That’s how much syrup Alan and Johanna McLauchlan produced back in 2004 when they tried tapping a few birch trees for the first time.

It would ultimately lead the couple, who lives about an hour’s drive north of The Pas, to found their own company and produce and sell one of the world’s rarest gourmet foods.

The couple today sells a premium birch syrup made at Rocky Lake Birchworks, made from sap tapped from 1,500 birch trees, processed in facilities on their property, and sold to more than 30 retailers across Ontario, and the three Prairie provinces.

The McLauchlans were guest speakers at Take the Leap, a Manitoba Agriculture rural business conference, describing their own leap into a post-retirement entrepreneurship. The event attracted about 150 participants from across rural and northern Manitoba including new and existing business owners.

“Had I known what I know now I’d have been getting into entrepreneurship sooner,” he said.

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Busy retirement

Al and Johanna were retired from their careers in the RCMP and municipal management respectively and living at their property on the shores of the pristine Rocky Lake when Al gave about 15 trees that first-year tap. That first tiny volume of syrup piqued their interest to try again the following spring. Over the next five seasons they added more trees and bought more processing equipment, finally founding Rocky Lake Birchworks Ltd. in 2009.

Today they produce and market their own brand of syrup, plus a line of specialty flavoured teas made from chaga, a type of mushroom birch trees produce, a medicinal salve made from cottonwood trees, wild rice and a natural sweetener also derived from trees around them.

The company gained international attention recently when they were featured in a film produced by The Pew Trust called “People of the Boreal.” In the film, and during their talk in Dauphin, the couple talks about the intimate relationship they’ve developed with the land around them and the importance of sustainably managing the resources of the boreal zone.

“We have a real close connection to the land,” Al said. “Without the boreal forest our company is non-existent.”

Being retirees and starting a company in later life definitely worked to their advantage, says Johanna. They’d had fulfilling careers, gained life experience and skill sets from them, plus they were financially secure.

The timing to start something new was just right, she said.

“We like to keep busy and we were looking for a project,” she said.

“Now we’re doing something that we really enjoy.”

Early preparation

In mid-November the McLauchlans are already gearing up for the intense few days in early spring they’ll spend tapping trees, hauling thousands of litres of sap, and boiling and bottling syrup at the on-site processing facilities they’ve established at Rocky Lake. The business now keeps not only themselves busy, but also their sons Andy and Peter.

The McLauchlans say they had lots of support as they pursued the business, crediting staff with the Food Development Centre at Portage la Prairie, Food and Beverage Manitoba, the World Trade Centre in Winnipeg, plus their own network for helping them navigate the complexities of starting the business, launching a brand and connecting to markets from their remote geographic location. They’ve developed an extensive website and made wide use of social media like YouTube and Facebook to tell their company’s story.

New entrepreneurs have many questions and plenty of doubts as they get started, a topic much discussed at the October 23 conference. The McLauchlans spoke frankly about some of their own during a panel discussion.

His biggest personal hurdle starting out was being willing to seek advice, Al said. He needed to stop worrying he’d attract too much attention too early to their business concept.

“To be honest, I just didn’t want anyone to steal our idea,” he told the Dauphin conference.

“Once I got over that, our journey really started.”

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Scheffleras are tropical plants that in their natural habitat grow under a forest canopy, so they do not like harsh light and will not perform well if they receive direct sunlight. They will, however, also not do well in extremely low-light areas, and are best placed adjacent to a window – even a north-facing one. I have mine set back a couple of metres from a north-facing window and that seems to suit it just fine.

The main attraction of a schefflera is its tough, attractive foliage, but the leaves will collect dust and from time to time it is a good idea to give the leaves a gentle wipe with a damp cloth. The stems can do with a wipe periodically as well. Keeping plant foliage clean reduces the amount of light the plants require and also improves their appearance.

Water a schefflera moderately, giving the top few centimetres of soil a chance to dry out between waterings. During the winter, when the plant will be semi-dormant, even less water is needed – just enough so that the soil does not completely dry out. During the summer, which is the active growing period, fertilizer – I use a soluble 20-20- 20 at half-strength – should be added to the water every month. Scheffleras prefer a peat-based potting mix so I usually use a good-quality soilless mix. The plants also must have good drainage and they should not be allowed to sit in saucers full of water after being watered.

The schefflera is a useful plant for indoor landscaping. Large specimens are used as floor plants and are often seen in waiting rooms and offices because of their tolerance for such indoor environments. In private homes, an umbrella plant can add interest to a corner or can be located in an entrance hall. A large umbrella plant can be positioned on the floor while a smaller one can be placed on a table, or perhaps incorporated into a plant grouping on a shelf.

