newbie in nw indiana

[rickindiana]

hey folks. been lurking around for a bit gleaning info. I'm in Porter County near the big lake where it sure isn't flowing yet. I think it was just under 32 yesterday (balmy), and big storms are forecast for the rest of the week...
I have 10 acres with 50 or so trees, mostly silvers and reds since damp ground, but a few are 3' big trees (and lots and lots of box elders!). I live close to a National park here, where they have a sugar "festival" every winter, and so volunteered to assist to get some field training. Taps are ordered; my cooking system will be flat pans and a concrete block arch over a wood fire. A friend and weld-shop owner offered to make me custom pans (his shop made the ones for the Feds 20 years or so ago), but not certain yet that I will take him up on that.

Great site and info. Thanks!
Rick

[the old guy]

Hey Rick

Little advice! Look around for at least a "backyard evaporator". Look on line at
sugarbush supplies or Bascom Maple Farms and maybe you can pick up a used machine. They will handle 50 or so trees and make the sugaring experience much more enjoyable. I've been making maple syrup for twelve years or so and boiled in washtubs, on concrete blocks, turkey fryers...nothing really worked well. I finally bought a used evaporator and wished I had done so to begin with. It saves money, time, and the finished product is much better!

the old guy

[maplefarmer]

hey rick, i just found out there is an amish outfit in topeka making sugaring equipment, called sunrise metal shop. phone 260-463-4026, heard they are making nice equip. good luck

[rickindiana]

thanks for the info. Been looking at better equipment. Not certain yet for this year due to $$ (although my wife has been surprisingly supportive, and even suggested building a sugar shack for next year!!).

Had an nice meeting Friday with the man who runs the maple sugar project at the national park nearby. Their goal of course is education and to show how its done to the suburban and city folks who come out, rather than production, so they work by calendar and do not time their collection to the season (nor do they sell syrup). He said they would have their project even with little or no sap. It is a combined operation, using both buckets (for show, mostly) and tubing, and the old flat pans and arch and shack from the pioneer farm there, plus a newer pan. Nicely for him, the maintenance folks have been stockpiling firewood next to the shack since September, so he doesn't have to chop or haul or stack.

Yesterday took a drive into Amish country near Napanee and visited a local general store and had a nice conversation with the owner (also Amish) about a lot of things, including sugaring.

an interesting marketing note: He said the time he would like more syrup is October-December. Most folks have sold theirs off by then, and people looking to restock the pantry or for holiday presents have a hard time finding a local product. he also said the best sales (in his store) are in small pottery/stoneware jugs with a local (grown and made in Indiana) label. One sugar producer nearby puts a good quantity of his spring production into large barrels and stores it until September, then packages it for sale and apparently does very well.

Rick

[DougM]

Rick,
At the Indiana Maple Syrup Association meeting in December the guys from Sunrise metals (also Amish) were there with examples, they do some really nice work. We asked for prices on a couple of items we are going to need in the future and we thought they were pretty affordable, plus they know maple equipment. We have spoken with people who don't, and they're just not sure exactly what you need fabricated.

On the sales side, the last two years we have sold our syrup at a local Christmas tree farm that has a gift shop. They sell it on consignment so we don't have to do anything except drop it off & pick up any leftovers. We normally sell syrup for $11/quart, they charge $18 and sold 4.5 gallons of quarts and 6 pints this year between the weekend before Thanksgiving and Christmas. We bottle all of our syrup in Bacon jugs with the "Indiana Maple Syrup" label.

I hope you have a great season, we haven't started yet, either, but it looks like this weekend things are going to start warming up so we're planning to tap on Friday.

Doug