FORT KENT, Maine – Hundreds came out to Northern Reach Maple in Fort Kent, one of the state’s northernmost towns, for Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.
It is the business’s first time hosting the traditional spring event. They offered tours, food, and even live music during their first major public event.
Business owner Christian Thorsnes said he first started the businesses to include hobby-sized creation of maple syrup back in 2018, and that he bought the roughly 230-acre property the year before that. In 2023, he said they decided to boost production to a commercial level, and last year was the business’s first fully commercial year, which Thorsnes said went well.
He said they produced hundreds of gallons last year, and that they doubled their capacity this year.
“When the season finally opens up, we expect to get a commensurate increase in production,” he said.
Maine Maple Weekend is hosted by the Maine Maple Producers Association (MMPA) at maple production businesses throughout the state of Maine. MMPA President Alan Greene, who also runs Greene Maple Farm in Sebago, said it’s by far the biggest day of the year for maple producers around the state.
He said the annual weekend gives producers a chance to let the public know not only about what maple provides for the state economically, but also to let people enjoy a plethora of sweet treats.
“We’re proud to be able to make such a wonderful thing that brings smiles to people’s faces and gives them a little bit of joy in their lives,” he said.
Maine has consistently been one of the largest maple producers in the country for the past several years. According to data from the USDA, it was the fourth-highest producer with a total of 549,000 gallons, just below Wisconsin at 556,000 gallons. In 2024, Maine was the third-highest producer with a total of 701,000 gallons, and in 2023 it was also the third-highest at 470,000 gallons.
According to Maine county data in 2022, the most recent year available, Aroostook County produced the fourth highest amount of maple syrup at roughly 4,526 gallons.
Greene said that a lot of the northern and western part of the state hasn’t broken open yet in terms of trees thawing out, but that they’ve had a banner year so far in the southwest corner of the state.
“We’re catching the temperatures just right, and we’ve already made half of our yearly average up here,” he said.
He said if the temperatures remain cold in the northern part of the state, maple producers could be off to a slower start. In order to ensure a good season, Greene said the temperatures have to stay right around 40 degrees during the day so the trees can stay thawed out. But if the temperatures get too high, it could result in an explosion of bacteria. The bacteria loves the warmth and sugar, which means the syrup needs to be boiled quickly.
“We’re very susceptible to temperatures, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Greene said. “It’s just mother nature.”
Thorsnes said that while the weather has been cold, the coming spring will yield great results.
“Once it warms up and the sap starts flowing, we’re going to be going gangbusters on making that syrup,” he said.
The business has also pledged to deliver a portion of its syrup to various Aroostook County schools including Presque Isle, Caswell and Washburn. This will allow the schools to meet their nutritional needs while using a sweetener that is healthier than high fructose corn syrup.
Thorsnes grew up in Maine in the Livermore Falls area and spent a career in the military which was followed by working for the Department of Defense for roughly 10 to 15 years. The work brought him to Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.
“There was good money in it, but it’s not really all about the money,” he said. “I wanted to give something to pass off to my kids.”
Thorsnes and his family started talking about moving back in the early 2010s, and he eventually purchased his current plot of over 200 acres in Fort Kent with the intention of starting this maple business.
He occasionally enlists the help of part-time volunteers, but Thorsnes is the only full-time person at the business. He had help from family and volunteers in planning the first maple weekend.
The Fort Kent event also had homemade donuts from Dead Tired Donut Co. of Frenchville, a business that just started up 7 months ago. Business owner Brandon Lavoie said this is also their first time at a public event, and that it has been going incredibly well. Northern Reach Maple not only offered the space, but also contributed their syrup to the maple donuts being sold.
“These are made with pure maple syrup from these folks right here,” Lavoie said as he set his table up outside Northern Reach Maple.
He said he started selling donuts once his job allowed him to spend more time at home. He was driving downstate with his family and saw a sign outside a home that just read “donuts,” which served as a literal and figurative sign to get into the donut business. Lavoie sold out on Saturday, and announced on social media that they also sold out early this afternoon.
Anita Benoit and Candy Hagerstrom, friends of the Thorsnes family, came up to help provide treats throughout the weekend. They made Maine maple taffy, frozen on ice and served on a popsicle stick, as well as maple baked beans for guests to try.
“We just felt like we should come up and experience this with Christian and his family and help out where we could,” said Hagserstrom.
Thorsnes said on Sunday morning that the business’s first Maine Maple Sunday has been going incredibly well.
“It all worked out really well,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without the team and helpers, and some of the businesses that are helping to promote the event and make it an awesome activity for people to come out during Maine Maple Weekend.”
