Missouri tree syrup makers are connected to the forest in an intimate way, attending to late winter temperature fluctuations, noticing their trees’ health, and delighting in a sap flow that will result (with much time and care) in a sweet reward. Maples are not a preferred species in these forests, but where abundant, tapping them can yield a sustainable source of nutritious sugars. The Center for Agroforestry’s new project “Putting Maple on the Map in the Lower Midwest” highlights the important role these trees play in forest farming and ecological health. 

Dr. Benjamin Knapp is faculty manager at the University of Missouri’s Baskett Forest where we visit during the annual open house tapping event. Beth Morgan and her family at Hart|Beet Farm in Eolia, Missouri show us around their sugarbush and the ins-and-outs of their “sapinator” where they make a unique syrup for their CSA customers.