220 Maple East of the Continetal Divide

[220 maple]

Season off to a good start. Have half of my taps in, only planning to open 75% of my taps this year. Preparation was lacking this Fall, rebuilding one of the sugar bushes so it can have High vacuum in the future, never got finished, plus would like to get some of the Walnut trees open, I keep dreaming about a barrel of Walnut syrup easing my financial pain.
Yesterday a writer for the Farm Credit of Virginia's quarterly magazine visited myself and first cousin farm's. Should be a great article when finished and printed. She was really excited, she learned a lot, plus should create great exposure for us and West Virginia's maple potential!
Future updates coming soon

Mark 220 Maple

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark you are in the same boat I am as they are showing bitter cold temps until the first of March. With no snow cover down here, the frost is going to go very deep this week and it is going to be a very short season.

[Edward Howell]

I am wondering if this colder than average will go into march or will we pop out and cook the tapps , place your bets Ladys and Gentlemen

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I would have to bet on a bad season at this point with very little syrup going to be made in February. Hard to have a good season without a good February. Been too cold here so far this month. Had one warmup and it went to 64 in 2 days that killed the run and then next day cold again.

[220 maple]

This February just like last year getting to far behind to catch up! Two years ago in February boiled 10000 gallons of sap, we have boiled 3200 gallons so far, last year we ended February 7000 gallons short, unless the weatherman is wrong going to be short again in February by 7000 gallons. I'm really getting ticked with this global warming! I love to tell people who are complaining about how cold it is, "Just think how cold it would be with if we did not have Global Warming?" That usually stops the complaining

Mark 220 Maple

[220 maple]

We got another 6 inches of snow on top of the six we already had last Sat. Temps jumped to 48 Sunday even though ground is frozen still had enough sap come in to fire up the evaporator. Should end up with another 14 gallons of finished syrup? One more semi good run and we would be at half of what we produced last Spring, not where we need to be! I believe I have some good runs left. All taps should be fresh, none have went thru an extended warm up, some have been in since last two days in Jan. Still opening trees, hope I can get another 250 taps in before Sunday, which appears will start are next good run, two days with out a freeze! Imagine That West Virginians.

Mark 220 Maple

[220 maple]

Basically season complete, Less Taps, Less Sap, same amount of syrup produced as last year, happy with what I got! Looking forward to next year.
To quote my former deceased Maple syrup producing friend Garnett Whetzel. " There is only two seasons, Maple Season and getting ready for Maple Season"
unfortunately the getting ready season is the longest.

Mark 220 Maple