Brandon? Tapping weather yet?

[mapleman3]

Well? How close are you to putting those taps in? good thing you got some cold weather there, I was begining to think you weren't going to have a winter there at all

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It's been cold here for 3 plus weeks and below zero the last two nights with to 20 below wind chill. 4 inches of snow so far this evening and still snowing and the 10 day shows it cold thru the 15th with one day above 40. I have to be in Columbus, OH next week in training all week or I would probably tap this Sat. Either way, it looks like the 17th for me and it would probably be wise to wait until then if I didn't have training next week. More single digits the next few days at night and it looks like it is setting up to be a good sugaring season, like 2004 in which the weather did about the same thing.

Should have a good idea by this time next month.

[mapleman3]

It'll happen soon, good thing it will be after your away!!

[Tomahawk]

Hey Brandon.

Just dropped by to say HI as I'm starting to lurk around the site in anticipation of some good sapping, LOL.

After a mild winter it's been cold as hell here in NY for the last week or so. And to think I was almost gonna start tapping last week! Good thing I waited.

Just for some perspective, I started on January 28th last year.

Talk soon, good to see you back buddy!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Tomahawk,

Great to hear from you again as it has been a while. Hopefully this good weather will help you have a great season this year!

[lharris1]

Brandon, we are keeping our fingers crossed looking at the weater and hoping we can start tapping Monday. It doesn't really look like much sap weather until you get back.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Larry,

Still showing cold all the way now thru Monday Feb 19th which is last day on 10 day forecast.

Here is the best forecast I have found for our area:

http://www.weather.com/weather/local/25976?lswe=25976&lwsa=WeatherLocalUndeclared

[220 maple]

Brandon and Larry,
Same news hear in the Eastern Panhandle/ Potomac Highands. Its been cold enough to due a remake of ICE STATION ZEBRA. I usually open the first warm day after groundhogs day, and have in the past have open on the last week of Jan. This year it will be after Valentines day. I called Ivan Puffenbarger Sat. night. I asked him when was the latest he had opened his trees? He has opened in March before because of cold weather like this. He has been ready to tap since Christmas. He said there in the Bluegrass Valley which is probably the coldest place in Virginia! It's to early.
When I get some trees open I'll post a tread. Hopefully you will do the same?
Another question? How many West Virginians do you know that make syrup.
I know several in the Grant County area. Most of them are in the Mt. Storm area. I have met others at Maple Seminars. One from Monroe County, One from the Buckhannon/ Barbour County. Two from Hardy County, One from Mineral County, Two from Pocahontas County, I've heard of others but have never met them. Richter in Randolph County, One at place called Leadmine in Tucker County, one at Aurora in Preston County. I believe there is one in the Spruce Knob area of Pendleton County. The reason I bring this up is because I believe there would be enough of us to have a WV Maple Producers Assoc.
Your thoughts?
Mark 220 Maple

[Fred Henderson]

I know that I am not tapping anytime soon. Minus 26 here this morning at 0600 hours.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Git-R-Started 220maple. Guess you need to come up with some by-laws and such and file for 501-c status to get the organization off the ground. Get all your names rounded up and sometime in May? call a get together meeting in a centrally located spot within the state.

[Russell Lampron]

There is power in numbers. If you guys get organized you can have better control over legislation that could be harmful to your maple industry. You can also do things to promote maple production in your state.

Our state association has helped me by advertising my sugarhouse in local papers and on their web site www.nhmapleproducers.com every year when we have our maple open house weekend. That is another thing you can do as an organization.

These are just a couple of ideas and there are many more.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

There are a few down here, but only 2 others I know of other than myself and Larry and one of them is a doctor who just does it small scale and wouldn't likely be interested. Ernie Galford in Monroe Co who I guess is who you are referrring to has about 1500 taps, but not sure he would be interested. The biggest problem with us is most of the producers are 3 to 4 hours north of us and the meetings would need to be up there. Basically nobody even knows that it exists in WV, so not much worry with any legislation. Definitely a good thing, just doubt there is enough interest to do any good.

Weather is showing warmup and I plan on tapping both south sides bushes on Sat which is about 360 of the 500 taps if all goes well. This is a week later than normal, so we'll see what happens.

[Dave Y]

Brandon,
A state assocation would be good for the maple industry in WVA. If folks are intrested they will go to the meeting. Your state isn't that big and folk in WVA are just like people every where else.
For example I belong to the Pa trappers Assoc. We have our state meeting in different locations every year. Trappers come from all over the state and other states too. You could do that with a maple assoc. Form it they will come!

[Russell Lampron]

A state association would help make people aware that there is maple production in WV. Don't think that a small producer won't be interested. I went to a regional meeting for the NH Maple Producers Association and there were alot of producers with less than 100 taps. One guy was just starting out and thought that he would have about 60 taps. Making people aware will be good for sales too.

Russ

[lharris1]

Brandon, we went ahead and tapped the new area Monday and Tuesday but we ran out of tubing and had to order another roll. We put in 62 taps and will add another 12. I hope we can get our other areas done Saturday or Monday. Have you used Intellicast.com weather. They have a good 10 day forecast.

[Father & Son]

Brandon,

Good luck with the warm-up and tapping this weekend, our warm-up is showing a few days behind you starting on Wednesday or Thursday.

Some of the figures they gave us at NWPA Association meeting for the state of PA 50% of sugaring operations were less than 500 taps, and of that percentage 30% were less than 100 taps (I hope I didn't misquote the figures). By getting the word out in West Virginia, you might find alot of small producers that nobody knows about.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

I know that there are quite a few small producers out there. The state is pretty good size land area and about 6 hours from top to bottom, so don't know how many would come. I agree it would be a good thing, but I am going to leave it up to someone else to head it up.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Larry,

I am hoping to tap about 360 of my 500 taps on Sat by myself. I could possibly do the other 140, but I will leave them for a few more days to give them a chance to thaw out as they are all on the north side and I hope they will run another week or two after the south side trees are done.

I haven't tried the intelliforecast or whatever it it. The link for the weather channel I posted earlier has been very accurate for short term over the past couple of years since they started one for Meadow Bridge and it is very close and I wouldn't even try another forecast.

[Sugarmaker]

Brandon,
You have to make this WV maple thing happen. You need some thing to keep you busy when your not scouting those big bucks and making maple.

:p
Chris

[lharris1]

We now have 62 taps in and plan to get most of the others in Monday and end up with at total of around 330. We had 250 last year. Good luck Brandon. We should get our first major run Tuesday. I doubt if the trees thaw out for a run on Monday.