“Sugaring off,” or the maple syrup production season, is a ritual of the transition from the northern winter to spring. At 3E, it is a time of gathering around the wood-burning furnace where 3E collaborators from Montreal and beyond rub shoulders with local collaborators and learn from their deep knowledge of the forest ecology and land-based practices. This April, more than 20 collaborators participated in the laborious process of boiling down the maple sap to a 1/40th concentration using traditional artisanal methods, and then bottling it for distribution. It proved to be a challenging season. We were confronted directly with the effects of climate change: for the first time ever, the transitional weather conditions necessary for the sap to run didn’t really eventuate. Early in the spring, the temperature went directly from too cold to too hot. Our production, like those of all of the producers in the region, was down considerably, in our case by 80%. In 2022, we produced 363 liters (96 gallons). This year’s yield was only 79 liters (21 gallons). This will reduce the fundraising we will be able to do for 3E this year (last year we netted $5000 from our maple syrup). In addition, the main boiling pan overheated and was damaged, and had to be replaced (it was 40 years old and due for replacement anyway). This was a major expense that we could not have managed without the reserve funds from the support of our patrons. Thank you! Diverse activities occur around the central focus of the sugaring off. This year, they included philosophical reading groups and a makeshift tannery set up by a group of 3E collaborators who source waste hides and tan them using natural ingredients in the traditional way. We are looking fowared to next season’s gathering. Preparations in the forest are already under way. A team has been working together this week to remove the taps, disinfect the tap lines, move trees that have fallen across the lines, repair damage to the tubes, and do trail maintenance on the mountain to facilitate access throughout the maple grove..
