Maple producers benefit from DANC loans

When Kenneth G. Tupper, owner of Hilltop Maple Treats in Canton, harvests maple syrup this March from the 1,200 trees on his property, he’ll be doing so using the best equipment on the market.

Thanks to a five-year, low-interest loan of $20,000 from the Development Authority of the North Country, Mr. Tupper bought for $16,300 a reverse osmosis machine that will cut fuel use by about 75 percent, as well as a heavier pump that will produce more sap.

Mr. Tupper is one of three maple producers who were recipients of a $45,000 batch of loans made this month by a new agricultural pilot program offered by DANC. The other recipients were Farney’s Finest, Lowville, with $15,000, and Val’s Maple Kitchen, Redwood, with $10,000. The program was launched last fall to help maple producers in the tri-county area add equipment to increase the productivity of their operations, and applications are still being accepted.

“This loan is going to make it easier to expand my business,” said Mr. Tupper, who partners with his wife, Jean M., to sell the syrup year-round from their house at 760 Route 68. “If it wasn’t for this program, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Fuel costs can be expensive for maple producers, Mr. Tupper said, explaining that he purchases about 1,200 gallons of fuel oil every year. Two gallons of fuel produces one gallon of syrup, and fuel now costs about $3.60 per gallon. His new machine will cut his fuel cost by 75 percent.

The reverse osmosis machine will increase the sap’s sugar content from a range of 2-to-2.5 percent to 8 percent, he said, which will mean less boiling time to make syrup. With these changes in place, he said, he hopes to increase his production volume by 20 percent and use the profits to purchase more maple saplings.

He said that he, along with other maple producers, has had a challenging time securing small, affordable loans to expand their businesses. This program met that need without the usual red tape involved with loan programs, he said.

“People said that it wasn’t worth it unless you apply for at least $50,000, and a lot of us little guys don’t care to do that,” he said, adding that he hadn’t applied for any funding since he launched his business in 1992. “Although there’s not always a lot of money in the (syrup industry), there’s a lot of work and investment that goes into it.”

Mr. Tupper’s story illustrates the goal of the program, which is to provide loans to maple producers that aren’t available at banks, said Michelle L. Capone, director of regional development for DANC. To do so, DANC set aside $200,000 from its Community Development Loan Fund specifically for north country maple producers. More loans are expected to be announced for the program this spring, she said.

“As our agriculture economy continues to diversify, whether it’s wineries, maple syrup or homegrown food, our goal is to continue to identify niches in funding that help grow these businesses,” she said.

Applications for the program are available at the Development Authority of the North Country and Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The maximum loan amount awarded is $40,000, and the borrower must commit to 25 percent of the loan amount.