by Scott Waterman, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
March is the month that typically kicks off maple season in Vermont. Blue skies and birds emphasize the quiet maple woods where maple sap is harvested. Sugar houses hum with activity as the weather slowly warms; sap boiling punctuates the air above the sugarhouse with steam. Buckets and horses have given way to tubes and reverse osmosis, but the result is the same: Vermont leads the country in maple sap collection and syrup production.
The Green Mountain State has led the U.S. in the number of maple taps every year since 1916 and was only out produced in 1926 and 1918. In 2003 Vermont had 2.12 million taps and has steadily increased that number to 8.4 million in 2024. Annual production prior to 1935 was typically between 1 million and 1.4 million gallons. This dropped to around 200,000 to 300,000 gallons in the 1970’s. Since 2003 Vermont’s maple syrup production has increased from around 500,000 gallons to 3.108 million gallons in 2024.
The 2025 maple season continued this tradition of maple dominance:
By the Numbers: 2025 Maple Season
- Total Production: 3.06 million gallons
- Number of Taps: 8.35 million
- Yield Per Tap: 0.367 gallons
- 2024 Revenue: $95 million
- 2024 Average Retail Price: $58.30 per gallon (up $1.10 from 2023)
Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets have long recognized the importance of the state’s maple industry to our economy and working lands culture. The annual “First Tapping” event, held at one of Vermont’s maple producers each March, highlights this with the Governor tapping a maple tree in the rural sugarbush, sometimes hosting area school children and local officials, all to say thank you to our maple producers for continuing the generational work of their families and the heritage of Vermont maple farmers. The first-tapping event is coming soon in 2026.
“This First-Tapping event recognizes Vermont’s maple industry and the hard-working Vermonters who produce the best maple in the world,” said Governor Scott. “Their hard work and dedication year-round are why we continue to lead the nation in maple production and excellence.”
The Agency continues to work to support our producers with marketing programs, labeling and product quality inspections and funding to support the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association Sugarhouse Certification Program.
“Vermont is the leading maple syrup producer in the nation because of the hundreds of maple farming families across the state,” Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said. “Last season, Vermont maple producers continued to out-produce the rest of the country but also create the best tasting maple syrup you can find. The work of these families results in maple being the second largest agricultural crop in Vermont behind milk and highlighting the importance of this industry to our state.”
Vermont sugar makers are ready to capture this “liquid gold” this season and deliver it to the masses as pure Vermont Maple Syrup. The annual Maple Open House Weekend and the Vermont Maple Festival are also coming soon. Visit the Vermont Sugar Makers Association to find a maple related event and producer near you.
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