The sugarmaker's companion : an integrated approach to producing syrup from maple, birch, and walnut trees / Michael Farrell.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [309]-314) and index.

Why maple matters: the case for increasing production and consumption -- Of pure maple products -- Is sugaring for you? -- Sugarhouse design and construction -- An untapped resource: the sap-producing trees of North America -- Gathering sap: cost-effective collection techniques to enhance your operation -- From sap to syrup: processing techniques that will save you time money, fuel, and frustration -- Registering and certifying your sugaring operation -- Expanding your business through buying sap and leasing taps -- Community sugaring: growing your operation with community involvement -- Where the money is: marketing your pure maple products -- Value-added products: the path to profitability -- Tree sap: nature's energy drink -- Managing your sugarbush for optimum sap production -- Other non-timber forest products from your land -- Syrup or sawtimber production: determining the most profitable use for maple, birch, and walnut trees -- Sugaring in a changing climate -- Further resources for sugarmakers.

The Sugarmaker's Companion is the first guide of its kind addressing the small- and large-scale syrup producer seeking to make a profitable business from maple, birch, and walnut sap. This comprehensive work incorporates valuable information on ecological forest management, value-added products, and the most up-to-date techniques on sap collection and processing. It is, most importantly, a guide to an integrated sugaring operation, interconnected to the whole-farm system, woodland, and community. Farrell documents the untapped potential of American forests and shows how sugaring can turn a substantial profit for farmers while providing tremendous enjoyment and satisfaction.