According to Jill Staples of Staples Maple Syrup, connecting with buyers can often be the most difficult part of farming. That’s why she ensures she has a strong network of partners and buyers across the region by participating in agricultural programs led by Peterborough County.
Located in the Township of Cavan Monaghan, Staples Maple Syrup was started by Jill’s husband, Robert Staples, in 1973. Since then, it has become a multi-generational family business, now operating with 3,500 taps across three sugar bushes. Certified organic, lead-free, and federally inspected, the family’s maple syrup has won numerous awards in addition to being a four-time world champion at the Royal Winter Fair.
Visitors from around the world have stopped by the Staples Maple Syrup year-round farmstand, while their products can be found at local businesses including Kyoto Coffee and Millbrook Foodland. The family has also been selling syrup and treats at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market for more than 50 years.
Jill says Staples Maple Syrup has “found networking to be very important” in helping to market its products to buyers, which is why the farm participates in Kawartha Choice FarmFresh, an initiative delivered through Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The regional economic development program provides a network to share resources and provides an online database for buyers to find local producers.
“We’re so busy that it’s hard to find the time to get out there and promote the product, so having it promote us as a group is really important,” Jill says.
Jill has also been on the steering committee for the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale project, which aims to expand local produce capacity by streamlining connections with local food buyers such as restaurants, retailers, and tourist attractions. She was involved in the early stages of training and is now one of the producers who will be making their products available to buyers through the program’s Green Circle Food Hub.
“There needs to be connections with farmers and restaurants and stores to get local produce because people are wanting to eat local more now,” says Jill. “They don’t want to buy out of province and they want to support their local businesses. I’ve always felt it important that we should have a food hub around this area, because we have a lot of good producers here.”
While Staples Maple Syrup has faced recent weather-related challenges that have affected syrup production and yield, including last year’s spring ice storm that destroyed much of the canopy, Jill says the farm will be welcoming visitors back to the sugar bush for this year’s Maple Weekend on Sunday, April 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Organized by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, the annual event offers the public the chance to visit local producers to find out how maple syrup is made, enjoy free samples of fresh maple syrup and confections, and more.
Staples Maple Syrup is located at 439 Highway 7A in Cavan. To learn more and order products online, visit staplesmaplesyrup.ca.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
