership numbers to accurately represent all maple producers in Vermont. The stronger our numbers, the more impact we have as a group when taking on challenges such as the “added sugar” labeling issued we faced at the federal level with the FDA (our work contributed to a positive outcome for the industry with having single-ingredient maple products exempt from that language).
In order to grow our numbers, we are offering a one year free-trial membership for any sugarmaker who does not yet belong to VMSMA. As a trial member, you will be added to our communication list and begin to learn about the important work the association does on behalf of Vermont’s maple industry. For a full listing of membership benefits, please visit www.vermontmaple.org. If you have any questions, please email amandav@vermontmaple.org.