By Kristen Walker, Certification Specialist – Maple Lead
MOFGA Certification Services (MCS) has roughly 60 maple producers. Of these producers, 44 are situated along the Canadian border in the Jackman, Maine, area. As MCS’s maple lead, I organize our annual inspection trip and, along with six other inspectors, spend the first two weeks of April visiting maple operations as part of the organic certification process. This year, two teams stayed in Canada, crossing the border daily, and two teams were in Jackman.
The trip is by no means typical for an organic inspector. Weather, road conditions, and language barriers are just a few of its many obstacles. It’s an eventful and exhausting, but rewarding, trip that many organic inspectors don’t get to experience. The following is a glimpse into a day spent in the sugarbush as an inspector.
6:20 a.m.
I’m usually up around 5 a.m., but I’m just rousing as my “just in case” alarm goes off. I got back from maple inspections yesterday and, after eating, started writing inspection reports. Even though I took notes, I don’t want to forget any details, so getting started on reports as soon as possible is important. On a trip like this, where you’re doing 10-15 inspections a week, things meld together. When I was satisfied with my first drafts, I prepped for the day’s inspections.
6:30 a.m.
Sipping my coffee, I review client files before hitting the road again. This time, I make sure to look at the directions. Once I leave the rental house I’m sharing with three other inspectors, I’ll lose service and Google Maps will be of no use. Luckily, I’ve driven past the road for our first inspection a few times, but I mentally note instructions like “take a right at the big rock in the middle of the road” and hope the big rock is prominent enough.
7 a.m.
The truck is nice and warm as we depart. It snowed yesterday and is in the 20s, so I’m glad I took the time to start it before leaving.
8:15 a.m.
We pull into an especially remote sugar camp. I missed the turn-off of Route 201, but the 18 miles down took longer than anticipated; a common occurrence on this trip. There were lingering logging trucks (who have the right of way), and potholes littered the road from a long winter and spring’s freeze/thaw. Great for maple producers, but not so great for truck suspension.
Upon arrival, I notice a 3-ton silo that wasn’t in the producer’s Organic System Plan (OSP). I’ll tuck that information away for later. We inspect in pairs and my teammate will probably discuss it with the producer during the facility tour.
One of us will go into the sugarbush while the other tours the sugarhouse and reviews record-keeping. We hold our opening meeting to review our role as inspectors and outline the day. This client is French-speaking, and my partner is staying to review records with the owner. I don’t speak French, so I’m going into the sugarbush to assess taps, tree health, pump stations, and biodiversity with the manager, who speaks English.
8:30 a.m.
This operation has 80,000 taps, many of which are on the side of a mountain. The snow is mostly gone, so we’ll take four-wheelers, not snowmobiles. The manager suggests we share a four-wheeler and asks which tracts I want to visit. I opt to drive my own and specify Tracts C and D as they weren’t visited last year. There are no remote pump houses, just one large pump at the sugarhouse, which my teammate will inspect.
A few minutes later, we’re on steep terrain in the forest following the trail that bisects Tracts C and D. The manager’s dog darts between trees beside us, finding mud puddles to roll in and chasing squirrels along the way— lucky dog!
8:45 a.m.
We’re halfway up the mountain when we dismount our four-wheelers. I explain I’m going to go further into both tracts. I observe the understory, look at tree crowns, and assess biodiversity as I walk.
Once I’m in the middle, I take out my fabric measuring tape. MOFGA’s tapping guidelines specify that tapped trees be at least 31 inches around, and that taps are placed at least 4 inches laterally and 6 inches vertically from last year’s holes. I’ve gotten pretty good at eyeballing, but I take measurements of smaller trees and look at this year’s taps. I don’t find any tree smaller than 32 inches; taps are placed on the other side of the tree from last year; and last year’s tap holes are healing nicely.
On my way back to the four-wheelers, I look at sap lines and anchor trees. Are the lines clean? Do they pose a threat to tree health? Is there any plastic debris on the ground? I see no issues there either. This producer is doing a great job.
9:30 a.m.
I’m back at the sugarhouse. Every time I walk into one of these buildings, I’m in awe. There is a whole room dedicated to three 3,000-gallon tanks for sap storage. Sap has around 2% sugar content, and for operations this size, every bit of water removed before evaporation makes a huge difference. Next to the sap storage is a room dedicated to reverse osmosis machines. They hum as they work, removing water to around 4% sugar before it’s boiled. Removed water, called permeate, is saved for cleaning equipment.
The concentrated sap moves to storage containers (also 3,000 gallons) next to the evaporator before it’s boiled. This operation’s evaporator is a behemoth Lapierre Volcano 2000 measuring 6 feet x 16 feet.
My teammate toured the facility, the audit exercises are complete, and they are mostly through record-keeping. There are a few remaining clarifying questions about materials. Citric acid is a common material used to clean the evaporator, but they’re using one that’s not on their materials list. I take a picture of the label so we can add it to their OSP.
They have already discussed the new silo, which is for additional sap storage, and it is under the “changes to OSP” section of the exit interview. Getting it here must have been challenging and incredibly expensive, but investing in infrastructure is crucial for these operations.
9:45 a.m.
It’s time for the exit interview. We’ve found one small record-keeping issue — the producers didn’t have the organic certificate for the canola oil they use as a defoamer. We also note the citric acid, adding it to their OSP’s materials list. When conducting the exit interview, we emphasize these as “areas of improvement” for now; inspectors don’t make certification decisions. I did their annual review and inspection, so another specialist will assess their report and relay official findings.
9:50 a.m.
We answered a few last questions, said our goodbyes, and are on the road again.
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Two more inspections are scheduled for the day. Our next is directly off Route 201, so the commute won’t be as grueling, but they bottle syrup on-site. Most producers in this area sell their syrup in bulk to large wholesalers, but a few bottle and make additional products. Therefore, the inspection will be a bit more complicated, but it adds diversity to the day.
3 p.m.
We arrive back at the house after three inspections and settle in. I’m starving, so I warm up leftovers from last night while we unpack client files. After a break, we’re back to work writing reports and prepping for tomorrow’s inspections. This is a grueling trip. I’m happy it’s only once a year, but I also feel lucky that this is my job.
This article was originally published in the summer 2025 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
