Transportation and Marketing

Acer Access and Development Program

Fiscal Year 2023 Description of Funded Projects

Number of Grants Awarded: 13 

Amount of Funds Awarded: $6,391,998.00

For more information, please visit the grant program's website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/acer 

NOTE: The below project descriptions were provided by the grant recipients. 

Connecticut 

Recipient: Yale University

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $499,985.00

Safe Sugar for All - Documenting and Mitigating Bioaccumulated Lead and PFAS Risk in Maple 

Sugaring Operations in Urban and Rural Syrup Production Systems 

This project investigates possible lead and PFAS contamination of sap from Acer saccharum and Acer 

platinoids in urban and rural-contaminated settings. It also explores mitigation strategies through 

filtering. This project will aim to: (1) determine if there is a contamination risk from maple sap and syrup 

originating from areas with a history of lead pollution; (2) determine if there is a contamination risk from 

maple sap and syrup originating from areas with a history of PFAS pollution; and (3) expand access to 

safe maple production in marginalized urban, and rural degraded, environments. Researchers from Yale 

and Dartmouth will collect maple sap and nearby soils in urban and postindustrial areas in the 

Northeastern US. They will also recruit and train community assistants from historically marginalized 

groups to measure trees and monitor the collection sites, and administer surveys to determine if

participation in a maple study increased their familiarity with maple syrup, knowledge about maple 

sugaring, and/or interest in becoming a maple producer. The Connecticut Agricultural Experimentation 

Station (CAES) will test the sap and soil samples for lead and PFAS. CAES will also process sap spiked with 

known concentrations of lead and PFAS into finished syrup and filter it to determine how the 

concentration and filtering process affects contaminant concentration. Overall, the project will improve 

knowledge about contaminant risk in maple sugaring, provide educational resources to current and 

aspiring maple syrup producers in urban and rural-contaminated sites, and expand access to maple 

sugaring knowledge and practices to a wider range of persons and places.
Indiana 

Recipient: Purdue University

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $499,246.00

Scaling Up “Green” Production of Maple Syrup in The Central Hardwood Region 

Recent studies suggest that Indiana consumers are willing to pay a price premium for sustainable, lowcarbon (“green”) maple syrup. However, “green” practices are only adopted by a small portion of 

current producers, while most private landowners don’t engage in sugaring activities. Moreover, 

cooperative sugaring activities are absent among producers and landowners, rendering it difficult to 

reach economies of scale and lower the environmental impacts per unit of production. Therefore, 

Purdue University sees a great need and potential for expanding “green” production in Indiana and 

more broadly in the Central Hardwood Region (CHR) with some similar characteristics. This project aims 

to respond to the consumers’ preferences and unlock the producers’ potential, by filling knowledge gaps 

through research and employing the findings to educate stakeholders more effectively. Purdue 

University will partner with Indiana Maple Syrup Association and Indiana Woodland Steward to achieve 

the following objectives: 1) understand the drivers of cooperatives (co-ops); 2) develop a proof of 

concept for “green” co-ops and associated decision-making and educational tools; 3) profile potential 

“green” producers and predict economy-wide impacts of the “green” maple syrup industry; 4) promote 

“green” production through targeted educational activities. Purdue will make the findings transferrable 

to the other states in CHR by collaborating with the University of Kentucky. The deliverables include 

research papers, a maple syrup school, case studies, templates of cooperative agreements, and an 

equipment-sharing program. The intended beneficiaries are producers and private landowners who are 

interested in learning about and adopting “green” practices.

Maine 

Recipient: University of Maine System acting through Univ. of Maine

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $452,752.00

U.S. Consumer Sensory Evaluation of Maple Syrup Grades 

U.S. maple syrup producers face uncertainty due to the impacts of climate change and competition from 

foreign processors and alternative syrup sources. This project's purpose is to gain a deeper 

understanding of U.S. consumer attitudes and preferences about maple syrup grades, which can lead to 

improved educational programs, marketing materials, and the expansion of domestic sales and revenue 

opportunities while preserving rural jobs in a rapidly changing global economy. University of Maine

(UMaine) researchers will lead this sensory evaluation study of the four Grade A maple syrup classes by 

