Maple syrup producers in Lambton County have started their season earlier than normal this winter, but the quality of what they're getting is being described as "really good."
The month of February saw milder-than-normal temperatures across southwestern Ontario.
"This year, the first week in February we did tapping. We started in very cold weather but then it really warmed up around February 5 or 6. We had some super runs of sap in the first two weeks of February. [We] produced a lot of syrup -- more than we normally do in February," said Bill Vandenberg of Ryan's Sweet Maple in Lambton Shores.
"Every year is different. Mother nature calls the shots when it's going to warm up and when it's not. The sap only runs when it's above zero."
Gary Gilliard of Gilliard Maple Syrup in Lambton Shores said they tapped early this year as well but so far the harvest has been "very slow".
"We've only made probably around 50 gallons of syrup, that's all we made so far -- but the quality is really good," he said. "We should have probably a third of the crop by this time."
Gilliard said it's tough to say what this winter will yield until the season is over. But the syrup collected so far is described as "light and tasty."
The recent winter storms (involving freezing rain) haven't had too much of an impact but temperature, wind direction and sun exposure will play a big part in how the rest of the season goes.
Vandenberg said they'll continue to have small collections if the fluctuating temperatures continue and "big runs" likely won't occur again until mid to late March when the sun becomes warmer.
"Again, it depends on the temperatures, if it gets too warm, the trees stop producing sap when it gets above 12 or 13 degrees. We don't want those really warm days, a day or two doesn't matter but if we get five or six days of really warm weather, the trees shut down, the sugars go up to the buds and stay there."
Allan Williamson of Williamson Farms said ideal temperatures involve daytime highs around 4 Celsius and 5 C with sunny conditions, and lows of -3 C and -4 C.
"Typically speaking, you like to see a sunny day for [sap] to run, a high-pressure system that puts pressure on the sides of the trees and helps push the sap out," Williamson said.
Due to personal reasons, Williamson is not tapping trees this year but Williamson Farms will have syrup for sale.
Williamson, Gilliard, and Vandenberg all agreed, they're at the mercy of mother nature and each year is different.
Canadian maple syrup producers harvested a record high of 17.4 million gallons in 2022, which was up nearly 54 per cent from 2021. Statistics Canada said most of the maple syrup harvested in Canada comes from Quebec, followed by New Brunswick and Ontario.
Williamson Farms Country Store is located in Forest and has over 2,500 taps and over six miles of pipeline through its maple bush, according to its website.
Gilliard Farms has 1,550 trees on pipelines and 650 trees on buckets.
Vandenberg said his son, Ryan, opened Ryan's Sweet Maple and works at the family-operated business when he's not teaching. The sugar shack produced nearly 7,000 litres of syrup last year.
The Forest Maple Syrup Festival is on at the Forest Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 12.
On March 18 and 19, the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is hosting its Maple Syrup Festival at A.W. Campbell Conservation Area. Admission is $10 per vehicle. The family-friendly event, featuring guided hikes and wagon rides is on from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.