Escuminac

Escuminac came into being in 1998 when Martin Malenfant decided to set up his sugarwood on a centuries-old maple-growing area of 500 hectares at Escuminac in the Baie-des-Chaleurs on the Gaspe Peninsula. This land has a particular characteristic: it also includes one of the finest mature yellow birch forests in Quebec. Martin Malenfant wanted to produce a high-quality syrup while respecting the environment, working in harmony with nature. The maple-grower's mission: produce a superior quality, organic syrup, without compromise! Since 1998, he has implemented a strict plan of management of his sugarwood and high standards of production. In 2006, he finally received his organic certification.

The production of organic maple syrup is characterised by management practices which respect the sugarwood and its eco-system. Other species of trees were conserved when the harvest sites were set up. Authorised soil-improvers in the sugarwood are wood ash, agricultural lime and certain natural fertilizers. Producing an organic maple syrup involves bringing everything to bear to minimise contamination so that the characteristic flavour of maple syrup is always predominant. Organic certification requires following a very rigorous specification and constant updating of production logs with precise data.

Today, the Escuminac sugarwood operates 65,000 taps for organic maple syrup and 5,000 taps for production of organic birch sap.