Vt. provides syrup for troops on tough duty

The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Mar 24, 2007 11:26:38 EDT

JEFFERSONVILLE, Vt. — With maple sugar season just swinging fully into gear, Vermont syrup producers once again are stepping up to support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in their own sweet way.

The Vermont Sugar Makers Association is hoping to send 1,000 gallons of maple syrup to each military base in the two war-torn countries.

“They’re over there doing something for us,” said Rick Marsh, a sugar maker and president of the association, which hopes each of its members will donate at least one gallon of the sweet stuff. “We feel that, whether you agree with the war or not, you at least have to do something to support the troops over there now.”

The association announced its 2007 effort to coincide with an open house weekend during which producers around the state open their sugar houses and let the public watch as they boil the sap that flows from sugar maples in the spring down into syrup.

Vermont is the national leader in maple syrup. It made 460,000 gallons last year, 32 percent of U.S. production. But that pales in comparison to world leader Quebec, which made 6.8 gallons in 2005.

Weather forecasters said the weekend of March 24 would be ideal for collecting sap, with nighttime lows in the 20s and temperatures rising into the 40s during the day.

Marsh said he hoped that producers would remember to set aside a gallon — worth $35 to $45 at retail, depending on grade — to donate to the troops. He said the association wants to expand this year on an effort that was a hit with soldiers in 2006.

“We got a lot of good letters, a lot of e-mails back from soldiers over there appreciating what we did last year,” he said. “The ones that know maple syrup, they really appreciate getting some fresh maple syrup.”

Capt. Keith Davio of the Vermont National Guard says the state’s deployed soldiers are grateful when the taste of home arrives.

“The fact that local producers are joining efforts to bring this icon to our service members overseas truly demonstrates a communal show of support and helps make the deployment a little sweeter,” Davio said.

Marsh said there may be an added benefit for the state’s sugar makers, as well.

“A lot of the soldiers from other states said they’d definitely buy real maple syrup when they get back,” he says.

Ellie