almost time to tap in central KY

[andrew martin]

Our season is right around the corner and we are busy washing buckets and looking for trees. A local farmer, actually our pastor, lets us tap his trees -some 100 trees that are very healthy. I am taking off nine days from my remodeling business to do maple syrup. I wish it was longer, but hopefully we will have very favorable weather. Another local farmer called and he too wants to make maple syrup on an adjacent farm. He is very pleasant and vivacious and he takes care of his wife who has advanced stages of Alzheimers.
My wife says I cannot mess up the kitchen again, so I told her I would tape kraft paper to the floor so I would not track mud all over the place. She nodded complacently and breathed deep. But she has decided to go to her Mom's in Mississippi for four days at the end of the season. That might be great for everyone. I just wish she would get excited about it like I do. Hopefully next year we will buy a house and I can do everything outside. We hope to do 100 taps this year. Happy tapping.

Andrew Martin

[brookledge]

Andrew,
What is your average date for tapping? I've got a good 8 weeks left before I tap. Usually between presidents day and march 1st.
Keith

[andrew martin]

We usually tap about the third or fourth week in January. By mid-February last year, some of our sap was "buddy" because of the 60 degree days we had. My wife starts graduate school classes on February 6th, so I promised her we would be done by then. But this is all weather - dependent of course.
I went out to a private sportsmen's club with my neighbor today, and found at least 40 more trees in about 20 minutes walk. My neighbor is going to only tap about 10 trees - I guess that would be a good reason for me join the sportsmen's club - trophy deer and sugar maple trees.

[brookledge]

Now your thinking :) :)