Did you know that maple syrup is the first crop of the agricultural season?
According to Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers AssociationMore than a million trees are cut down in Wisconsin every year. Discover sustainability in maple syrup with Pozarski Family Farms.
Blake Pozarski is the owner and operator Pozarski Family Farms along with his wife Jessica and two children, Wyatt and Finley. The family collects sap to produce maple syrup and also grows crops and sells seeds for food plots and other hunting supplies.
Blake started sapling in 2012. The first year he harvested about 100 gallons of sap. The next year he tapped 1,550 trees and collected 13,000 gallons of sap. Today, the Pozarski family operates 3,000 taps within a mile of their farm.
When does the syrup season start?
Maple season usually begins in March. Juice flow depends on the freeze/thaw cycle. The ideal conditions for sap harvesting are temperatures below freezing at night and well above freezing during the day. Sap harvesting began earlier than usual this year due to unusually high temperatures in February. The season usually lasts until March, depending on the weather.
How much sap is in a gallon of maple syrup?
On average, Blake collects about 1,100 gallons of sap each year. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup.
How does juice turn into syrup?
The Pozarskis utilize reverse osmosis to effectively turn the sap into maple syrup. It reduces overall processing time by using a high-pressure pump that removes water from the juice before processing.
How is Wisconsin maple syrup sustainable?
At Family Farms, sustainable development means making ends meet today and leaving it to your children if they want to. They believe that if you take care of the earth, it will take care of you.
“Everything I do is primarily for the future of my children,” Blake said. “We have to make ends meet, but overall we leave it to our children and build something for them.”
Blake and Jessica involve their children in the family business. The kids run their own taps and sell them to their parents to learn the value of the dollar and the business of making maple syrup.
Sugar producers work together to share tips and tricks that can facilitate another farmer improve and achieve their goals. Pozarski Family Farms sells items that facilitate other people start cutting down their own trees to make their own maple syrup, and they are content to share what they’ve learned.
Sustainability in maple syrup production means good stewardship of the land. Forests are managed sustainably to ensure that the trees can be used for decades.
“If you take care of the land, it will take care of you,” Blake said.
Maples provide habitat for wildlife year-round, supporting the biodiversity of the ecosystem. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, making maple syrup a sustainable, low-carbon sweetener.
Country Leaders® highlights Wisconsin farmers who are pushing agriculture forward with their commitment to sustainability.
