GUELPH, ON [March 16, 2026] – As temperatures begin their familiar springtime swing between freezing nights and warmer days, maple syrup producers across our province are tapping trees and getting ready to harvest the crop that comes from that most iconic Canadian symbol – the maple tree.

It’s fitting that maple syrup season arrives just as Canadians begin looking for signs of spring. The maple leaf has long been one of the country’s most recognizable symbols, appearing on our flag, representing Canada around the world, and standing for the quality and care that Canadians bring to the products they produce.

“Maple syrup is one of the most legendary Canadian foods and it all begins with the maple tree,” says Angela Field, farmer and director with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). “When people around the world see the maple leaf, they think of Canada, quality and authenticity — and maple syrup producers help bring that symbol to life every spring.”

Ontario is Canada’s third largest maple syrup producing province, contributing four per cent of the annual crop behind Quebec (90 per cent) and New Brunswick (six per cent). Ontario boasts over 600 maple producers who collectively produced approximately three million litres (nine million pounds) of maple syrup in 2025, contributing more than $50 million to the provincial economy.

Canada is the global leader in maple syrup production, with farmers harvesting 119.5 million kilograms of maple syrup last year and exporting approximately 70.8 million kilograms to more than 70 countries around the world. And as much as we love maple syrup here at home, about 60 per cent of Canada’s maple syrup production is actually exported – with the United States as the largest buyer.

“Visiting a local sugar bush or choosing maple syrup produced by Canadian farmers is a great way to support local agriculture and rural businesses and show appreciation for home grown products,” Field adds. “Maple syrup is a product that truly connects people to the land and to the farmers who produce it and we encourage everyone to celebrate the start of spring with a taste of the country’s most iconic flavour.”

The OFA’s Home Grown campaign raises awareness of the importance of preserving Ontario farmland to produce local food, fuel, flowers and fibre – and maple syrup.

Many Ontario maple syrup businesses will be welcoming visitors during Maple Weekend on April 4 and 5 by offering tours, demonstrations and the chance to taste fresh maple syrup and maple products right where they are made. More information on how to visit a farm near you is available here; for recipe-focused inspiration, visit ontariomaple.com.

About the Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) represents 38,000 farm families across the province and serves as the leading advocate and strongest voice of Ontario’s farmers. As a dynamic farmer-led organization, the OFA represents and champions the interests of Ontario farmers through advocacy and government relations, research and farm policy recommendations, media and public relations, community representation, and more.

Join the conversation on X @OntarioFarms, Instagram @ontariofarms and Facebook /ontariofarms.

About Home Grown

A public awareness initiative of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Home Grown’s objective is to raise awareness about the importance of protecting and preserving Ontario farmland. Learn more about the key role of Ontario farms as a source of food, fuel, fibre and flowers and get regular updates on products grown and raised in Ontario by joining Home Grown Ontario.

Follow Home Grown on Instagram @homegrownofa.

For more information, contact:

Rachelle Kerr
Communication Coordinator
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883
[email protected]

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Fun facts about maple trees, maple leaves and maple syrup

• Canada adopted the Maple Leaf flag in 1965, making the maple leaf one of the most recognizable national symbols in the world. The iconic Canadian maple leaf has 11 points, but it’s actually a stylized design rather than one specific maple species.
• There are more than 100 species of maple trees worldwide, but only a few produce sap sweet enough for maple syrup. The sugar maple is the star of syrup production; a mature sugar maple tree can produce sap for 40–60 years or longer if managed properly.
• Sap only runs during the freeze-thaw cycle of early spring — freezing nights and warmer days.
• A single maple tree produces about 35–50 litres of sap per season on average. Maple sap is mostly water and only about 2% sugar before it is boiled down.
• It takes about 40 litres of sap to produce one litre of maple syrup, making every bottle the result of both nature and careful production by farmers.
• Maple syrup is naturally fat-free and contains minerals such as manganese and zinc.
• In 2012, thieves stole 3,000 tonnes of maple syrup from a storage facility in Quebec — one of the largest food heists in history. The heist inspired the Amazon Prime comedy series The Sticky starring Jamie Lee Curtis.
• Maple syrup was first made by Indigenous peoples, who taught early European settlers how to collect sap and boil it into syrup.