Farm Bureau members support pro-maple syrup legislation in Ohio

In the US, members of the Ohio Farm Bureau have testified to support state legislation that will recognise maple syrup production as being an agricultural activity.

If passed, the bill will guarantee that maple producers are granted the same opportunities and protections afforded to other agriculture segments.

House Bill 733 was introduced by representatives David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and would see trees cultivated for producing maple syrup added to the statutory definition of agriculture in the state of Ohio. The revision would enable maple syrup operations eligible to qualify for the “Current Agricultural Use Value” programme, and extend additional agricultural protections offered to other farming operations in the state.

Although Vermont leads natural maple syrup production in the US, Ohio ranks in the top 10 and contributes over $5 million to the Buckeye State’s economy annually.

Commenting, owner of Seldom Seen farm and a farm bureau member, Kevin Holy, said that Ohio farmers had worked tirelessly for generations to grow and preserve maple syrup as an agricultural industry in the state. He added that maple syrup’s recognition in the Ohio Revised Code is a sensible step that correctly reflects the realities farmers are facing when working in modern agriculture.

The Ohio House of Representatives has passed the bill, and it is now awaiting consideration from the Ohio Senate. While the state’s 2026 sugar season started late and finished abruptly with early budding, maple syrup producers in the maple-rich area of Ohio’s northeast experienced output that exceeded or matched totals in 2025.