My Dad and I have made our own maple syrup for the past 32 years. Some years the weather co-operates and gives us a good yield of syrup. Then there were the other 30 years where the conditions were - well, let's call it 'less than favorable'. Carrying two 5-gallon buckets of maple sap (about 80 pounds) through three feet of snow after the March 1994 snow storm wasn't easy.
Other years, the temperatures aren't favorable for good sap flow. The best weather is sunny days with temperatures in the low 40's and night-time temperatures in the low to mid-20's. Some seasons, the daytime temperatures spike from the 20's straight to the 50's. The sap will flow, but not as well. Another problem with the warmer temperatures is that the sap will spoil quicker. Due to the small scale of our operation, we boil sap once a week. If the temperatures get too warm, the sap will spoil and we can't use it.
Like most farming operations, maple syrup production is heavily dependent on the weather: there are no guarantees of a good return on all of the work.
And boy, is there work! We gather our sap with buckets, which means carrying those 80 pounds of sap about 150 yards from the far tree to the shed. We boil the sap down over an open fire, which means cutting about a cord of firewood.
But after a long winter - such as this one - we enjoy being out in the woods tapping trees and gathering sap. And checking Accu-Weather's long-term forecast, tomorrow looks like a good day to start the season.
February 2010 Archives
Found out today that National Public Radio is holding a writing contest. Write a story that can be read aloud in three minutes, which is about 600 words. Sounds like a good way for an aspiring writer to get a start.
Yet another attempt at writing Home Of The Groundblog. This is what, the 10th attempt? Maybe it'll stick this time...
