Sugaring Collective

From the indigenous sugaring camps of the Anishinaabe to the sugar shack gatherings of springtime Vermont, making maple syrup has always been a community venture - a chance to gather, give thanks, and find nourishment in nature during the sparest months of the year. Support of community sugaring is central to the mission of the Oregon Maple Project. So we invite you to join our Sugaring Collective for the upcoming season! 

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What: Our Sugaring Collective is comprised of individuals and families in NW Oregon who have access to Bigleaf Maples for tapping. The Oregon Maple Project provides training and assistance through sugaring workshops and site visits. Members of the collective learn to tap their own trees, harvest sap, and freeze it for later processing. In early spring we combine our sap in the Oregon Maple Project evaporator, boiling Bigleaf syrup together at Camp Colton. Members of our Sugaring Collective pay $150 to participate, receiving ongoing support throughout the sugaring season, plus a percentage of the Bigleaf syrup crop equal to their sap harvest. 

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When: We start tapping in late November; collect sap all the way through February; and "sugar off," bringing sap to syrup in March. Members of the Sugaring Collective follow best practices, harvesting, filtering, and freezing sap from their maples daily throughout the winter. Our start-up workshop for the 2024/25 sugaring season will be held next November. 

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Where: Workshops and the community boil are held at our sugarhouse in Camp Colton. Sap harvesting and site visits happen on members' personal property.  

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Please contact Eliza to learn more about becoming a member of the Collective. 

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