Maple Syrup Industry Growing Fast in Kentucky Farms

By Blake Jackson

In a barn in Farmington, Kentucky, steam rises from an evaporator pan as sap transforms into sweet maple syrup. This process has become central to Colston Farm and Kitchen, owned by Calyn and Kevin Colston, who shifted their focus from beef and hay to syrup production in 2022.

“It was a great way to supplement what we were already doing and to diversify the farm even more, you know, spreading out and changing up what crops we were producing. And so it was a really good fit for us,” said Calyn Colston.

The Colstons are part of a growing community of Kentucky farmers turning to maple syrup. According to University of Kentucky researchers, the state has the potential to generate $25 million annually and create 1,300 jobs through syrup production.

Their research, led by UK’s Thomas Ochuodho, involved collaborating with the Kentucky Maple Syrup Association (KMSA) to explore opportunities and challenges across the state.

“We engaged some members, specifically in eastern Kentucky… asking them what they were doing, how they were doing it, some of the challenges, some of the answers that they would wish to get that would help them boost their production,” Ochuodho explained.

KMSA supports growth through educational events like KY Maple School and KY Maple Days. “That's part of our outreach. As far as current producers, you know, trying to help them improve… what they've been doing. But we also invite people who have never made maple syrup,” said KMSA President John Duvall.

Inspired by one such event, the Colstons explored syrup production. They later connected with Lynn Rushing of Bizzell Bluff Farms, who said, “Who would have thought that you could make maple syrup in Kentucky, in western Kentucky?”

Western Kentucky producers face hurdles, including reliance on red maples, which require more sap than sugar maples. “Our maple syrup production looks very different than what the majority of the producers in the state looks like,” said Colston.

Rushing also noted weather inconsistencies that impact sap flow. Still, producers see value. “charge basically double with the specialty product what somebody in Vermont can charge when there's a sugar house on every corner,” Colston added.

Photo Credit: pixabay-johan1127