About Us

Thompsontown Maple is a family maple syrup farm based in Clayton, Ontario.

In the spring of 1984, Ray and Wayne Thompson, along with their wives Ann and Teresa, re-established a long tradition of maple syrup production on Ray’s family's farm on the west shore of Clayton Lake.

Ray, with a background in forestry management, and Wayne with a background in computers, technology and teaching discovered a perfect fit for both of their passions. In the first year, they purchased a used evaporator from a neighbouring maple producer and moved into the sugar camp Ray’s father had built in 1954. The same camp that Ray and his siblings spent their springtimes in helping their father make maple syrup on the family farm. In the first year, they gathered sap from 1000 buckets.

In 1984, the sugar camp was expanded and a larger wood-fired evaporator and an oil finisher was purchased. An additional 1200 taps on pipeline were added in the maple forests on the farm surrounding the sugar camp. Over the next couple of years, the maple sugar camp continued to grow, with the wood-fired evaporator converted to oil, and the number of taps growing to 2600. 

In the spring of 1999, rebuilding of the maple business began with the installation of rigid tubing to service all of the remaining taps. Since then all of our taps have been converted to rigid tubing, except for the beautiful maple trees at the entrance to the Thompson Family farm. Each year the children (and now grandchildren) get to tap those trees and collect the sap. In years past this would have been the sap used for 4H projects that Ray and Wayne’s children were involved in. In those early years as Thompsontown Maple Products began to grow, Ray and Wayne along with their families also grew with their children spending each springtime in the sugar camp helping to tap trees and gather buckets. Passing down this information has always been a passion for Ray and Wayne. 

Today, Thompsontown Maple Products has approximately 5,000 taps collected all by a network of tubing that runs throughout the beautiful maple forests on the Thompson Family farm. We make all of our products by hand in small batches in our sugar camp, including maple syrup, maple butter, sugar, spices, suckers and more! At our sugar camp you will meet Ray, his wife Ann, their daughters Leann and Lisa and their families. It is a tradition that continues on to the next generation and one that we could not be more proud of. 

The Maple Community

Being connected to the maple syrup producers community is a passion and a value we hold very high. Over time we have learned how to make maple syrup from the best educators available; our family, neighbours and members of our maple community.

We are an active member of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association (OMSPA) for over 35 years.  Ray serves as director of its local chapter (Lanark & District) including past roles as President. Learning from their father's dedication to the maple industry and community service, Leann and Lisa have both taken on roles locally and provincially.  Leann is also a director for the local maple association, its provincial delegate to OMSPA and is the chair of the provincial marketing and promotions committee.  Lisa sits on the Board of Directors for the Lanark County Tourism Association.

• Festival of the Maples in Perth, ON from 1984 to 2022
• Maple Weekend in Clayton, ON from 2016 to 2022
• Fall in Love with Maple in Clayton, ON from 2021 to 2022
• Lanark County Harvest Festival in Carleton Place, ON in 2013 to 2017, 2022
• One of a Kind Virtual Market, October to December 2020
• Cheerfully Made Virtual Market in Almonte, ON in 2020
• Etsy Made in Canada a 3 day Etsy Market in Ottawa, ON from 2015 to 2018
• Cheerfully Made Food and Drink Show in Almonte, ON in 2016
• Calgary Stampede an 11 day Etsy Market in 2015
• Almonte Farmers Market a weekly from 2011 to 2014
• Stittsville Flea Market a weekly from 2000 to 2006
• Ontario Plowing Match (5 days; 2003) 

Accolades

We have been very fortunate to be recognized amongst our peers. For us this is an incredible honour.

Our values

The primary goal of our business is to continue the tradition of making maple syrup in our family and to give back to our community that has given to us. The trees and the land that we work on are what excites us. Being able to pass on the knowledge of sugar-making and to continue this pure Canadian tradition is what motivates us in every aspect of our business. Our hope is that in another 100 years Thompsontown Maple Products will still bring smiles to the faces of those who share our sweet treat with their family and friends.