Crying Fowl

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[markcasper]

Is that a 50% loss for producers with vacuum? If it is, then producers without vacuum would be approaching a 75% loss, since vacuum is suppossed to increase your yield by 50-60%.


Mark

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Kevin,

That all sounds well and good but a producer who tapped over 2 weeks ago a little north of me in VA has had good sap weather and hasn't gotten hardly any sap. 8O

Any thoughts on that as I know you have a wealth of knowledge! :wink:

[powerdub]

Were you a weatherman before this?

[markcasper]

2 things to consider, 1) (I am speaking from the 45th parrallel, may be different where you are).....the sun only has so much strength in January, which I believe has everythingto do with sap flow. 2) again, speaking from where I am from, alot of the days that have been warmer have been cloudy, or windy......not conducive to good sap flow.

As far as looking at the calendar regarding agricultural crops. Example:May 1st.....corn should be going in the ground, you may get away planting 2 weeks earlier than this if conditions are right, but you run the risk of cold weather and a freeze again...(I have seen the devastating effects of this before)

#2 example: First crop alfalfa/hay is generally ready for harvest by June 1st. There have been years where its dropped on May 20th, but usually theres much less quality and you take a huge risk on the long-term viability of the stand if you cut when theres not much there, especially if this happens for 2nd, 3rd and possibly 4th crop.

The whole point is to illustrate that everything has a cause and effect. I seriously doubt that I have lost 50% of my potential crop when my 2 sample taps that have been tapped for nearly a week have yielded only a half gallon of sap. Now....they are one week closer to running less sap due to microbes. These taps were on the south slope and trees that I know run good. I know my north ones have not ran squat.

Furthermore.......Tapping the middle of January would be a FULL 2 months ahead of schedule where I live. Any other agricultural crop you can think of is never ready 2 months before normal. A month maybe....and only a few times have I ever witnessed this. There is added cost and risk to tapping extremely early. Now back in the days of the pill, then you could have tapped in November and not worried about the holes sealing off. Thats not possible today.
With the cold weather thats inevitably on the way...I am glad that things are not tapped. I could be at it in a few days here if need be...the chances are about 1% though. These are my comments...Mark

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Kevin,

I don't know much other than water in the ground is in abundance. 8O

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Parker]

EEERRRRRRRR,,, I said what???Ill be tapping around march first.....

[gearpump]

March first sounds great to me! I was starting to think with all this construction I was doing on the new sugarhouse I lost a couple of months and was waking up in April! I think we all should get sychronized and open our refridgerator doors at the same time to get the temps back to normal!!

Marty

[markcasper]

Kevin, What in the name of bridges are you talking about????
You predicted 3/4 of a crop last year.....not here, I had a half crop and most others by me had 50% of a half crop which is 25%.

If you can predict the future with your "computer module", then it must not have started working till yesterday, as it would have told you to start tapping on New Years Day, which is a month before Ground Hog Day. In dealing with this, you would not have lost the 50% of your crop that you say everyone has lost. Have you done any sample tap(s)????

My sample tap) 1/2 gallon of sap in the last week.
Low season average @40:1=1 qt. syrup/tap
High season average@40:1=2 qt. syrup/tap

Low season average (sap lost)=5% loss
High season average(sap lost)=2.5%loss
These numbers do not include the 2nd tree that yielded one cup sap.
% of loss due to premature taphole drilling= percentage of loss is so high its not even measurable in %%%%%%%%

Warning: Past results are not indicitive of future results.
Caution: Weather may be more favorable where you are.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[markcasper]

Wisconsin was down a full 50% in '05, per the Maple Digest. Some areas in the eastern part did much better than the western part. Wisconsin normally comes in @ 100,000 gallons, last year, 50,000.

What do you mean by a "run"? Every time you collect? Any time there is one gallon in the tank? 1/2 pint sap per tap? Gallon of sap per tap? Every 24 hr. period? Needs to be clarified.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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