Tops Friendly Markets Supporting Northeast Maple Sugar Farms
Tops Friendly Markets is partnering with maple sugaring farms in New York and Vermont to provide its shoppers local maple syrup that is sold under the grocer’s own brand.
Among the farms working with the Williamsville, N.Y.-based grocer are Adirondack Maple Farms, Tree Juice Maple Syrup, and Butternut Mountain Farm — which produces Tops Brand Maple Syrup. These producers, for years, have been crafting quality, pure maple syrup using time-honored techniques and sustainable practices.
“I think what's special about Maple is what it isn't,” said David Marvin, founder of Butternut Mountain Farm. “It isn't a complex manufactured food. It's a simple, real food and one ingredient. It's healthy, it tastes really good, and the consumption of maple syrup is good not just for the economy, but for the environment because we use these trees and this land in a very respectful and sustainable way.”
Tops Brand Maple Syrup made by Butternut Mountain Farm, along with other local sourced maple syrups, are available at Tops year around. But the grocer is encouraging its shoppers to check out the products during maple sugaring weekends on March 22 and 23, and March 29 and 30.
Facts about maple syrup:
• New York State is the second-largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S., with more than 2.9 million maple trees tapped annually.
• Forty gallons of maple sap to produce just one gallon of syrup.
• Maple sap flows best when daytime temperatures rise above freezing while nights remain cold, making late February through early April peak sugaring season.
• Native Americans were the first to discover maple sugaring, passing down their knowledge to early settlers.
• Pure maple syrup contains more than 50 antioxidants and essential minerals like calcium, potassium, and zinc—making it a natural, wholesome sweetener.
