Maple syrup – some say it is the “lifeblood” of Vermont. A person collecting sap from a maple tree is even featured on the back of the Vermont state quarter. For many years, St. Johnsbury, Vermont has been the heart of the state’s maple syrup production. This is due in no small part to Maple Grove Farms, the maple syrup production factory located on Portland Street in St. J. “Part of the reason that the town has that reputation is because of them,” says Bob Joly, a librarian at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.
According to “A Brief History of St. Johnsbury,” salesman George C. Cary founded the Cary Maple Sugar Co. around 1904, and produced maple sugar to flavor tobacco. By 1915, Katherine Ide Gray had begun to produce Maple Grove Candies. Cary soon set up a maple sugar distribution plant in the current location of Maple Grove Farms, and this output of maple products from the area made St. Johnsbury known as “The Maple Center of the World.” Today, Maple Grove Farms is still in operation. In addition to producing maple syrup, the company sells many other products, such as pancake and waffle mixes, salad dressings, and maple sugar. But the syrup remains its top commodity.
Most maple syrup gets produced in February, March, and April, when thetemperature is above freezing during the day but gets below freezing at night. Syrup producers “tap” maple trees by drilling holes in them to collect sap, and this sap is collected in sugar houses. Then the boiling process begins, which eventually thickens the sap to syrup. It takes 40 liters of sap in order to produce one liter of maple syrup, so the amount of water that evaporates is substantial. There are four main grades of maple syrup, Grade A light amber (fancy), Grade A medium amber, Grade A dark amber, and Grade B. Vermont also produces a Grade C syrup which is very dark and strong, used mainly for flavoring other products. According to the folks at Sugarmill Farm, maple producers in Barton, Vermont, “Vermont maple syrup is required to have a heavier density than the U.S. standard and to be free of preservatives. In Vermont the true quality grade must be plainly labeled on each container. The term Vermont Maple Syrup may only be used for maple syrup produced in Vermont.”
During the sugaring season, one of the oldest and most delicious traditions is known as a “sugar on snow” party. Hot maple syrup is poured onto fresh snow and then eaten off sticks as it quickly cools into candy. Part of the tradition is to serve the maple candy with yeast-risen doughnuts, sour dill pickles, and coffee. The parties are given at sugar houses across Vermont, and help make the process of making maple syrup fun for the whole family.
Maple syrup “farmers” abound across the state. One family who has been producing maple syrup for over 50 years is the Gadapee family in Danville, Vermont, just a few miles from St. Johnsbury. Keith Gadapee says, “We take pride in maintaining our maple sugar trees and consider maple sugaring as a way to protect Vermont’s ‘sugarbushes’ or stands of maple trees.” During the season, everyone in the family pitches in to help. “We love talking to people who visit our sugarhouse and explaining how maple syrup is made,” Keith says. The Gadapee’s maple syrup is sold at the Caledonia Farmer’s Market in downtown St. Johnsbury from May through October, and they will ship their product all over the world.
It’s easy to enjoy maple syrup in many ways. Some people use it in their coffee instead of sugar – others add it to their favorite recipes. But however you like maple syrup, you’re sure to find the best you’ve ever tasted right here in St. Johnsbury, Vermont!

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