Proctor Maple Research Center Director Tim Perkins has been inducted into the 2020-2021 North American Maple Syrup Council (NAMSC) Maple Hall of Fame. The award was presented virtually for the first time since the Hall of Fame was established in 1977 at the International Maple Museum Centre in Croghan, New York. The NAMSC created the Maple Hall of Fame to recognize “those who have excelled in research, development, and leadership in the North American maple industry.”
Perkins had an early start in the maple business on his family’s farm in Westmore, Vermont. Like his father, he began trudging through the woods at the age of six, and later on carried buckets full of sap to the sugar house, occasionally spilling some of it in his boots. Perkins said during his induction speech that he was “pleasantly surprised, humbled and honored to be chosen for the Maple Hall of Fame. You don’t get recognition of this kind based on your own actions alone, therefore I thank all of those people who supported me over the years.”
Abby van den Berg, research associate professor based at the Proctor Center, introduced Perkins during the ceremony. She listed several of his previous awards for dedication to maple research and the industry, including the 2003 Maple Person of the Year from the Vermont Maple Industry Council; the 2008 Golden Maple Leaf Award from the International Maple Syrup Institute (IMSI); the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the North American Maple Syrup Council; the 2011 Sumner Hill Williams Presidents Cup from the Vermont Maple Industry; the 2013 Richard G. Haas Distinguished Service Award from the North American Maple Syrup Council; and the 2018 IMSI Presidents Award.