{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115147"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115147","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Maple Syrup in Appalachia: A Sustainable Economic Development Opportunity","abstract":"Many parts of Appalachia, including areas of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, lag behind much of the country in key socioeconomic indicators. There is a need for economic development opportunities that leverage the region's natural resources in a sustainable manner. This study investigates the feasibility of using maple syrup production as an economic development strategy. This study is broken into three sections, the first is a survey of current maple syrup producers to investigate how syrup is produced and sold in this region. This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to ascertain the feasibility of small-scale producers competing with often larger and well-established Northeastern maple syrup producers. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to learn about the current impacts of maple syrup agritourism for producers and the communities they operate in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more localized than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian communities. A localized approach to selling maple syrup that relies on attracting visitors to farms has the potential to create an economic stimulus for not only maple syrup producers, but also the communities in which they operate.","abstract_html":"Many parts of Appalachia, including areas of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, lag behind much of the country in key socioeconomic indicators. There is a need for economic development opportunities that leverage the region's natural resources in a sustainable manner. This study investigates the feasibility of using maple syrup production as an economic development strategy. This study is broken into three sections, the first is a survey of current maple syrup producers to investigate how syrup is produced and sold in this region. This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to ascertain the feasibility of small-scale producers competing with often larger and well-established Northeastern maple syrup producers. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to learn about the current impacts of maple syrup agritourism for producers and the communities they operate in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more localized than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian communities. A localized approach to selling maple syrup that relies on attracting visitors to farms has the potential to create an economic stimulus for not only maple syrup producers, but also the communities in which they operate.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Grizzard, Daniel Howell"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Forest Products","degree_department":"Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Hammett, A. L. (Tom)"],"committee_members":["Alwang, Jeffrey R.","Russell, Jennifer Dianne"],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-05-22","date_published":"2023-05-22","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:48Z","subjects":["Economic Development","Sustainable Development","Appalachia","Maple Syrup","Agritourism"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:37107"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:37107","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/115147","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Hammett, A. L. 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There is a need for economic development opportunities that leverage the region's natural resources in a sustainable manner. This study investigates the feasibility of using maple syrup production as an economic development strategy. This study is broken into three sections, the first is a survey of current maple syrup producers to investigate how syrup is produced and sold in this region. This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to ascertain the feasibility of small-scale producers competing with often larger and well-established Northeastern maple syrup producers. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to learn about the current impacts of maple syrup agritourism for producers and the communities they operate in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more localized than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian communities. A localized approach to selling maple syrup that relies on attracting visitors to farms has the potential to create an economic stimulus for not only maple syrup producers, but also the communities in which they operate."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["The Appalachian region of the United States has higher rates of poverty than the rest of the country. Many rural communities in Appalachia are also losing population. Due to these factors, there is a need for the development of new ways to bring money and jobs into Appalachian communities. This study investigates the potential to use maple syrup production to help stimulate economic development into central Appalachian communities in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. This study is broken into three sections, the first is a survey of maple syrup producers to see how syrup is currently produced and sold in this region. This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to see if it is possible for small-scale producers to sell their products in grocery stores. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to see how tourism that is focused on maple syrup impacts the communities that it takes place in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more local than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian. A localized approach to selling maple syrup that relies on attracting visitors to farms through tourism has the potential to create an economic stimulus for not only maple syrup producers, but also the communities in which they operate."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Maple Syrup in Appalachia: A Sustainable Economic Development Opportunity"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Hammett, A. L. (Tom)"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Alwang, Jeffrey R.","Russell, Jennifer Dianne"],"dc:contributor.department":["Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation"],"dc:creator":["Grizzard, Daniel Howell"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2023-05-23T08:00:30Z"],"dc:date.available":["2023-05-23T08:00:30Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2023-05-22"],"dc:description.abstract":["Many parts of Appalachia, including areas of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, lag behind much of the country in key socioeconomic indicators. There is a need for economic development opportunities that leverage the region's natural resources in a sustainable manner. This study investigates the feasibility of using maple syrup production as an economic development strategy. This study is broken into three sections, the first is a survey of current maple syrup producers to investigate how syrup is produced and sold in this region. This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to ascertain the feasibility of small-scale producers competing with often larger and well-established Northeastern maple syrup producers. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to learn about the current impacts of maple syrup agritourism for producers and the communities they operate in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more localized than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian communities. 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This survey is followed by a pricing analysis that was conducted to see if it is possible for small-scale producers to sell their products in grocery stores. The final chapter is an economic impact analysis of the Highland County Maple Festival. This analysis was conducted to see how tourism that is focused on maple syrup impacts the communities that it takes place in. Findings from this study indicate that the maple syrup industry in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia is smaller and more local than the industry in the Northeastern United States and Canada. However, the difference in how maple syrup is sold can provide many potential benefits for Appalachian. A localized approach to selling maple syrup that relies on attracting visitors to farms through tourism has the potential to create an economic stimulus for not only maple syrup producers, but also the communities in which they operate."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:37107"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/115147"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Economic Development","Sustainable Development","Appalachia","Maple Syrup","Agritourism"],"dc:title":["Maple Syrup in Appalachia: A Sustainable Economic Development Opportunity"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Forest Products"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:48Z"}