Southern VT

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I had heard that a few people have tapped in southern Vt, and I was just wondering if anybody had heard what or how much they have made. I would have to say it is still a few weeks away, but thats my opinion. Mother nature will give us the real answer. I hope everyone has a great season! Good Luck!

[Lance]

Ryan - I heard on VPR this afternoon that a family named Ovitt up in Fairfax had been tapped for a while. Radio said they'd boiled 200 gal. of sap. Maybe they meant 200 gal. of syrup, I dunno. Also had an interview with a woman from Proctor MRS - nothing informative. Maplemaker had a post a while ago about a guy down in Proctorsville that's been tapped for a while. Might wanna check it out. Good luck!

[Al]

Read that article last night. They've made 200 gallons of syrup. Mr. Ovitt who is 91 said they've never tapped this early in all his time sugaring. My question is this the coming trend? Who knows. My buckets are staying in the shed until the end of Feb. Will I miss some days? Yes but with buckets I worry more about taps drying up then if I had pipeline and vacum. None of the big producers up here are boiling but your seeing alot more tracks to the sugarbush.
Take care,

[powerdub]

The guy is from Perkinsville and he has been tapped out for a few weeks now. The Eagle Times did a big article on him a while back. As of this date I don't know how he is making out but the word has been the sap is not sweet at all. Bear in mind this is third or fourth hand information but the word was the sap was running between .6 and 1.6%. I will make some calls and try to get some more info. The other guy is from westminster and all I heard there is he put out 6000 taps. No idea other than that.

[Daren]

:?: What to do...what to do....! 43 degrees today and looks like rain again and warm for the next couple. I do not know if we may not be missing out on the whole season! I am still holding out, but not because I want to. I just have never heard of this early of a tapping. Do all these early runs cause the concentrated sugars in the tree to be transported up the trunk so that the remaining sap runs will be of lower sugar content?

Hey Al...where in Fairfield are you. I am over in Binghamville. Cant be too far away. When are you going to start hanging buckets?

This global warming crap is stressing me right the $#*&% out!

[sweetwoodmaple]

Shhh...don't tell the folks in Northern Europe about global warming this year. 8O :lol:

[Al]

Hi Daren, I'm on Pumpkin Village Rd. Just past Chester A. Arthur birth place. I'll prpberly hang them the last weekend of Feb or first weekend of March but who knows.
We'll have to get together.
Take care

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Here's my scouting report from I-89 up through Central Vt to Western Vt in Swanton= Looks like the sugarmakers 15+ Miles north of Montpelier are headed for the outhouse as some of the trees look like they are red enough on top as if it was like 10-14 days left in sugarin' season/Yes that bad- Spotty like that going north of like exit 10 Below montpelier looks not too bad- So hold your breath cuz' it could be the last through there if they get a couple of weeks more of sugaring temps like we have had.

[markcasper]

(Genesis 8:22) As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

(Acts 14:17) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.

(Psalm104:14) He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Amen! Preach it brother! :D :wink:

[maplwrks]

We haven't tapped yet, too cold. I heard of one sugarmaker in Franklin county that made 1350 gallons the first weekend of February. This place has 40,000 taps !!!!!!!!! The guy that told me this said it was a little unnerving to watch this much syrup being made when he didn't have a single tap in yet.

[Daren]

I took a walk through the woods this past weekend and did not see any buds on the reds yet in fletcher. it was really warm on saturday and I was once again freaking out over what to do. The report was for cold and for once they got it right. Single digits tonight....will that set the budding process back to zero, or will it take up where it left off in the cycle once it gets warm again....

Al....next time I am driving around and I find myself on pumpkin harbor, I will keep my eyes out for a shack...can you see your place from the road? I too am hoping to tap the last of feb to town meeting day...depends on forcasts.

[nmerritt]

Where abouts in fletcher are you. I live near Bob Sweet. I have a new 2x6 rig this year. I built the sugar house last year. Good place to have a couple beers if your ever passing

[Mike]

Looks like I'll be tapping last week in febuary 1st week in march.....Hope to do a lot better with all of my taps on vacum this year..... 3x10 oil fired with a preheater hood.....2210 4x4 Massey sap hauler with a 500 gal bulk tank.....800 taps on vacuum........Let the runs begin............. :D

[Daren]

Nmerrit

I also live next to Bob Sweets place. The one he bought for his inlaws. I bought the last lot from the old Seizen farm. Off of school rd. You can not see my house from the road though. Are you on metcalf pond rd? Is this Nick?

[NH Maplemaker]

Daren, That is one nice looking back yard operation!!! Nice job! Good luck this season .


Jim L.

[MASSEY JACK]

Hello Daren, are you up in the back by the pond at the base of the hill we used to call Hedgehog? There was a sugarhouse there that my cousin used to boil in when he was a kid.

[Daren]

hey massey! The shack is not on my property, but the land behind it right to the base of hedgehog is mine. The old shack is still there, but is only used for storage now. If it was on my land, It would have been back in business. You have definately nailed the location. My property line runs right up behind the pond to where it gets a little steep and then back behind the little clearing the old sugarhouse is in. Are there any old pictures of that shack in operation? i would love to hear some stories as the trees they must have been tapping are on my property....if you ever find your way over this way, dont hesitate to stop by....

[Daren]

massey...who is your cousin?

[MASSEY JACK]

Daren, my cousin's name is Daren Sizen. He is over in Georgia VT on the Peck Farm off Dead Man's curve of route 7. I used to spend a lot of time at that farm when I was a kid. We swam in that pond a lot. I kinda hate to go over there and see all those houses on that farm. You must have gotten the 70 or so acres that was landlocked up in the back. My uncle and cousin Shane are not people I want to claim as family but my cousin Daren is O.K. I hear Shane still haunts the neighborhood with stupid behavior. Anyway, I might just stop in when I'm in the area. My sister lives in Georgia and I get up there from time to time.

[Daren]

I hear ya Massey. I too hate to see land like that get developed. The piece you are referring to is the one my wife and I bought, and we enrolled it in the current land use program as productive forest land. We have agreed to tap no more than 100 trees in the enrolled portion (72.6 acres) and can cut 10 cord of firewood yearly. The remaining 5 acres that also encompases the home we can tap, cut....whatever. We continue to get the money from selective cutting lumber every 10 to 15 years which helps to pay some taxes once in a while. We maintain hiking, logging, snowshoeing trails, and I have three food plots for deer mapped in as well. All in all a pretty good deal. The rest of the woods that butt up to mine in the back are kept as a large tract as well, so at least this part of the farm will remain the same. I have to agree with you on the Sizen boys. We saw them several times when we were buying it and Darren does seem to be a little more .....what word do I use?.....stable than his brother. Shane spent an evening in my kitchen about a year and a half ago that I would rather forget.....and I only met the old man once....to close on the property. Darren and Shane still own one small lot on the private road Lynette and I put in along the original right of way to the property. If you ever want to take a walk around on what is left....the invite is always open.

[MASSEY JACK]

I MAY TAKE YOU UP ON THAT OFFER SOMETIME.