Looking to sustainable sugarmakers as maple season taps on our windows.

It may come as no surprise that Quebec is by far the largest maple producer in the world, and as we know, maple's an quintessential part of our province’s identity. So naturally, when spring arrives and the temperatures hit that sweet spot, the sap starts flowing and we turn to responsible sugarmakers for the tricks of the trade.

We work with organic maple producers who make the smoothest, sweetest, and most sustainable syrup in the province. From Ferme St-Ours who’ve been working with us for seven years, to Érablière Varin’s century-old grove, to our newest addition (with a particularly fun name) La Cabane à Boubou - our lineup is unmatched. 

Every year our team of sugar specialists heads to at least one of our partners’ cabane à sucre to see how the start of the season’s going. Earlier this month, we set out to Shefford, Quebec to meet with Hugo, the owner of La Cabane à Boubou, where he showed us the ropes and gave us a tour of the grounds (with some sneaky tastings along the way). Keep scrolling for a glimpse of what we saw and the people behind the syrup!

La Cabane à Boubou - Shefford, QC

It all started in 1998 with three brothers, Hugo (above), Patrick, and Charles Bourassa, who had an avid interest in the maple syrup industry and a yearning to spend more time in nature, decided to buy their uncle’s maple grove. 

Still working other jobs, the trio began learning more about the product and industry, with their curiosity and knowledge growing hungrier every day. It was after tapping their maybe 8000th tree, that the brothers decided this hobby could become something more substantial. 

In 2015, they became organically certified - an easy transition considering their already responsible practices. The brothers also use state-of-art equipment like electric evaporators (we’re talking 20 times more efficient than a conventional one), minimizing their use of water and oil and making them nearly carbon neutral. Today, they own three sugar bushes, have two full-time employees, and operate 50,000 taps.

Érablière Varin - Oka, QC

In 1919, Eustache Varin left the city behind for a life in the country and moved to Oka, an area abundant in maple trees - and the perfect spot to set up a sugar bush.

Over the years the maple grove passed from Eustache to his son, Joseph-Albert, and eventually to Harold and his wife, Nicole, who currently oversee the 30,000 maple trees and produce organic syrup from their sap. Harold and Nicole are preparing to pass the torch to the fourth generation of Varins, their daughter, Geneviève.

Keeping the health of their trees a top priority, the trio follows organic standards and never overtaps. Like Boubou, they also use new electric machines that streamline their production by limiting energy consumption.

Ferme St-Ours - St-Ours, QC

You'll find Ferme St-Ours out in (you guessed it) St-Ours, Quebec, a maple grove that's over 200 years old and seven generations deep. Sustainable production has always been important to the Bourgeois-Lefebvre family, and in 2008 they received their organic certification, becoming one of the few organic maple producers in the province at that time. 

Working with us since 2015, they’re a perfect example of the standard we should strive for when looking for a maple partner. The longevity of their production is no coincidence, as they never tap young trees, and don’t overtap mature ones to make sure their sugar bush stays healthy.