There are a number of forms of schefflera; the most common one has solid-green foliage. On the other hand, S. arboricola “Goldcrepella” is beautifully variegated with yellow splashes on its bright-green leaves. As with all varieties, the new leaves tend to be very glossy but gradually lose a lot of their sheen as they age. Foliage shape differs depending on variety – some umbrella plants have long, narrow leaflets while others have leaflets that have rounded tips and only slightly divided. Well cared for with its foliage kept clean, and placed in an attractive pot, perhaps with a bit of Spanish moss to hide the soil, a schefflera makes a great addition to the interior landscape. If you need an easy-care foliage plant for your interior space, consider the schefflera.

– Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

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The fig tree is just that – a tree – and it is native to the tropical and semi-tropical regions of the world where it grows in jungle conditions. Therefore, it likes high humidity and a constant source of water. It is also adverse to changing temperatures and will often not perform well as a potted houseplant if it is placed near a door or vent where it is exposed to drafts.

The lush green foliage (there are variegated varieties) of the fig tree is its main attraction and this foliage must be kept clean. Although it is a tedious job, wiping the leaves individually with a damp cloth will remove dust, but putting the pot into the shower will accomplish the same thing although that is a rather messy approach. The plant should be watered when the top few centimetres of soil feel dry, which will occur more often during the active growing season than during the winter when growth slows dramatically. Fertilizer should be used only when the plant is in active growth.

Ficus trees have vigorous root growth and will need to be repotted every two years. Pot up to a larger pot which is at least five cm in diameter larger than the existing pot, and use a porous, peat-based soilless mix and provide good drainage. Fig trees like high humidity and so during the winter, at least, use of a pebble tray will benefit the plant. Just ensure that the pebbles hold the bottom of the pot above the water so that good drainage still occurs.

When purchasing a fig tree, look for a sturdy trunk with no signs of damage, rich green foliage which is free from damage and exhibits no signs of the presence of insects, and moist soil which indicates the plant has not been allowed to dry out. One of the first signs of stress of a ficus tree is the dropping of leaves. The plants are somewhat temperamental, particularly when conditions or location changes, and the plant may react by dropping up to a quarter of its leaves.

To minimize leaf drop of a newly acquired tree, give it good light, water carefully, make sure it doesn’t get chilled, and try to provide high humidity by misting the plant for the first couple of weeks. If the leaves yellow before they drop, this is a sign that the plant has been overwatered and you may have to adjust the watering regimen. A ficus tree will need to be pruned to keep it from outgrowing its location; this is best done in the spring when new growth is beginning.

Besides a single specimen tree, ficus trees lend themselves to being used in a couple of different way. They are ideal candidates for bonsai, also, when fig trees are small their trunks are very pliable and sometimes three or four tree trunks are braided and the trees are planted in a clump as one tree so the “trunk” then is composed of the several individual trunks braided together. As the trees grow, further braiding is required. These trees will need to be pruned judiciously to make them conform to the shape desired.

– Albert Parsons writes from Minnedosa, Manitoba

———

Iftheleavesyellow beforetheydrop,this isasignthattheplant hasbeenoverwatered.

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Many things have to be considered when choosing trees and shrubs such as height, width, hardiness, shape and drought tolerance, but often gardeners forget about fall foliage colour when making their choices. By not choosing trees and shrubs that have vivid autumn colour, an opportunity to brighten up an otherwise rather dull fall landscape is missed.

Some of the best choices for autumn colour are fruit-bearing varieties. Highbush cranberry, which turns a lovely red, Nanking cherry, whose leaves turn a bright yellow, and the plums, many of which have scarlet foliage in the fall are good examples. The leaves of apple trees often turn an attractive yellow which provides good contrast to their red fruit, while the foliage of various cherry trees is usually quite spectacular in the fall – Amur cherry leaves turn gold while those of both pin cherry and chokecherry change to a brilliant red.

Elms, lindens, ash and birch are all trees that produce wonderful golden foliage in the autumn. The mountain ash is one of the best trees for fall colour as its leaves turn brilliant orange red, complemented by orange-red berries that hang in large clumps from its branches. The highbush cranberry also hangs on to its fruit well into the fall and its bright-red berries add even more impact to the already vivid red of its foliage. Honeysuckle bushes often retain their bright-red berries as well, and although the foliage of these shrubs is not particularly colourful, the berries add dots of colour.

Cotoneaster is one of the best shrubs for colour as its leaves take on a vibrant mix of reds and oranges. It produces a long display and remains a focal point for a couple of weeks. There is nothing quite as spectacular as a cotoneaster hedge decked out in all its autumn glory. Sumac is famous for its vivid display of brilliant-red foliage. Few shrubs or trees can quite replicate the richness of sumac’s colour.

Lilacs are not particularly noteworthy in the fall garden, but the dwarf “Charisma,” which grows less than a metre tall, has a nice yellow colour in the fall. Many spireas have attractive autumn foliage – often red or red purple which contrasts nicely with the yellows and golds of many other shrubs and trees at this time of year.