100 consumers at each of four test sites (Maine, Illinois, Arkansas, and California). Partner and subrecipient Atlantic Corporation has previously collaborated with UMaine and will assist with consumer 

testing under a contract with consultant Mérieux NutriSciences. The project team will deliver a free 

finding report and an interactive data visualization tool for maple syrup producers. Providing producers 

and distributors with data on consumer tastes, perceptions, and preferences of the four grades of maple 
syrup will allow them to tailor sales and market plans, pricing strategies, and advertising materials 

consistent with consumer needs. Surveys will be sent to maple businesses before and after the sensory 

data tool's release to assess the information's impact. Replacing typical supply-driven decision making 

with market-driven planning and execution is expected to lead to an expansion of markets and 

improved revenue and profit margins. The intended beneficiaries of this project are the 9,492 U.S. 

maple syrup operations, an estimated 20,000 stakeholders across the maple syrup industry, and 33,980 

consumers.

Michigan 

Recipient: Michigan State University

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $480,000.00

Pure Maple Yeast for Pure Maple Distillates 

This “Producer and Landowner Education (PLE)” project will increase the diversity of commercial, maplebased distillation products by optimizing the microbiology of maple sap fermentation by wild yeast 

strains (“pure maple yeast”). Michigan State University (MSU) seeks to add significant commercial value 

to the maple syrup industry by increasing the profitability of low-quality, “end-of-the-season” sap that 

typically yields low or no profit. This project is based on the premise that yeast indigenous to maple 

trees and present in sap tubing systems naturally ferment sugars in concentrated sap and will 

outperform traditionally used yeast strains in the beer, wine, and spirit industries. MSU aims to identify 

prototypical yeast strains from sap lines of different ages over the course of the first sugaring season. 

Once identified and purified, the individual sap yeast strains will be evaluated for their influence on 

experimental distillation products made from maple sap vs commercially available yeast strains (e.g., 

distillers and rum yeast). They will generate small, research sized batches as part of parallel 

fermentation trials and age them in charred white oak barrels to evaluate the full flavor profiles of the 

unique spirits that are “Pure Maple.” Results will be disseminated using a broad suite of print and 

electronic media to stimulate future research centered on maple sap and to put into practice the 

refinement of maple sap into high value craft spirits.

Recipient: Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $479,287.00

Grand Traverse Band Sugar Bush Grant 

The Grand Traverse Band (GTB) community has continued a tradition of maple product production from 

prehistoric times through present. These activities are broadly referred to as a “sugar bush”. Due to 

historical events, involvement in traditional and modern sugar bush activities has waned in the past 

century. This project will help both the Tribal community and those in the Grand Traverse Region to 

connect with these traditional practices. This project will conduct a minimum of 10 events per year 

related to sugar bush activities. These events, open to the public, will bring in outside vendors to teach 

people about the modern maple syrup industry in Michigan, and highlight industry leaders in 
sustainability, cultural engagement, and education. This grant funding will allow for GTB and the 

surrounding community of maple product producers and consumers to learn more about maple product 

production, and how various modern processing methods can help producers and consumers access a 

wide range of products. Additional tools and supplies for the GTB Sugar Bush will allow for the 

Traditional Agriculture Workshop Instructors to host annual events that brings awareness to the maple 

syrup industry and how this modern industry is based on traditional Anishinaabe tradition. Through 

engaging on these topics this proposal will give additional cultural significance to the maple syrup 

industry in Michigan’s Grand Traverse region.

Montana 

Recipient: Montana State University 

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $497,737.00

The Impact of Tree Health on Sap Production and Quality 

This project aims to develop engineering and microbial tools to inform landowners about the current 

tree health: i) optical inspection of sap infrastructure for biofilm formation with comparison to the 

developed microbiome that allows producers to make decisions if equipment needs to be changed or 

different trees should be tapped; ii) evaluation of tree canopies using airborne hyperspectral imaging. 

Summer crown volume and the hyperspectral information will be related to sap sugar content and 

volume; iii) continuous measurement of electrochemical xylem properties of taped trees using sensorfunctionalized taps. Sensors measure sap electrical conductivity and flow rates to determine tap 

efficiency and whether they need replacement. A team comprised of engineers, microbiologists, 

academic foresters, and outreach experts from Montana State University (MTSU) and Michigan State 

University's (MSU) Forestry Innovation Center (FIC (sub-awardee)) was assembled to improve producer 

knowledge, awareness, and understanding of sugarbush management using innovative technologies. 

Sugarbush management is critical since sap volume and sugar content varies with tree selection or the 

decision on how long a tree can be tapped. Landowner's management is often related to experience. 

