Making Maple Sugaring More Sustainable at Drumlin Farm

For years, Drumlin Farm has hosted a vibrant maple sugaring season. Maple trees around the sanctuary are tapped in late winter, allowing their sap to flow into collection buckets. From there, we transfer the sap into an evaporator where it is processed into the delicious maple syrup we pour on our pancakes. Yet, this sweet tradition requires a good deal of energy.  

Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, we recently purchased a low-energy, well-insulated evaporator. Not only will we dramatically reduce our emissions, we will also be able to cut the wood usage by 50% and reduce the associated costs and labor of cutting and splitting wood to feed the evaporator.  

Energy Efficiency at Drumlin Farm 

This low-energy evaporator adds to our array of efficient alternatives around the sanctuary, including solar panels, net-positive education building, sustainable farming practices, and more. 

Learn more about the process of maple sugaring and explore this year’s maple sugaring programs at Drumlin Farm.