Floyd Moore
989 826-5835
2004 MMSA Honorary Member
3300 Randall Road
Luzerne, MI 48636

Prior to Floyd Moore and the 1960s, the MMSA did not exist. In fact, prior to Floyd Moore and the demonstrations he gave throughout the state, people didn’t use plastic tubing to collect sap. This charter member of MMSA claims that he’s “retired” from the business, but his history shows a man whose veins run with a sugar content of sap.

We started the MMSA in approximately 1963, it was me, Leonard Carpenter, Bob Lamb, and others; I can’t quite remember names,” Moore said. “We worked with the MSU extension and had lots of help in the beginning.” Along with being MMSA’s first President, Moore was also a representative to the National Maple Syrup Council in the mid-1960s. “Leonard Carpenter and I toured around together giving tubing demonstrations. I was one of the first to use tubing in Michigan and the first to use a vacuum system to collect sap.”

For all his efforts and a lifetime to devotion to such a “sweet” cause, Moore was the 2004 recipient of MMSA Lifetime Membership and Honorary Member Award.

Yet, while he advanced the industry of maple syrup production in Michigan, Moore had his own business to tend to, as well. “We originally began in Vermontville, then moved up to the Rogers City area.” The first few years he used a 3x12, wood-fired pan. “We grew to two separate 5x14 evaporators, oil fired,” he said. They had 8500-9000 taps and marketed it mainly to the Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island tourists.

Moore moved to Luzerne in 1975, where he started a new operation, which continued until just a few years ago. “I retired four years ago and sold off the land,” he sighed. Unfortunately no one is tapping those trees anymore. “I really love maple,” Moore said, “I miss it.”