On Tuesday January 11, 2022 the North American Maple Syrup Council hosted an online maple history webinar presented by the author of this website, Matthew Thomas. The presentation was titled: From Pails to Pipelines: The Origins of Plastic Tubing in the Maple Syrup Industry.
This presentation traced the origins and early experiments with of the use of plastic tubing in the 1950s for moving maple sap in the sugarbush. In particular, the presentation explored the efforts and interactions of Nelson Griggs, George Breen, and Bob Lamb, the three men most responsible for making plastic tubing a reality for the maple industry.
This presentation was recorded for later viewing and for those that were unable to see the presentation live. you can viewing the webinar on Youtube at this link.