coventry, ny

[Windy Acres]

got the worst of the taps in, hoping for some good weather!

[maple flats]

I see you are near Bainbridge, how much snow do you have? I have between 3-3.5' of snow on the ground and the top is so fluffy even snowshoes don't work. I'm planning next Sat., after it might hit 40 Wed. to settle things some.

[Windy Acres]

yeah we have about the same, the side hill we just did had drifts up to our waist lol. the other side of the sugar bush isn't quite as bad only like 2' deep lol

[1ruralmailman]

i am in coventry as well.there is around 18-30 inches on my land,depending on drifts.i need to hit my woods,but will wait till next weekend,hope we get some settling for the snowshoes.probably not today though,as it is snowing to beat the band out there.

[Windy Acres]

yeah I am on top of the hill on 206, there is one corner of the bush I wont be able to tap for a while, the drifts are eye level sitting on the tractor lol

[chrismxz583]

Hey Rubicon, I thought this was familiar. I was the one who stopped in and took the tour of your new facility a few weeks ago. I spent the last two days installing all new tubing and tapping one of our smaller Bush's. What a struggle between the snow and terrain that a mountain goat would say we are crazy.

[lew]

I'm over the hill a little from you Rubicon, Smithville Flats. Most of our taps are in Willet. About 3 foot in the woods. Got about 2,500 drilled, another 1,500 to go. Should be done by next weekend. I've meant stop by your sugarhouse when you were building it,but just hahaven't taken the time.

[seclark]

I'm in south new berlin on top of the hill and have the same conditions so it's going to be a long time before I even think about tapping unless it warms up and melts enough to get to the woods.I am only a hobby operation so it is not affecting my income but I have cabin fever real bad even though I am 75 and a one man show I want to get out there and TAP TAP TAP!:lol:

[Windy Acres]

glad to hear so many people are sugaring in the area! chrismxz583, glad to hear you are making head way too! lew I would love to see that wood chip evap running! we have a big 750 hp wood chip boiler at work, its amazing what those boilers can do!

[lew]

12rubicon, come over anytime. Maybe you could have some input on some changes I'd like to make.

[1ruralmailman]

got the lines all strung yesterday,should be drilling tomorrow.never seen snow this deep in the woods this late in the year,but did see some drips from the nails going in.

[1ruralmailman]

rubicon were you boiling on saturday?or just enough to sweeten the pans.i saw the steam plume when i went by.

[Windy Acres]

yes I was boiling last Saturday, looks like I will be boiling all this weekend too, I think we are still in it for 2 or 3 more weeks

[adk1]

None of you on here are "Coles" are you?

[Windy Acres]

Nope I'm a Wrench

[1ruralmailman]

nope,i am a corey.

[Windy Acres]

Got the lines all checked this weekend, tanks all cleaned, and a new line run, just need to set one more tank down in the woods, and we are just about ready

[steam maker]

Hey is coventry near oxford ny, and bainbridge?

[steam maker]

Do u live on 206?

[adk1]

I pass through Bainbridge and travel 206 when I head to the Inlaws who live in Trumansburg

[steam maker]

I have a good friend who lives off of 206 in oxford think it county rd 27 we visit him alot!!!

[Windy Acres]

Steam maker, yes we are on 206, exactly between greene and Bainbridge, I travel 27 every day on the way to work

[steam maker]

12rubicon i think i know where u r , and i think u know my friend that lives out there.

[Windy Acres]

What is his name, I am right in the middle of the big hill, right by the road

[Windy Acres]

Is it the guy that has a shavings machine and makes syrup?

[adk1]

Can you see any of your operation from 206?

[steam maker]

Does your father have beefers and log? If so he is working at my buddys farm

[Windy Acres]

Yup that's my dad, John is a great guy

[Windy Acres]

12545this is our shack

[Windy Acres]

You must be the one John was talking about that was fall tapping, and has the huge setup

[Windy Acres]

adk1, yes, we are about 50 feet off of 206

[steam maker]

Yeah john is a great friend , almost more of a brother ... I know ur dad too i like him alot and enjoy seeing him when im at johns

[Windy Acres]

Yeah my dad is awesome, he loves helping with the sugaring

[Windy Acres]

well, it looks like we are going to be tapping next weekend, weather is looking real good, we will see if the forecast holds, we are going to wait another week or two on the buckets

[maple flats]

I'm about 80% tapped. Still need a warm day to re-wash the tanks. I also need to go pick up my new head tank (smaller) and plumb it. New valve ordered, will be in mid week.

