On November 22 and 23, the Federation held its annual general meeting in Lévis, on the south shore of Quebec City, where the IMSI meeting was also held this year. This year during the conferences, the Federation wanted to underline the innovative aspects of our sector and to promote the entrepreneurship of the maple syrup producers. To draw example from outside the agricultural sector and to inspire, the Federation invited Alexandre Taillefer, a well-known businessman in Quebec who reinvented Montreal’s taxi industry by introducing high social and environmental standards. He will launch our annual meeting by introducing us to his vision of entrepreneurship and its role in society. 

Three producers known for their innovative approach also discussed the risks they took in the last decade and the impact it had on their business. The last talk is unavoidable this year: Yves Bois, Acer Center Director, will introduce the new guide on lead and equipment, in view of the Californian new norm. 

Open House at the World Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve

The World Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve is a key marketing tool for Quebec’s maple syrup industry, but maple syrup producers and buyers rarely have access to the actual warehouse, as it is considered a food processing building and there are a number of restrictions in place to ensure that the food safety regulation is respected. But on August 25, 2017, the Federation held an Open House at the Reserve. The Federation’s executives guided 45 one-hour visits and answered the numerous questions of 550 visitors. At the corn husk outside, the Federation board members were having lengthy discussions with producers, buyers and equipment manufacturers. Everyone involved enjoyed the event and the informal conversations that took place all day long.

Visitors of note included Marc Simoneau and Réjean Gingras, mayor and general director of Laurierville where the warehouse is located, Luc Berthold, federal MP of Mégantic-l’Érable, Stéphanie Allard, Arthabaska’s provincial MP political attachée, and Jean-Claude Poissant and Pierre Caza, La Prairie MP and Agriculture and Agro-food Canada Minister’s secretary. 

Originally published in The Maple News in November 2017