Meet our new generation of maple producers!
No matter how big or small your ambitions are, CDL’s representatives can help you evaluate your projects, provide technical advice, and install equipment and tubing. They offer quality support for every part of your maple sugaring operation. Discover more about two companies that took advantage from wise advice!
Olivier Ruel’s Passion
Olivier got hooked on maple sugaring when he was looking after his family’s 500-tap sugar bush after school. Since 2009, he has been gradually taking over Ferme Jovanel in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse. He’s proud of his role as a dairy farmer and maple syrup producer. “When you’re passionate about something, it doesn’t really matter how many hours you work, you’re just happy to be doing what you’re doing.” While the dairy farm has also operated a sugar bush for many years, Olivier only got his start as an owner in 2020, when he began with 2,000 taps. In 2024, he’ll be running 5,000, thanks to the help of partner Marilyne Beaupré and their three children. He has no intention of stopping there, either, if he finds new opportunities to increase his maple syrup production in his region. “I love the idea of harvesting things right from nature.”
Successful projects often come from good teamwork and collaboration. Like all enthusiasts, Olivier is constantly looking for ways to improve performance for his dairy farm and his sugar bush alike. That’s one of the reasons he’s so quick to praise CDL. “My equipment comes from CDL. It’s convenient, they’re nearby and always ready to give me good advice. At the moment, I’m still working with the equipment I bought in 2020, but I intend to automate production in a couple of years.”
“In 2018, I started with three taps!”
William Morneau, St-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Qc
When your most beloved childhood memories are of sitting in your grandpa’s lap, surrounded by the steam of boiling maple sap, it’s safe to say maple sugaring is in your blood.
William Morneau wants his little boys (aged 12, 5, and 3) to have those lasting memories as well, so he now brings them with him into the woods. Although William teaches at a professional training center, his maple syrup hobby is growing by the year.
There’s no denying it, William started with almost nothing. When he produced syrup for the first time in 2018, he only had three taps! Very resourcefully, he had self made all of his own equipment. “You get the tools to produce a little more, you set your sights high, and finally, you get the equipment that really lets you live your dream,” he explains. Once he had the bug… Well. Fast forward to 2024, and William has 375 taps. However, he is very pleased to have received a positive response for an additional 1774 taps already evaluated by the forestry group’s engineer. He has until spring 2026 to deliver syrup to the Federation from these taps, located on two leased lots.
“Equipment is always a major investment, so you really don’t want to make any mistakes! That’s why I appreciate the CDL representatives so much. They treat your project like it’s their own, even when it’s small. They don’t just want to sell, they want you to succeed! Even when they’re at their busiest during sugaring season, they’ll still take the time to answer my questions. And I like to understand how things work, so I really appreciate good explanations that help me make the right choices. All my equipment comes from CDL, from the tubing to the measuring tools and the filter press.”