[PACMAN]

Im going to wait to tap. 14 below here this am. Winter up here in the northern Adirondaks. I will start tapping in march like I normally do.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I'm about 80% tapped. Still need a warm day to re-wash the tanks. I also need to go pick up my new head tank (smaller) and plumb it. New valve ordered, will be in mid week.

With the current forecast, do you expect to be able to boil next weekend (1/30-1/31)?

[Windy Acres]

Got the small bush tapped, put in 180 today, going to hold off on the buckets for now

[Windy Acres]

We are going to tap everything Saturday except for buckets, we finally have the new operation done, just a few small things left to work on

[Windy Acres]

Well we had a good start to the season, the last run we had the sugar was up to 2.25, I have about 5 gallons more to bottle up, I think when it warms up again, it will be full norepinephrine sugaring season

[Windy Acres]

1297912980

[adk1]

I know exactly where you are located, I noticed the sugarhouse when I drove through there in November! looks nice! Next time I am bringing my truck so I can "borrow" that nice SS tank! haha so your sugarbush is just to the North East of your saphouse then, that long patch of woods between the two farm fields..

[Windy Acres]

Thank you!Yup that's us! Yes the sugar bush you see from the road is the small one, the rest of it goes down over a steep side hill. away from the road

[adk1]

thats pretty good to get almost 600 taps there.

[Windy Acres]

Yeah it gets alot bigger over the hill , plus I tap some across the road on the neighbor

[steam maker]

Looks good rubicon!!! Make sure u drag ur dads buddy john over there somenite.

[Windy Acres]

Thank you Steam maker! He usually stops in a few times while we are boiling

[Windy Acres]

Well that's all folks, had a pretty good season considering the weather, we tripled what we made last year, looks like we are right around 150 gallons

[pipeline]

you did good! 1 more day of washing tubing yeh how was your syrup today!

[Windy Acres]

Got the lines all washed, all that's left is the evaporator, our last boil ended up being some of the lightest of the season, go figure lol. Time to start on the new kitchen, and we are adding vacuum to our main sugar bush, hoping to hit 300 gallons next year!

[Windy Acres]

Looks like we are going to give the early tapping a go again this year, should be around 200 on 3/16 and 200 on 5/16, finishing up the 3/16 bush tomorrow, and hopefully tapping Saturday morning, weather looks good for almost a month!

[JOEZ]

Did you start to tap? It looks like the temps are moving into our normal winters next week. Lows in the low teens and highs just above freezing.

[Windy Acres]

Looks like we should have a bunch of good runs coming up right through the new year, we will be drawing syrup next boil!

[WestfordSugarworks]

When did you start tapping? Expecting tapholes to keep running through april?

[Windy Acres]

I tapped our fall bushes 2 weeks ago, we did this last year and we got good sap from them up until 2 weeks before our main bushes quit producing

[Windy Acres]

Almost half of our taps are in!

[Windy Acres]

looks like we are going to go all in today, best of luck to everyone this season!

[Windy Acres]

What an up and down season we are having, we are currently getting the best sugar content we have seen all season, we just need a freeze and a little sunshine to get yhe trees going, id really like to see another week or two!

[lew]

I have to agree with the ups and downs, but not sugar content. We started at 1.1 in January, I expected low but not that low. Went to 1.4 in February, I thought that was a little improvement. Then 1 load of 1.7, wow, now we're going places. Then back down to 1.3. Not very impressed. Glad we tapped early though. We are currently at .25 gallons per tap. 90% dark.

[Windy Acres]

Well thats all she wrote here in coventry, all taps are pulled and all i lack is to boil down what was in the rear pan, we had a pretty good season, we made around 120 gallons! Next year we are looking to add an RO, and possibly change over to 3/16, we may have even picked up a bush from a neighbor!

[Windy Acres]

It's been a cold couple days in the sugar bush, but we have about half of our drop lines in, it won't be long and we will be tapping!

[VTnewguy]

Nice work! It's been brutal conditions of late.

[Windy Acres]

This summer with getting the RO and filter press, I wanted to be sure we were going to have enough sap, so I re-tubed the whole farm with 3/16 after doing a trial run of about 250 last year, I'm hoping the weather holds for a few weeks longer, I've got some more drops to get in, and a small section to put laterals in yet

[Windy Acres]

Just about done putting drops in, and just need to change a couple hundred spouts and we will start drilling holes, it won't be long now!

