Smoke billows from the sugar shack where U.S. Marine veteran Jeremy Beaver cooks maple syrup.
Beaver likes the quiet of the woods where he taps maple trees for syrup. Equally, he likes the sound of his sons playing with their tractors or the laughter of friends enjoying ATV rides and barbecue while he tends the syrup.
After serving two tours of duty in Iraq, he wraps his family in the comfort and safety of rural life. Beaver and his family operate Big Beaver Maple Syrup on 40 acres of woods near Mark Twain Lake in Ralls County.
Jeremy, a construction worker with the Missouri Dept. of Transportation, and Chandra, a nutrition program assistant with MU Extension in Monroe County, were eager to add value to their small acreage by selling maple syrup. The Beavers are learning to establish and market their product through MU Extension’s Business Development Program.
Learn more about maple syrup, and how you can “Grow Your Farm” on the MU Extension website.
Reviewed 2025-06-16