First we save the syrup

Liquid gold, that tastes divine

Maple syrup, which is one of my own particular greatest honest pleasures, is in trouble.  This year, the strange warmth of the whole U.S. winter is making Vermont tappers uncertain as to when to tap.

Maple Syrup Winter 2012: Producers Say Mild Weather Could Hurt Output

"Below-freezing nights followed by warm days are necessary to start the sap flowing from maple trees, a period that usually begins in late February or early March. But those conditions arrived early in some areas, prompting producers like Ben Fisk, of Temple, to start collecting and boiling sap Feb. 2, more than a month earlier than he did last year."

However, there's a more serious concern - maple trees in Vermont may slowly die out due to global warming.



 Goodbye Maple Syrup: Climate Change Pushing Sugar Maple Out of Northeast U.S.

"Warmer weather has also translated to problems with pests such as the pear thrip, and the non-native Asian longhorn beetle destroying maple trees. Deer populations have also exploded in some places, meaning that more maple shoots are eaten before making it to maturity. It requires a mature tree of 40 to 50 years old to make maple syrup safely. Chemical pollutants from acid clouds are also a factor of stress."