[maplemaker]

When are you usually home i got to get up and see your setup

[Windy Acres]

Usually by 3:45, I should be around all weekend, we will be working in the sugar house Friday afternoon/night

[Windy Acres]

It's time again! Should be all tapped by end of the day Thursday, looks like a real good stretch coming up, good luck to all

[Windy Acres]

got most of our taps in yesterday, we are at 1299, all on 3/16, just a couple hundred more to go!

[Windy Acres]

Great start to the season, by the end of the week we should be past what we made last year, all of our summer work is definitely paying off!

[Windy Acres]

Had a great day yesterday, made almost 25 gallons, we went back to golden for the last 2 boils, this sure is a weird season! From the red hue in the woods I can't imagine we will get even another week, but time will tell, good luck to anyone still going!

[Windy Acres]

And that's it here in Coventry, made 26 gallons of some great dark syrup, that's the only dark syrup we have made since the first boil, good luck to anyone still going!

[Windy Acres]

Just about done changing spouts, then I can start adding some more taps, and get a few projects done in the sugar house, just a few weeks to go!

[maple flats]

We start ours between Christmas and New Years. I have a crew of 4 volunteer helpers coming next Saturday (my oldest son, a friend of his, my oldest grandson, and my brother in law). We have a few things planned. Fix lines, change drops ( with new taps), remove an old Alamo 30 and put in an Alamo 75, and start setting up a vacuum releaser on top of a vacuum tank. Won't be used as vacuum tank any more so we can run the vacuum higher. I don't expect to get all of that done next Saturday, but hope to make a good dent in it. My releaser will rest on top of the tank, my Brother plasma cut a SS barrel in half the long way and welded t rails on which to set a platform and welded 2 heavy SS flatstock, one on each end to rest that on a wooden cradle. It will then be anchored around the belly of the 1000 gal tank. I hope to have that all finished either the 1st or second Saturday in Jan. Then it will be ready to tap. While my BIL and I can work any days my volunteers are only available on Saturdays. They work all week. Who knows, I might even get another grandson to work next Saturday. He is home on leave from the Navy. He worked with me on maple, in my blueberries, on my sawmill and after he was 17 he also did lots of tree felling and firewood processing for me up until he graduated Morrisville. He recently finished Navy Seal first 9 months training and is now going into EOD, to work with the seals. That training will go on for more than another year before he is deployed. I'll bet those steep hills on my lease won't slow him like they do me. However, I haven't asked him yet. He just got home yesterday for the first time since early Feb of this year.

[johnallin]

I might even get another grandson to work next Saturday. He is home on leave from the Navy... He recently finished Navy Seal first 9 months training and is now going into EOD,

That's an impressive young man, I'll bet you're very proud.

[maple flats]

Yes we are.

[Windy Acres]

Tell him I said thank you from one service member to another! I never did all that, I was a heavy wheeled vehicle mechanic in the army reserve, sounds like you've got a full plate also, I'm hoping to make a last minute run up to H2O and pick up another vessel for the RO so there will be no recirculating, if not that will be first on the list for the early buy next year, good luck everyone!

[maple flats]

I asked my grandson, home on leave, if he was interested in helping at my lease for Saturday. It sounded like he will also help. He would need no training except for the areas with 3/16. The last time he worked in the woods I had no 3/16. I always specified 3-5 taps per lateral, now 25 or 30 will blow his mind.
He then goes back to Great Lakes for more training. He would normally be at a base in the Fla pan handle but one of the hurricanes this summer wrecked that base. Thus they are changing the order of his training to give that base time for repairs. That base is where they have dive school. Normally jump school would come after dive school, not this time. He also has some other schools in 2 or 3 other states too. After he completes training he will be sent back to San Diego for his orders.

[Windy Acres]

Looks like we will start tapping in 2 weeks, as long as the weather holds!

[Windy Acres]

We will be tapping Saturday, let the fun begin!

[Ridge Creek]

Same over here in Marathon. Starting with our new sugarbush set up on
3/16.

[Obidiah]

I've got a question for you local gents, I've normally bought all my supplies online but would like to put my money local even if it cost a little more. I'm in Triangle just off 206 over the hill from cnymaple,. Who would you recommend.

