In West Virginia, pioneering research into black walnut syrup production is creating new opportunities for landowners, strengthening community networks, and expanding the syrup industry by exploring new value-added agricultural products for forested rural economies.
Researchers at Future Generations University (FGU), led by Michael Rechlin and Sarah Collins-Simmons, collaborated with landowners and technical partners to develop innovations that improve the efficiency and feasibility of walnut syrup production. With support from a Northeast SARE Partnership Grant, the team refined walnut sap collection methods, enhanced sap flow using vacuum lines, and designed specialized tapping spouts to reduce tree impact. They also developed a small-scale sap evaporator to minimize barriers for new producers.
The project successfully increased the potential for environmental, economic, and social sustainability impacts in West Virginia’s agriculture, as well as production efficiency. The advancements from this research team encouraged landowners to explore black walnut syrup as a profitable non-timber product, opening opportunities for boosting rural incomes and providing an alternative to traditional crops.
"Walnut syrup is truly a novel product commercially," said Collins-Simmons. "We feel that we were part of the initial wave of taking it to the next step, making a commercially viable product and assessing market value…with the partner producers we worked with."
FGU’s outreach efforts extended to connecting producers with state resources, offering technical consultations, and supporting agrotourism initiatives. These efforts helped strengthen a resilient network of producers who now serve as ambassadors for this emerging market.
Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-ONE19-347 for more information on this project's impact.
Advancing Walnut Syrup Production for Increased Profitability and Farm Income Diversification is part of a series produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.
For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.
View Related SARE Grant:
- Advancing Walnut Syrup Production for Increased Profitability and Farm Income Diversification (ONE19-347)