2012 Wisconsin

[Jeff E]

I always enjoy this time of year, hearing the guys out east and south getting fired up. Tapping in PA, Kentucky, Indiana, etc.
It is time to get stuff in order here is WI, and it seems like we are finally into a bit of real winter, so I suppose the real spring should be coming soon enough.
I am adding some new taps to the tubing system, improving the existing to help with increasing sap production, also will have about 75% of my tubing switched to Check Valves this year.
Ground doesn't have a lot of moisture in it, or frost for that matter. Could be an interesting season!

Hang in there, get ready, and be patient. I am telling myself this, as I always get anxious mid February when I read about all the syrup being made out east!

[sjdoyon]

We need to assist in filling out the survey. The research done by UVM Proctor Research directly benefits what we love to do.


Thanks to those who have completed the survey so far....but we need a LOT more participation. Please complete the survey at
http://kwiksurveys.com/online-survey...IONKG_c3f8cb68

Don't make me come out there and get you.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc

[jmayerl]

Sure is hard to wait. 6 more weeks or so till the bits come out.

[Rhino]

Winter sure is going by fast, This weekend is our annual "work weekend" for my brothers and i. We have 1000 bags yet to put on holders (600 done earlier in the month) plus Saturday will be cutting pallets in half. We stay at the hunting shack so it's a nice get away also. We have been clearing out a ceder grove this winter that has many nice soft maples in, Got about 19 cords of it out so far with maybe 6 more to go. Looking forward to see how these trees run now that the sun can hit them. Will use the ceder for cooking next year. The deer are sure happy with us, they love the greens off of ceder. Got the r.o room all done, just have to get the machine and plumb and wire it in. Sure am looking forward to the reduced cook times to spend more time in the woods bringing in more sap. Will go to Roth's on Feb. 2nd to pick up my container order. Slowly but surely the work is getting done.

[Rhino]

Everything went good this past weekend...got alot done, pallets/wood cut, all the bags on, and a pump line strung across the creek to pump an additional 600 taps worth of sap over to a trailer/tank. As long as I am working in the woods and this week is going to be warm, I am going to put a tap in just to see what the trees think of this warm winter weather.

5216

[jmayerl]

Holy crap, looks like you have a source for pallets. Be careful, if you put 1 in you might just end up with a few more in and boiling.

[SugarMama]

Did not want to Hijack your Post :) Where you at in Tomahawk any where near the Grandmother Dam By Wisconsin River? I knew an old timer that use to do syrup on Cty Road J. That area has gotten so built up.

[Rhino]

We are roughly 20 miles west of that area.

[GramaCindy]

I would love to participate, but the link doesn't work, could you try that one again?

[Jeff E]

There is a lot of talk of tapping. Here in the NW Wisc it may look good for a few more days but next week is below freezing.
I am looking at 3rd week in Feb if 10 day forcast at that point is good for sap. I think tapping now would kill any sap chance in late March, certainly April, even with CV's. The old timers always say you make more syrup in April. That was always true, until 2 years ago. I am thinking if this weather pattern holds, I will hedge my bets and tap so I have at least a chance for sap the first 2 weeks of April. That means no tapping before Feb 20, with Check Valves. No old plastic touching sap wood!!!

Steady Friends, Steady....

[Brad W Wi]

I'll be going to Roth's tommorrow to pick up some supplies.. I'm good on wood for the next two years, but after this season I'll cut another years worth. In the next two weeks I'll reassemble the evaporator after a good rinse,as well as my holding tanks. I'm chomping at the bit but we have more cold weather coming. Good luck to everyone and I hope your trees run great.

[C.Wilcox]

Just went out and checked the trees in the yard here in SE WI and there wasn't even a trace of sap on the bark.