However, the current change in climate makes sugarbush management more unpredictable, and a 

formal and scientific-driven decision algorithm for maple tree selection is needed. The team will host 

outreach meetings to equip landowners and producers with innovative sugarbush management 

approaches to increase sap quality and harvesting efficiency.

New York

Recipient: Cornell University

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $491,492.00

Preserving and Adapting Maple Flavor for New Market Opportunities 

Maple syrup is seen as a premium product, one where purchase depends primarily on sensory factors, 

making flavor crucial for market success. Maple syrup is however a product with a great and culturally 

important set of practices for its manufacture, making it a product where innovation, or changes in best 
practices are understandably slow to emerge. In this project Cornell University proposes the 

development of several line extensions to maple syrup, such as barrel aging or flavor infusion, that are 

expected to open up new markets to maple producers particularly for lower value late-season syrup. 

Further, Cornell proposes the exploration of best practices for storage of maple syrup, where 

preliminary testing finds both light and temperature can alter the color of maple syrup in a manner 

common in many agricultural products containing light-sensitive or easily degradable organic 

compounds, which also lead to flavor changes. These experiments are intended to uncover new market

opportunities for growth in the maple industry and ensure that existing syrup gets to consumers in a 

consistent and optimal manner.

Recipient: Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Sciences

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $499,959.00

Determining the Impact of Crown Health on Sugar Yield from Maple Trees

Many maple syrup producers face difficult decisions in managing older sugarbushes with trees in 

declining health. Producers are reluctant to stop tapping these large, mature trees that could 

theoretically produce a lot of sap. However, these trees can also be the source of significant vacuum 

leaks in tubing systems, reducing yield across the entire system. Producers have few tools available to 

them to help them navigate these tradeoffs. This project will develop a comprehensive photo guide 

illustrating a four-point rating system that producers can use to assess crown health and make better 

informed management decisions. Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Sciences will designate 120 trees to 

intensively measure and monitor, evenly distributed across the four crown health categories and two 

research sites. The research team will measure a set of biometric attributes for each subject tree and its 

neighbors and will collect sap from each tree in individual cannisters under high vacuum and quantify 

the total sugar yield over a three-year period. This data will allow the team to develop a correlation 

between crown health and syrup yield, and then apply more advanced methods to develop an empirical 

multi-factor yield model. This project will provide maple syrup producers with a new tool to help steer 

tapping and sugarbush.

Pennsylvania 

Recipient: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $499,044.00

Increasing Consumer Awareness of Pennsylvania and U.S. Produced Maple 

Prior research done in Pennsylvania showed that there is a vast disparity in consumer awareness and 

education of the maple syrup industry. Specifically, the study found that consumers admitted confusion 

as to the difference between single ingredient pure maple syrup and imitation table syrup. 

Approximately 52% of the maple syrup produced in Pennsylvania being sold on the bulk market to other 

states rather than consumed locally. The Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council, in conjunction 

with the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council and on behalf of the maple syrup industry, will 
launch a Pennsylvania and US Maple Syrup consumer marketing campaign targeting the higher 

population counties of the state. The goal of this effort will not only be to increase consumer 

awareness, but also increase industry recognition, educate citizens on the role of real maple syrup as a 

forest product, and ultimately increase direct to consumer sales of maple syrup and maple products. 

The campaign will run over a period of two years. Annual efforts will culminate each January with the 

Pennsylvania’s Farm Show – the largest indoor agricultural event held in the US. The Farm Show is 

where the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council experience the most direct to consumer sales.

Utah

Recipient: Utah State University 

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $499,280.00

Maple syrup is an important agricultural product with a total value of ~$133 million in 2021. Maple 

syrup production can be modulated by climate, especially temperatures. However, previous research on 

climate impacts on maple syrup has mainly focused on the northeastern U.S., where the bulk of the 

industry is concentrated. Some western and midwestern states have started developing a maple 

sugaring industry, but little is known about how climate change might affect long-term production in 

these regions. Moreover, the high-resolution spatial distributions (i.e., maps) of maple trees and 

potential syrup production are valuable for extension activities yet lacking. This project aims to both 

spark and sustain the maple sugaring industry through expanding research and extension in the 

Northeast, Midwest, and Intermountain West regions. Utah State University proposes three objectives 

to accomplish the project aim: 1) mapping maple tree distribution and estimating potential production 

in these regions through remote sensing technologies; 2) predicting the impacts of the changing climate 

on maple syrup production in these regions using high-resolution climate model outputs and knowledge 

of how temperature and precipitation affect maple sap and syrup production; and 3) developing a 

maple syrup industry in South Dakota, especially in tribal communities, and sustaining the emerging 

map syrup industry in Utah through extension and education activities.

