Jan. Maple Conference at VVS in Verona, NY

[maple flats]

We're going tonight and tomorrow. I'll look for others there. Try putting your Trader name on your name tag, it helps. For those who have never been, The Conf. is at VVS High School on Rt. 31, in Verona, NY, sponsored by the VVS FFA, the NYSMPA, and Cornell Maple Program. 5-9 tonight and 8-4:30 or so tomorrow. There is loads of vendor displays (2 Gym's full) and lots of new stuff to see. On Sat., there are 4 seminar session periods, each with a whole list of topics available, choose what ever interests you the most. While early registration is well over, you can just come and pay at the door. This conference is very well attended, I think last year they had about in attendance.

[Teuchtar]

Could've swore there was more than that many.
See you at the show
Duncan

[adk1]

We are headed out tomorrow morning!

[maple flats]

To my surprise, I couldn't find a Maple Guys booth, I wonder if Chris is there this year. He usually is, but has missed one or 2 in the past. I'll see some of you there I hope. I put my "maple flats" on my name tag, if you add your trader name on yours it will help more of us to connect.
Dave

[maple flats]

We just got back from the Jan. Maple Conf. at VVS, in Verona, NY. I must have attended the wrong seminars. I first went to one on chip burning by CDL. It was shown as being held in the HS Cafeteria and as such I was dressed for indoors. Then they came and said it was being held at the sap house, get on a bus. The bus took us to the sap house, as expected it would be, even with 2 IR propane heaters fired up, the temp was about -45 in there. Then they proceeded to tell us that there are a ton of issues burning chips, and that CDL only has 2 sold to date. Then they described all the issues burning chips. I guess in the end all I came away with is that I was not dressed to be in -45 degree temps and that chips are not ready to go mainstream.
My next seminar was on fertilizing to improve say sweetness. It went thru the initial charts generated from one very limited study, and it generally came to no recommendations.
My ne3xt seminar was about choosing the right vacuum pump for your woods. It told us what vacuum is and showed a real small diaphragm pump and a very large 3 phase pump, but never gave us much else. This was by Glen Goodrich, I've been to several of his presentations over the years, this was the first that answered little or nothing.
Then I went to learn how to better use the internet to increase syrup sales, it was cancelled due to weather issues for the speaker, then I went to a different session about planting high sugar rooted cuttings (same presenter as the fertilizing session # 2). He told us about a study he did, analyzing a planting of rooted cuttings of clones that were planted in the 70's. He showed charts of the sugar tests at a few different times of certain trees in the planting. He had no knowledge of the parent tree's sugar, just that they were higher that typical. In the end he made no suggestions for our use.
I thought a study should have come up with enough results to give us some guidelines, that was not the case.
I was then a 0 for 4.
This being said, the rest of the show was well run and I applaud the VVS FFA for hosting it, they did a superb job for their part (except they should have informed us that the chip burning would require warm dress.
Sorry presenters, at least on the 4 I attended, you missed this year.

[Loch Muller]

Couldn't make it this year, but it sounds like I don't have to feel too bad about having to work in a cold lumber yard all day, and I made the right decision selling my wood chipper this year! Hopefully I can get the day off next year.

[jwalker91]

I made it up for a little while today had to pick up a bottler from john at sunrise metals. Didnt make it to any sessions but walked around both gymnasiums twice the first time it was elbow to elbow packed but after we ate lunch and everyone went to the next sessions it was like a ghost land in the gyms so we decided to walk around again and get a better look at things.

[grimmreaper]

Hope you all enjoyed your time at vvs with the help of the ffa program to make this happen.all comments and concerns would greatly be appreciated..we want to make this enjoyable and a learning expirence for everyone.thanks to all that attended and hope to see you next year..its time for a nap!!!!!

[Maplewalnut]

Just got back from the show also. The VVS crew did a great job this year again hosting it but I am a little disappointed with the dealer set ups. I am not a big Leader supporter but they had a wall on new generation ROs plenty of people to answer questions and their dealers were pretty stocked with supplies. Cdl had a pretty weak set up and Lapierre always seem more interested in talking to each other instead of show participants. No lapierre or cdl dealers had anything more than a tap or two. D&g had a smaller area but I like their stuff more and more
Seminars were hit and miss. Not much new this year and a few seminars were cancelled after presenter couldn't make it because of snow. Should of left yesterday maybe especially if you had multiple talks.
New grading system discussion was heated, lots of people outspoken that they dislike the change and aren't changing their grading or labels.
Did pick up a pretty neat invention called a 'foam fighter'. It's an automatic defoamer you hook onto flu pan and set how often and how much defoamer you want dispensed. From Wendel Maple

Mike

[maple flats]

I thought the dealer displays were fine for the most part. A couple of Canadian manufacturers were there to show their wares. Both were good, but because of high duty fees they did not have anything they could sell there. It seems to me they would have one of their dealers stocked and ready. One I spoke with sent me to one of their dealers but that dealer had none of that manufacturers products to sell, because they saw that the manufacturer had a booth, thus the dealer only brought other lines that he carries. It seems that the communication between the mfgr. and the dealer would be better. However, at the very end of the show, I did talk that mfgr. into selling me the one small item he had on display that I wanted to try.

[Moser's Maple]

I just wanted to give a big thanks to everybody that attended my class. Also was nice seeing familiar faces and being able to have a conversation face to face. Vendor displays may not have been as large in past years, but the conference had 42 additional vendors signed up from previous years. Keith also said he was well over 1000 in attendance which would make this the largest conference yet. Classes seemed to be more attended than in years past, because like others post when classes went in session, the trade show area was a ghost town. Anyways, congratulations, to Keith, Steve, and all the FFA students you guys once again put on a high quality show

[jimsudz]

How wad the auction on Friday? Was there any good items an good deals?

[adk1]

I went to two sessions, Ray G's session on what vac systems. He has a hell of a racket going there cause once that session ended I bought one of the sap pullers he had for sale ��

[adk1]

Haven't heard