30,000 gallons of maple syrup likely lost in historic Michigan ice storm

• An ice storm slammed northern Michigan March 28 to 30, destroying hundreds of thousands of maple trees
• The state’s syrup producers association estimates some 30,000 gallons of syrup will be lost this year — and maybe forever
• No programs exist to help producers impacted by the storm

Dale Forrester has made maple syrup all his life.

Over three days, two weeks ago, Mother Nature tried to take that all away. 

The historic ice storm that clobbered northern Michigan from March 28 to 30 destroyed thousands of trees on Forrester’s Maple Dale Farm near Atlanta, in Montmorency County. 

“It’s just gone,” Forrester told Bridge Michigan on Friday.

Across the region, as much as three-quarters of an inch of accumulated ice ripped the tops and limbs off of some 150,000 tappable maples, said David Noonan, president of the Michigan Maple Syrup Association. 

“Once that happens, it almost always destroys the tree,” he said. 

“There will be some that’ll never make syrup again. That’s a very sad thing because a lot of them have been doing it for generations, and then something like this happens. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Michigan ranks fifth in the nation for maple syrup production, according to the Michigan Ag Council, which also says maple syrup is one of the few agricultural products for which demand exceeds supply. In a typical year, the state produces about 90,000 gallons, meaning a full third of the output was lost.

Outside of any insurance they may purchase themselves, no state or national program exists to assist maple syrup producers for lost crops, Noonan said. Some GoFundMe pages have launched to help producers, one of which had raised more than $11,000 by Friday afternoon.

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“What’s really going for us is people stepping up,” he said, noting neighbors near maple syrup farms had helped clear debris from roads and driveways.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday announced she’d asked President Donald Trump to declare a federal state of emergency for areas affected by the ice storm to provide more resources for cleanup efforts. That could be the first step toward making Federal Emergency Management Agency funds available to homeowners, businesses, and local governments.

Whitmer had already declared a state of emergency for Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac, Alpena, Alcona and Antrim counties after the ice storm. The state also established a website that offers information about cleanup efforts and links to resources for people affected by the ice storm.

Meanwhile, Forrester — a fourth-generation maple syrup producer — said he won’t be one of those producers who gives up the game. 

His son harvests maple syrup in the Upper Peninsula, and Forrester’s already making plans for how his son might help him still fill his usual 5,000 gallons of syrup this year. 

“I love sugar,” Forrester said. “I love making syrup. I’m gonna make syrup somewhere. I haven’t given up the fight.”