Maple syrup is an agricultural product that has been made for generations by boiling sap from maple trees. Sap can only be collected in when the temperatures fall below freezing at night and rise above freezing during the day, which limits maple syrup production to early spring in the northern United States and Canada. Although there are over 13 species of maple trees native to North America, sugar maple trees produce the highest concentration of sugar in their sap, making them the preferred species for sugarmaking. As a hardwood species, sugar maple trees tend to grow slowly, and generally reach a large enough diameter to use for sugarmaking by the time they are 40 years old. To collect sap, sugar makers drill small hole - about 1/4 inch in diameter - through the bark of the tree. We tap about 1,100 sugar maple trees per year with one tap each. Although the larger trees could support more taps, it is important to us to support the health and longevity of our sugarwoods.