[Windy Acres]

I get all my equipment from cooks maple in sherburne, there is a leader dealer in deruyter and another H2O dealer in Bainbridge, there is also a CDL dealer in edmeston

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

I get all my equipment from cooks maple in sherburne, there is a leader dealer in deruyter and another H2O dealer in Bainbridge, there is also a CDL dealer in edmeston
I am a dealer for Dominion and Grimm and Indiana vacuum. We are in Norwich. We stock all the common fittings and tubing and accessories.
Neil

[Ridge Creek]

Sales rep for Pine Creek Farm and Feed. We are a Lapierre dealer and stock inventory in Marathon. I’m on the road and can stop by if you need anything

[Windy Acres]

I am a dealer for Dominion and Grimm and Indiana vacuum. We are in Norwich. We stock all the common fittings and tubing and accessories.
Neil There's another one I forgot, sorry about that Ripple Road, I'd love to get up and see your operation!

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

There's another one I forgot, sorry about that Ripple Road, I'd love to get up and see your operation!

Thanks Greg. Same here. Sometime when we're by that way I'll have to stop in even if it's not season. We go that way in the summer to pick blueberries and occasionally to take the kids to the zoo in harpursville.

[Meyer Hollow]

Ridge Creek where in Marathon are you located? I also am in Marathon.

[Ridge Creek]

We are on Piety Ridge Rd. East side of 81.

[Windy Acres]

We started pulling spouts and washing tubing on Monday, yesterday we boiled all if the sweet out of the evaporator with permeate, it was a pretty good season, best of luck to anyone still going!

[Windy Acres]

We will start tapping the end of this coming week, we missed a few runs, but it gave us time to get alot of projects finished up, sounds like sugar% is already pretty good, let's hope for a great season!

[VTnewguy]

Good luck on the season. Still waiting to tap in Western VT.

[Windy Acres]

we are all tapped, we will have our first boil today, most of this coming week looks pretty promising!

[tombaisley]

I'm in N Afton, any thoughts on how much longer the season will last?, also, We have been getting very low sugar 1-1.5% ?

[antelope76]

I'm in Deposit. Hoping for a run today and tomorrow and then after that it's not looking good for temp.'s

[Windy Acres]

tombaisley, we stopped last tuesday, our sugar went to .5 and never came back up, and the sap went bitter, i believe the end is near, but if youve still got good sap, keep at it!

[tombaisley]

Unless the sugar jumps up, I'm pretty sure we are done. Finished bottling and have 5 gallons in bulk packed away for this fall. Finished the season at right around 25 gallons

[HillsideMaple]

I ran the RO Friday and boiled. Sap coming in was .8% and cloudy. See what this weekend brings but most of my front yard trees have budded. The syrup I made Friday tasted great. Filters were real dirty. Making dark robust.

[Windy Acres]

Most of our spouts and drops are changed, we should be tapping in the next week or two-

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

Good luck this year!

[Windy Acres]

Thank you!

[Windy Acres]

We are ready to drill holes, we upgraded a vacuum pump, added taps and switched the evaporator to oil, looks like season is close-

[Windy Acres]

We are all tapped, all that is left is to assemble and wash the RO!

[YBSean]

Our snow pack is up to 3' in Dryden and long term forecast is very cold. Time to dig/plow ATV trail to the sap tank and snowshoe trails to our bucket trees. At least this snow pack should extend the season.

[maple flats]

We've had about 30" since last Sunday. I'll be in snowshoes until this settles enough or crusts over. Tomorrow 34F is forecast, 40F on Friday with rain. That will bring it down quite a bit.
Unfortunately I'm snow plow deficient at the moment. Hopefully I can get it working by sometime tomorrow. The F350 can plow the sugarhouse and open areas there in about 30 minutes, If I need to use the tractor it would take 6-8 hrs.
I just need to change the pump solenoid on the pump, but being on a blood thinner I get too cold. I need to be able to get into the marginally heated shop to do it. A double barrel stove in there helps enough, but it's not my shop, it's my brothers and he's using it today, maybe part of tomorrow, then I can get in. If he takes longer, I can do it ok on Friday with 40 degrees.

[Pdiamond]

Unfortunately we have another storm coming, number three of this group. I don't know how much you are expected to get but we are going to get it starting tomorrow with high winds.

[Windy Acres]

That's a wrap here in Coventry, we managed to have our best season ever, even in a not so great season!

[Windy Acres]

We got everything tapped, and had a small run with the rain this week, we were able to get our vacuum levels where they need to be, now we are ready for the season, should be making syrup by the end of this coming week!

[tombaisley]

I need to get busy

[Windy Acres]

If the weather man is right, could be right in it end of this week

[Windy Acres]

Looks like Monday and Tuesday will be tapping days for us, hoping for some cold weather