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Crown Maple Syrup is a certified organic maple syrup company based in Dover Plains, NY. The company was established by Robb Turner in 2010. The sap used to produce maple syrup comes from tapped maple trees in areas ranging from the Hudson Valley to Western Vermont. The syrup is processed and bottled at Madava Farms.
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History
Initially purchased for vacation purposes in 2006, Turner was informed by neighbors that the 800 acre property contained approximately 20,000 maple trees. Having no prior knowledge of maple syrup production, Turner consulted the Cornell Cooperative Extension and learned methods for sustainable syrup production.
Syrup Production
The 27,000-square foot sugar house on Madava Farms houses the equipment for syrup production, a café and special events dining room, and a store selling crown maple products and other goods. Crown Maple is the only syrup producer that uses a reverse osmosis filtration system, which removes 80% of the water content from the sap and filters out impurities. The facility also contains one of the largest maple syrup evaporators ever built. In an effort to ensure that the syrup production process has a minimized environmental impact, the equipment is cleaned using steam from the evaporation process. This reduces the amount of water used, which is both ecologically and financially beneficial The finished syrup rates a 67 on the Brix scale, higher than the standard 66%, but below the legal limit of 68%.
Sales and Expansion
Crown Maple's current machinery can handle the sap from up to 400,000 tapped trees. With approximately 100,000 trees currently tapped, the planned expansion to tap up to 400,000 trees would make Crown Maple the world's largest single producer of maple syrup.
Crown Maple’s syrup is categorized based on color and flavor: Golden, Amber, Dark, Very Dark, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged. The flavor of a particular batch of maple syrup is determined entirely by the condition of the sap as it flows from the trees. This is based on a variety of climatic factors. In addition to maple syrup, the company also sells maple sugar.
Its products are now used at restaurants like Le Bernadin, Eleven Madison Park, and Lincoln Ristorante. Crown Maple syrup is also an ingredient in a Mast Brothers chocolate bar, Early Bird granola, and Steve’s and Blue Marble ice creams. The syrup is also available at West Elm, Dean & DeLuca, and limited Whole Foods retailers.