A discussion of fall foliage would not be complete without mentioning one vine – the Virginia creeper. No other vine gives the same impact and its brilliant- red fall colour is absolutely outstanding. The only thing about Virginia creeper is that its leaves are very vulnerable to frost, so every year I hope that it has time to put on its display. – Albert Parsons writes from

Minnedosa, Manitoba

The post Brighten Up The Garden With Fall Foliage – for Sep. 23, 2010 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

This is tree-tapping time, when backyard hobbyists and small commercial maple syrup makers alike sally forth to collect the sap that begins sluicing through the limbs and trunks of Manitoba maple.

Just-right combinations of nighttime freeze and daytime thaw are necessary to start the flow of sap, which is really a chemical reaction in the tree brought on by the warming and cooling of the sun’s lengthening and strengthening rays.

As the spring thaw accelerates, the starch, which the tree accumulated during the previous year’s growth, changes into sugar, then mixes with the water the tree has absorbed through its roots to form a sap.

Don’t let anyone tell you we Prairie dwellers miss out on maple syrup season because we don’t live where the sugar maples grow; our Manitoba maple is also a prolific sugar maker and makes one of the sweetest syrups you’ll ever taste.

Mid-March and through April is our “sugaring season.”

Lillian Deedman of Killarney is among this province’s many backyard sugarers, and wrote to us recently about getting ready to begin tapping her trees. Lillian has also kindly sent us some of her favourite maple syrup recipes too.

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“We’re on the right track.”

– CLAUDIO STASOLLA, PLANT SCIENCE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

The tree producing Canada’s emblematic red maple leaf may one day find a home on not-so native land: Manitoba

The natural range of the sugar maple, with its glorious fall colours and prolific volumes of spring sap, now extends only to the eastern edge of the Prairies. Timing of spring frosts in Western Canada prevents viable seed development.

But some sugar maples, once established, do survive, as seen in Winnipeg and along some boulevards in Morden and Portage la Prairie.

But these are trees that have been grown from a planted seedling. Currently, Manitoba nurseries propagate sugar maple only by bud grafting, a labour-intensive process that requires the root of another plant, which may not be adapted to Manitoba conditions.

Now a University of Manitoba research project, funded through the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI), may have found another way to produce sugar maples for Manitoba: propagation via rooting from stem cuttings.

Last July, researchers collected stem cuttings from a cold-hardy sugar maple cultivar called Unity at Jeffries Nurseries in Portage la Prairie. The cuttings were brought to Shannon Oaks Tree Farm at Morden, treated with rooting hormones and planted in a soil mix.

The experiments were successful. The researchers report as high as 90 per cent rooting results in some instances. For commercial viability 80 per cent is considered satisfactory.

“We’re on the right track,” said Claudio Stasolla, a plant science professor at the University of Manitoba who worked with master’s student Teresa Sutanto on the project.

“Definitely, this project demonstrated that propagation is possible.”

But there’s still more work ahead before this can move ahead into production, notes Sutanto, who is conducting the research in partial fulfilment of her master’s degree.

“There are numerous factors that come into play to achieve high rooting success,” she said. “What we found this year proves great potential for sugar maple propagation for Manitoba’s nursery industry. However, the factors need to be optimized for more consistent results.”

Some of the work ahead lies with finding out how regionally adapted these trees will be to this climate, says Shannon Oaks Tree Farm owner Dave Klassen, who supplied the facilities and controlled environmental conditions during the experiments with cuttings.

“The next step would be the transition of taking this rooted cutting and growing it on and producing a quality larger plant that would be suitable for going into the landscape,” Klassen said.

The stem cuttings collected at Jeffries last summer are from trees a third generation off original seed collected from Minnesota and grown out during research at the Morden Research Station.

Sugar maple trees from this research are those standing on street boulevards in Morden today.

Researchers at Jeffries have been testing and evaluating the Unity cultivar, created by taking material off these Morden parent trees and bud grafting it on to seedling stock.

But the problem with budded plants, aside from how labour intensive they are to produce, is that they have roots which are not genetically identical to the rest of the tree.

That raises questions about how cold hardy these trees may actually be, says Philip Ronald, who oversees plant research and development at Jeffries.

Now, with these “own-rooted” cuttings available through this project, they’ll be able to compare these against budded plants and note any differences in survivability, Ronald said.

Further experiments may also show differences in the rate of fall colouration, he said.

“A plant’s response to the onset of winter can be impacted by the root system.”

The project aims to diversify the number of shade trees available in Manitoba, beyond the standard elm, ash and oak. Without this diversity, a single disease or pest may threaten whole stands of trees, as seen with Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer.

The sugar maple is a stunningly beautiful tree, producing brilliant fall foliage that can range from yellow to orange to red, depending on weather conditions. Sugar maples grow as tall as 40 to 50 feet.

The project received support from Shannon Oaks Tree Farm, Jeffries Nurseries, and Glenlea Greenhouses as well as through the $66,000 ARDI grant.

lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

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