About Minehart Gap Maple

Our Maple Story

What started as a father teaching his son appreciation of nature and the value of creating something with my own hands, has grown into a multigenerational passion. Minehart Gap Maple is a growing 700 tap operation collecting sap in historic Minehart Gap. In our sugarhouse, you will see an energy efficient operation including a Reverse Osmosis paired with a state of the art 2'x8' evaporator. Then, Minehart Gap Maple Syrup is meticulously filtered and available in our signature glass bottles. Some syrup is then transformed into other pure maple syrup products such as Maple Cream, Maple Candy and Maple Sugar.

Our Sugar House

A huge "Thank You" goes out to Mike, Jill and Clay Ammon of Three Locks Farm. They gave us our Sugar House. One Saturday, a group of friends helped disassemble and remove what was labeled a "neat old structure". The timbers were relocated to the Minehart Gap Sugarbush. During reconstruction, our "family historian" announced that I should look up tax records for the property that the structure had come from because my Great Grandmother's Grandfather had homesteaded that property. Those records lead me to believe that what is now our Sugarhouse was once my five times great grandfather's home. At some time in history, this building was converted into a pig pen with a chicken coup constructed on the back. So, in keeping with the breakfast tradition, the building that once produced the sausage and eggs, now produces the maple syrup for the pancakes.

Responsible Care of Natural Resources

Matt and Calob are committed to sustainable practices in making of Maple Syrup and caring for the forest. With help from USDA NRCS, a forest management plan has been created and is in practice on the Minehart Gap Maple Sugarbush. Forest management activities include removal of invasive species including Ailanthus, Autumn Olive, Japanese Barberry, and control of the overaggressive native spice bush, thinning of dead, dying, diseased and undesirable trees, planting of trees and shrubs, and bio-char creation and utilization. Sustainable responsible tapping by only tapping each tree once per year, and by maintaining cleanliness in the tubing, extractor and tanks. Energy efficiency is of paramount importance at Minehart Gap Maple. Equipment and methods are continuously monitored and updated.

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Industry Involvement

Enthusiastic for responsible, safe Maple Syrup production, Minehart Gap Maple is active in the local River Valleys Maple Syrup Producers Association. Matt is one of RVMSPA's delegates to the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council. In the PMSPC, Matt has served as Vice-President, and he is Pennsylvania's representative to the North American Maple Syrup Producers Council. Matt also has managed the PA Farm Show Main Hall PMSPC booth during the time when record sales of members maple syrup products have been shown. In the NAMSC, Matt is on the research committee, education committee and alliance committee where he is actively a part of the decisions that shape the direction of the industry in both Canada and the United States through obtaining partners for research, selecting the direction of that research and educating producers to create safe high-quality products.

North American Maple Syrup Producers Council

Maple Sugar: The Smarter Sweetener

“While the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting adding sugars to less than 10% of your total daily calories, the recommendations don’t differentiate where those sugars come from. And it turns out the source of sweetness can really make a difference for your health.” “Not all sources of sugar are in fact the same. A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition* is the first placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring the potential health benefits of maple syrup in humans due to maple’s micronutrients and polyphenols.”

“Although maple syrup is a source of sugar, which you should still limit in your diet, it’s a smarter sweetener,” said Sports and Media Dietitian Sarah Alsing, MS, RD; owner of Delightfully Fueled. “Beyond simply providing carbohydrates like other sugar sources, maple syrup also contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and polyphenols. These micronutrients and polyphenols in pure maple syrup have now been shown to benefit blood sugar control, blood pressure, visceral fat mass (android fat reduction) and gut health. That’s pretty good motivation to change where you get your sugar.” “Most dietary changes can seem overwhelming, but replacing refined sugar with pure maple syrup is an easy substitution anyone can make that still provides the sweetness you want, but also offers major health benefits.”

Are all sugars created equal? New study shows maple syrup is the smarter sweetener | Redmond Spokesman