Beginnings to Full-Time Craft
It all started near Stouffville, growing up the Carrick boys spent weekends at their grandparents’ farm, skating on frozen ponds, riding dirt bikes, and learning the art of maple syrup-making from their dad, uncle, and grandfather. Who would have known that those early spring mornings in the sugar bush would eventually grow into such a career? Like many farming traditions, the idea of the seasons and nature to produce something real and rewarding is what inspired them to take their business to the next level. “The nature of the maple business is what ultimately got us into it full time.” Jake tells us.
“After playing junior hockey and earning our university degrees, we decided to take it on full-time,” says Jake. They bought a farm in Madawaska, north of Bancroft in the south of Algonquin, with 23,000 taps and from there, Carrick Bros. was born.
What started as a leap of faith quickly turned into a thriving operation. Today, the brothers manage over 46,000 taps and a dedicated crew, split between their Goodwood facility and Madawaska sugar bush, producing maple syrup and maple water under their family label. Jake and Josh run the business. However, there are two more Carrick brothers, Sam & Trevor who play in the NHL – Jake commends his brothers for being very supportive and helping them make connections in the sports world and through social media.
Nature, Work Ethic, and a Taste of Home
For Jake and Josh, working on the land feels natural. “We grew up outdoors — fishing, hunting, foraging. The idea of taking sap from a tree and turning it into something so pure and delicious seemed like a dream,” Jake says. “It’s something you can only do in this part of the world.”
Maple syrup is something unique to Northeastern Canada & the U.S., Jakes explains. Canada is the world’s leading producer due to the specific climate and maple species found here — trees that produce sap with a high enough sugar content for syrup. This region’s unique climate is also essential, offering the ideal conditions needed. Cold nights followed by warm days in early spring create the pressure changes that make sap flow from the trees. Without that freeze–thaw cycle, the sap wouldn’t run, and syrup couldn’t be produced.
The brothers’ strong work ethic comes from their athletic background — growing up and working towards playing a high level of hockey gave them a solid foundation which they say translates well into running an efficient maple farm production. “Wild, natural, healthy food has always been the biggest driver as well” Jake adds. They also lead by their family’s example. Their grandfather “Bucky” and their father were early inspirations and mentors — building businesses from scratch through honesty, perseverance, and hard work. All whilst having fun and committing to their families and communities. “They taught us to do things the right way and have fun doing it,” Jake reflects.
Modern Maple: Tradition Meets Technology
Every drop of Carrick Bros. syrup begins in the forest. Each fall, the team inspects miles of tubing that wind through the maple stands, inspecting and repairing lines damaged by fallen tree branches or animals, making sure everything is ready to go before the snow starts to fall. Southern Algonquin belongs to the snowbelt region so they can get a lot of snow annually.
Preparation for the two-month tapping season begins in January with a full-time crew of 6-8 people to tap all 46,000 trees. By mid-March, the sap starts to flow, and the race begins to collect and boil it down before the weather turns warm. Once the season begins, it lasts about 4-6 weeks. It’s a crucial time to collect as much sap as they can to make as much syrup as possible. It’s a process both timeless and high-tech.
All the tubing is hooked up to vacuum pumps in order to maximize the amount of sap they can get from each tree. The sap is collected into different holding tanks and silos, it averages about 2% sugar when it comes out of the tree. Jake tells us. They then run it through reverse osmosis machines which separates water from the sap giving them a concentrated sap of roughly 30% sugar which they then run through the evaporator until they hit that sweet spot – 66% sugar – aka Maple Syrup!
“The maple industry is constantly evolving,” says Jake. They’ve gone from wood-fired to oil-fired to now a fully electric evaporator — the Master-E — the first of its kind in Ontario. It allows them to produce consistent syrup quality, reduce their carbon footprint, and actually get a few hours of sleep during peak season instead of those ‘all-nighters’ monitoring boiling sap.
The syrup is then filtered and hotpacked into barrels, then brought to their facility in Goodwood to be bottled throughout the year. Each batch is graded by colour, flavour, and the time of year it was produced. “We don’t blend or buy syrup,” Jake notes. “Everything we make is our own.”
Challenges and Innovation
Like any farming business, maple production depends heavily on nature, navigating the weather throughout the season. “You can’t miss a drop when the sap runs,” says Jake. “Some years the weather is perfect; others, the season can end in two weeks.” In the offseason, their biggest challenge is competing with low pricing from Quebec. Jake tells us that many of these giant packing companies blend all their syrup which gives them a low quality/ low priced product that is tough to compete with. Fortunately, Jake tells us they haven’t had a bad season to the point where they were concerned with meeting demand. They also hot-pack their syrup into 153L gallon stainless steel drums which are shelf stable for multiple years allowing them to stock pile enough syrup to cover demand year over year. There’s no doubt that challenges have come their way but the brothers say that’s half the fun — everyone has their own way of doing things in this business.
But the Carrick brothers are always looking ahead, constantly looking at ways to be more efficient and to try new things. They’ve been experimenting with barrel-aged syrups — a growing trend that adds layers of flavour and intrigue and makes a great gift for that maple connoisseur around the holidays. Maple water is also a niche product that they have begun to sell. “With our hockey background and the nutritional make up of maple water (maple sap), it makes it a great hydration beverage loaded with minerals and anti-oxidants, and it’s delicious!” Jake says. Noting also how complicated the process is to get the product into packaging without the use of preservatives. They’re hoping to have more stock this coming season!
Sustainability and Community Roots
Carrick Bros. proudly operates as a certified organic producer, meaning every step of production, from forest management to bottling, is held to strict environmental standards. “We’re inspected twice a year to ensure we’re protecting our forests and using no chemicals in production,” Jake explains.
Beyond sustainability, community plays a major role. The brothers hire local workers during the season and open their doors to school groups eager to learn about maple syrup production. It’s important that people see where their food comes from and that they see it’s still possible to make something local, healthy, and natural. With health-conscious choices on the rise, they hope to get the word out on the differences of refined white sugars compared to natural sweeteners like maple or honey, these are sources derived from nature which are sustainable and contain essential nutrients and minerals, Jakes explains. Their main goal is to continue to grow the operation through retail and wholesale distribution all over the country.
Family and Legacy
For Jake and Josh, Carrick Bros. is more than a business — it’s a continuation of family legacy. “We hope our kids will one day take over the operation and keep tapping the same forests we are today,” Jake says. “With sustainable tapping and production practices, there’s no reason this can’t last another hundred years.”
Their proudest moment so far? A visit from the NHL. The league’s short film “Skates Off: Same Carrick” which highlighted the four brothers’ identities — two brothers as athletes playing hockey and two brothers as maple farmers — a story that strikes a chord with all Canadians. “The feedback was incredible,” Jake recalls. “It would’ve made our grandpa extremely proud.”
And when the long days of sap season finally end? “We enjoy a Caesar or two,” Jake laughs. “After all that hard work, you’ve got to celebrate — and the salt’s necessary!”
Whether in the sugar bush, out hunting or fishing, or on the ice, the Carrick brothers share a deep respect for nature built on dedication, teamwork, and patience. As hunters, fishermen, foragers, and conservationists, Josh and Jake’s shared passions have shaped not only their relationship but their craft. As Jake puts it, “I truly believe that if we didn’t share those interests, we wouldn’t be here today doing this.” Like the syrup they make each spring, it’s a reminder that the sweetest things in life take time — and a love of the forest.
To learn more about the Carrick Bros. visit their website and socials!