Vermont

Recipient: University of Vermont and State Agricultural College 

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $499,614.00

Increasing Domestic and Foreign Demand for U.S. Maple Syrup Through Integrated Consumer 

and Market Research, Product Development, and Producer Outreach and Engagement 

Maple syrup production in the United States has increased remarkably since the early 1990s, but the 

industry faces the challenges of declining producer price, lack of value-added products, increasing net 

imports, and lack of demand-side studies and information. To address these challenges, this project 

proposes to increase domestic and foreign demand for U.S. maple syrup through integrated consumer 

and market research, product development, and producer outreach and engagement. Specifically, this 

project will: (1) review the consumption trends of traditional and relatively new maple products like 
energy gels and sports fuel and identify potential value-added products for development and testing; (2) 

develop novel maple syrup products, including yogurt and ice-cream formulated with maple syrup and 

cannabidiol (CBD), evaluate and validate their nutritional and sensory properties, and refine the 

products; (3) assess consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for selected maple products and their 

attributes such as “local” and “certified organic”; (4) analyze how maple syrup has been introduced and 

distributed in Japan and China, identify potential opportunities, and develop educational and marketing 

materials for promoting U.S. maple syrup in these foreign markets; and (5) assess both domestic and 

foreign market potentials for traditional and value-added maple products and disseminate market 

analysis results and recommendations through multiple channels. This integrated project, developed by 

an interdisciplinary team of applied economists, food scientists, Extension specialists and producer 

collaborators, will generate highly needed information and provide actionable recommendations for 

addressing critical issues faced by and contribute to sustainable development of the U.S. maple industry. 

Recipient: University of Vermont and State Agricultural College

Project Type: Producer and Landowner Education

Award Amount: $493,602.00

This project will integrate applied market investigation, stakeholder cases studies and national business 

education curricula to support maple business owner decision-making and improve business outcomes. 

Applied research will assess current consumer preferences, willingness to pay premiums, regional 

market price trends and collective marketing options in order to develop relevant and timely outreach 

curricula. Publications and a regularly updated market-monitor website will disseminate maple market 

trends and display key indicators as they change over the three-year period. Case studies will highlight 

how business owners and landowners are adapting to risk factors that create uncertainty about yields, 

market prices and emergency events that impact profitability. A diverse outreach plan using a range of 

teaching formats and multi-media outreach materials will reach a national audience of maple producers, 

landowners, and industry stakeholders at all scales. The national dissemination plan will offer timely 

information that will assist business managers in short-term marketing decisions. Project resources and 

in-depth courses will also facilitate mid-term and long-term strategic planning for resilient business 

models that can adapt to risk, realize opportunities, and expand markets for maple syrup.

West Virginia

Recipient: Future Generations University Corporation

Project Type: Market Development and Promotion

Award Amount: $500,000.00

Increasing domestic and foreign demand for U.S. maple syrup through integrated consumer and market 

research, product development, and producer outreach and engagement

Sweet Appalachia: Building Creative Partnerships to Promote Success in US Maple Syrup 

This project will promote regional markets that increase access and also raise awareness about maple 

sap and syrup products across West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Appalachian Virginia, and western 
Maryland. This market development and promotion project is planned to directly support the US maple 

industry by increasing the demand for local and regional maple syrup production in Appalachia. It will 

increase access to maple products, by supporting market opportunities for Appalachian producers. It will 

promote the US maple syrup industry by showcasing the role of sugar-making in Appalachian culture, 

ecology, and history. It will improve consumer demand for Appalachian as well as US made maple sap 

and syrup products.

Sweet Appalachia has two main objectives: 1) raising public awareness of domestic maple syrup through 

increased marketing, promotion, storytelling, and enhancing agritourism efforts; and 2) creating new 

market access opportunities for Appalachian maple syrup producers through direct-to-consumer 

marketing as well as brokering bulk and wholesale syrup sales across the region. This project will work

with producers and communities to create the enabling environment for an increase in sales of 

Appalachian-produced syrup and value-added products within the Central Appalachian region defined 

as Western Maryland, Appalachian Virginia, West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. This project will work 

with 100 producers and 60 communities to build the network of support required for sustainable 

economic development.