Member Profile
by Terry Coleman

Tom Cook

For the third year, a new Grand Champion syrup producer was crowned at the Annual winter meeting in Clare. There are two points of interest about this syrup. First, it was produced in the southwest corner of Michigan, which is very low in maple production, and second, it was made by a new sugar maker in his first year of market production!

Tom Cook, who was elated to receive the award, is a very humble person, as you will learn by chatting with him. He is the first to admit that he lacks all of the answers, but what he lacks in knowledge, he more than makes up for in his zeal for this business.

Tom lives near Edwardsburg on a 25-acre hobby farm complete with horses, a pond and four bee- hives that he manages. Mr. Cook owns two businesses. The first is a security system installation company and the second is a telephone answering service for businesses, doctors etc. Tom is still single, so his help with the sugaring comes from his girlfriend and a very close buddy who shows up nearly every day.

As a child, Tom has fond memories of his parents taking him to local sugar makers to get their syrup. From the age of eight until 1998, Tom made enough syrup on the kitchen stove for home use. In 1998, he decided to go larger and get better equipment.

He purchased a used wood-fired arch topped with three flat pans hooked in series. They were housed in a 24'x32' pole building including a canning room. A total of 200 taps were located in available woods and put on tubing. Several of the trees were red maples, Sap gathering was done with a truck, tank and suction pump. The 1998 crop was 22 gallons and a Grand Champion plaque. Not bad!

Tom got pumped for the 1999 season. He decided to invest more money in equipment even though his accountant called him a FOOL! (Where have I heard that before?) A 30"x10', fully hooded, wood-fired Small Brothers raised flue evaporator was purchased and taps were increased to 300 with the addition of 100 taps in a backyard setting in the area. It takes a 20-mile circle of driving to gather all of Tom's sap. His 1999 production was 57 gallons on a 'short' season.

Mr. Cook has no need for marketing yet because his family, friends and business associates readily make his stock vanish. The 'outdoor experience' and getting outside after the winter doldrums keeps Tom's Interest in sugaring. Seven years ago, Tom planted 500 sugar maples on his farm during a re-forestation program sponsored by the Cass County Soil & Conservation Dept, They are growing well and he looks forward to tapping his own creation in the future.

To visit Cook's Sugar Bush, take US 12 west from Edwardsburg six miles to Gumwood Rd. Turn south and go 1/4 mile. The farm is on the east side of the road, Look for horses! (297 Gumwood Rd., Niles, MI)