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View Full Version : buds are open. Im done.



michiganfarmer2
03-19-2012, 06:21 PM
1250 taps on vacuum, and 220 buckets....only made 165 gallons. Pretty piss poor.

GramaCindy
03-19-2012, 06:24 PM
Me too Michiganfarmer2…I only have 87 taps, and 9.5 gallons of sap total in the freezer. Never even boiled this year. New sugar shack, new preheater….Dagnamit.

fishman
03-20-2012, 07:07 AM
Thats too bad Grandma, nothing like getting some new equipment and having the urge to use it and just sitting there waiting and then nothing happens. Strange year - I was boiling in shorts and a t shirt last night till midnight. Highs around 72, lows in mid 50s and still getting good looking sap although its only 25 gallons from 65 taps. I keep expecting the trees to stop but right now I'll take anything I can get.

Cabledog
03-21-2012, 01:18 AM
Pulled the rest of my stuff today. I think it was the first time I ever did this wearing shorts. Some trees are budding, but the ones in the valleys aren't yet.

Billy_the_Kid
03-21-2012, 08:19 AM
Pulling all my stuff tonight. Checked them all yesterday and buds are just starting to open. With no cold weather in site for the next 10 days, I'm throwing in the towel. Made a total of 3.5 gallons again this year but on considerably more taps. Only got to run my new boiler twice. Oh well, it was a safe season, no one got hurt, and I only lost a few hours of sleep instead of days. We'll pray for a better season next year!! Cheers!!

Four D Acre Farms
03-21-2012, 01:23 PM
I feel your pain especially in the wallet not only did i move to a 30" X 8 rig from home made but up the taps this year to 697 and i am only getting 30 to 60 gallons of sap a day. i did have a decent run a week or so ago 550 gals picked up lost 50 or more on the ground due to small of storage tank $$$$. that is extra costly this year!!!! the other part that hurts is i have a new customer that can use between 50 and 70 gallons and not alot of places to get that amount, i guess i will go and talk to them on thurs and work out options to meet their needs. i am about done, budding trees, cloudy sap, and grade b suryp, it doesnt smell like dirty socks when boiling yet. Hopefully next year it will be better.

Tornado
03-22-2012, 10:57 AM
We gave up here also. Near Munising. 100 taps or so and on a normal year we get about 15 gallons of syrup........this year about 5.

We were still getting a little sap but the forcast doesn't look good so we packed it in for this year. We are usually a little later than everyone else with the north wind blowing off the lake keeping us cool, but this year it's been south wind and high 70's or even some 80's.

We don't have any cold storage, we usually just pack snow around the barrels and it keeps them plenty cold on the warmer days. This year all the snow is gone and temps are way too high to keep the sap sitting around waiting to get enough to start the stove up.

Hopefully next year is better for everyone!