Erabliere Cote et Fils in Quebec: History, Sugarbush, How It Makes Money and Where to Learn More
Profile updated November 2026
Erabliere Cote et Fils is a family maple business in Roxton Pond, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. A Global News report says it works about 150,000 taps, up from about 42,000 when Michel Cote bought it in 2007, and runs underground sap lines, reverse osmosis and three electric evaporators.
| Location | Roxton Pond, Eastern Townships, Quebec |
|---|---|
| Founded | Bought by Michel Cote in 2007, when it had about 42,000 taps |
| Sectors | maple syrup; custom boiling for other producers |
| Scale | About 150,000 taps in total, of which 85,000 are owned; 25 pumping stations (Global News) |
| Why it is notable | Large, highly automated sugarbush that also acts as a boiling centre for newer producers |
| Ownership | Family business; owner preparing to pass it to his children |
| Official website | Global News report on Quebec maple automation (no official site found) |
History of Erabliere Cote et Fils
According to Global News, Michel Cote bought the operation in 2007 when it had about 42,000 taps. Since then it has grown to roughly 150,000 taps: 85,000 on land the business owns, and the rest from leased land or from purchased sap. That growth, more than tripling the tap count, is the main story of the farm.
The report describes it as a family business. Michel Cote is preparing to pass it to his children, and possibly to grandchildren, and a relative, Mikael Ruest, works in the business and describes it as a modern version of a traditional maple shack.
What Erabliere Cote et Fils Grows and Raises
Sap travels through underground pipes served by 25 pumping stations. Cameras and sensors flag leaks and pump problems, and reverse osmosis removes water from the sap before it reaches the evaporators. Global News says the business runs three electric evaporators costing roughly $250,000 each, with the cost partly offset by green-technology subsidies.
Quebec is the world's leading maple region. A record 211 million pounds were produced in 2022, at 4.26 pounds per tap, according to a Groupe AGECO survey reported by Farms.com. Producers sell under a quota system run by the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, which represents about 8,000 enterprises that hold quotas, so scale in the bush has to be matched with quota.
How Erabliere Cote et Fils Makes Money
Syrup from owned and leased taps
Syrup from the 85,000 owned taps and from leased maple land is the primary product. Owning taps gives control of the resource, while leasing adds volume without buying forest.
Purchased sap
The business also boils sap bought from other sources. That lets the evaporators run at higher volume than the farm's own trees could supply.
Boiling centre for new producers
Global News reports that the operation acts as a boiling centre for newer producers. Offering that service puts expensive equipment to work for others.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Erabliere Cote et Fils
Technology is a risk tool as well as a labour saver. Sensors that flag leaks and pump problems protect sap yield, and reverse osmosis cuts the energy needed to boil, which matters when the evaporators are electric.
Grow the tap count by mixing owned and leased forest and bought sap, then use the boiling capacity as a service business. Matching quota with expansion is essential in Quebec, and the owner's open succession plan helps lenders and family see where the business is going.
Pulling 150,000 taps' worth of sap through pipes with cameras watching for leaks is the kind of thing the farm satire team at farm.FM wishes it could do with its own plumbing. The farm humor writes itself when a sugar shack gets a sensor suite, and the ranch humor stays on the sweet side because there are no cattle in a sugarbush. Our farm jokes about being sappy have all been reduced, and then reduced again, until only the best remain.
The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.
How to Contact Erabliere Cote et Fils
Website: https://globalnews.ca/news/11731760/quebec-maple-syrup-automation
No official website, address, phone or email was found in the search results, so none is listed. Facts come from the Global News report; tap counts may have changed since.
Erabliere Cote et Fils Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Global News: Quebec maple syrup automation - Independent report with tap counts, pumping stations and evaporators
- Farms.com: 2022 record maple year - Quebec produced 211 million pounds of syrup in 2022
- Quebec Maple Syrup Producers guide - Producer association guide to quota, registration and programs
- Quebec agricultural productions - Provincial agriculture ministry index of farm sectors
- Grainews on Quebec farming - Feature that includes Quebec maple context
Erabliere Cote et Fils FAQ
How many taps does Erabliere Cote et Fils work?
Global News reports about 150,000 taps in total, of which 85,000 are owned by the business.
What equipment does it use?
Underground sap lines, 25 pumping stations, reverse osmosis and three electric evaporators, according to Global News.
Does it help other producers?
Yes. The report says it acts as a boiling centre for new producers.
How can I contact the farm?
No official site or contact details were found. The Global News report is the best public page, and the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers can point to sellers.
Erabliere Cote et Fils shows how a Quebec maple business can triple its taps by mixing owned forest, leased land and bought sap while automating the sugarbush. See the Quebec farms guide on BestFarms.top for more of the province's notable operations.