Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the nation for maple syrup production – with nearly 300 farms producing maple syrup for sale, and 790,000 trees tapped.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal supports maple producers and the forest products industry with $725,000 investment in Hardwoods Research and Promotions, and $13 million to support farmers and their innovative ideas through the Ag Innovation Grant Program.
Somerset, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding kicked off Pennsylvania’s maple tapping-season at Baer Bros Maple Camp in Somerset, over the weekend, celebrating Pennsylvania’s maple syrup industry alongside the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council and Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council.
Through commonsense investments in economic development, job creation, and innovation, Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget feeds continued growth in Pennsylvania agriculture, including its largest sector, the state’s $39 billion forest products industry. The budget supports maple producers and others in the forest products industry through a $725,000 investment in Hardwoods Research and Promotion, as well as PA Farm Bill Specialty Crop Grants, Agriculture Promotion Grants, and research funding to provide tangible solutions to challenges facing the industry.
“Pennsylvania forests are an incredibly rich, valuable resource, and the source of maple syrup, one our sweetest products,” Secretary Redding said. “The Shapiro Administration has demonstrated our commitment to creating continued opportunities for the 60,000-plus people whose livelihoods flow from Pennsylvania forests, and whose communities are enriched by our forest products industry’s prosperity.”
With nearly 300 farms producing maple syrup for sale, and 790,000 trees tapped, Pennsylvania ranks sixth nationally in production. In 2023, PA farms produced 205,000 gallons of maple syrup worth more than $7.5 million, and 46 farms across the state had maple syrup sales of over $50,000.
Baer Bros produces between 2,000 and 3,000 gallons of Grade A, pure maple syrup annually, as well as maple candy, maple cream, and maple sugar. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener packed with antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. Far beyond punching up your pancakes, it offers endless recipe possibilities from topping roasted fall root vegetables to sweetening your soup on a cold winter day. It is among the many valuable, sustainable products sourced from Pennsylvania’s 16.62 million acres of forestland.
Supporting the future of Pennsylvania agriculture on farmland, in forests, and in communities throughout the state, Governor Shapiro’s budget and economic development strategy recognize agriculture as not only central to Pennsylvania’s legacy, but as a vital driver of Pennsylvania’s long-term economic success.
Earlier this month, the Shapiro Administration announced recipients of the nation’s first Agricultural Innovation Grant, including 10 grants funding over $2 million in projects that will ramp up innovation in the forest products sector through artificial intelligence; converting forest by-products into renewable energy and other marketable, eco-friendly products; and supporting increased sustainability.
To continue Pennsylvania’s national legacy as an agriculture leader, Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposes increasing the Ag Innovation Grant Program by $13 million to help build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania. In its first open application period, the Ag Innovation Grant Program received 159 applications for nearly $70 million worth of innovation projects.
Last October, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Hardwoods Development Council and PA Preferred® program, in cooperation with the PA Maple Syrup Producers Council, launched a PA Maple Map to connect consumers with Pennsylvania-produced maple products and businesses that serve or sell them. The map was part of a USDA-funded marketing initiative that fed record maple sales at the 2025 PA Farm Show and is helping increase sales of maple products around the state.
Learn more about PA maple syrup, find recipes, and a listing of restaurants and coffee shops featuring maple menu items on the Agriculture Department website. Click on a location or filter the dashboard by county or product to find your favorite treat, or a coffee shop, retailer, or farm-to-table restaurant offering locally produced maple syrup products.
Read more about commonsense investments to keep Pennsylvania agriculture competitive and thriving in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal at shapirobudget.pa.gov.
Learn how Governor Josh Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy recognizes agriculture as key to our future economic success.
Contact: Shannon Powers, shpowers@pa.gov, 717.603.2056
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