Tapping Cemetery Maples

[Bugsmudbooksandsticks]

I have been making syrup for the last 9 years as a part of my elementary school math and science program..I teach in the midcoast. I want to branch out and there is a cemetery that borders our property that has a handful of nice looking Maples.
I am sure the town will approve I am just wondering about the quality of soil and thus the trees.
Does anyone have any insight, is this a safe and worthwhile adventure or could there be soil contamination?

Thanks for your time,

[johnallin]

Unless they're using pine coffins, I would think you'd have no issues...just don't go in after dark and run like heck if a tree says "ouch" when you tap it.

[maple flats]

I certainly would never tap trees in a cemetary. No, I'm not superstitious, But rather because of the embalming fluids used. Not worth the risk!

[johnallin]

I certainly would never tap trees in a cemetary. No, I'm not superstitious, But rather because of the embalming fluids used. Not worth the risk!

Might make your syrup last longer though. <grin>
Just trying to lighten everything up a bit...

[Brian]

The sap might test 20%, no Ro needed.

[amasonry]

is the cemetery old or still in use? some of the cemeteries around here can be almost 200 years old.

[TapTapTap]

If the Cemetery Commission was on their game then I would expect them to reject your request for the reasons stated in these responses and others, such as whether a citizen/neighbor should be allowed to make a commercial or personal use of a Town asset. From their perspective it would be easier and better justified to just say no.

[Ed A]

That's thinking "outside the box". You could bottle the syrup under the label "Ancestor's Best".

[Super Sapper]

Since people are buried 6 feet down and maple roots go down 12 to 18 inches there should be no chance of a tree picking up any contaminants unless there is a very high water table.

[buckeye gold]

I'll join in the chorus....I don't think I would have any concern of contaminates, but I would fear some people may think it's disrespectful of their ancestors and families to work in a cemetery. I'd pass unless it was my only choice.

[DrTimPerkins]

Formaldehyde is readily dissolvable in water, but as said, unless the water table is high it is unlikely to rise into the rooting zone. Over time it would become very diluted if there were any water movement through the casket/body.

In any case, although the risk is low, the optics of the situation are probably more of an issue. Most wouldn't have an issue with it, but you might have a few who would be very upset by it. Best to avoid if possible in my opinion.

[calvertbrothers]

My in-laws own 2 funeral homes and I have buried quite a few people. The regulations for Burial is the body must have a vault and some sort of casket. Now 6 feet is not extract. Sometimes it’s 5 feet sometimes is 7 feet depending on the grave digger. Now say you put the vault at 5 feet. The vault is 3 feet high. So that leaves the top of the vault 2 feet underground. Not a vaults are water sealed. And they do fill up with water I know from experience.

[DrTimPerkins]

The regulations on caskets/vaults etc. are quite variable from place to place and have changed considerably over time. Hard to say exactly what might have been done fifty or even twenty years ago. Walk through an old cemetery and see how many depressions there are over (apparent) graves. No vaults there. On a hillside, the uphill side might be 6 ft (or 5 ft) down, but the downhill end might be only 1-2 ft down.

[spud]

First granny kicks the bucket then she’s in a bucket. No thanks on that syrup.

Spud

[calvertbrothers]

The regulations on caskets/vaults etc. are quite variable from place to place and have changed considerably over time. Hard to say exactly what might have been done fifty or even twenty years ago. Walk through an old cemetery and see how many depressions there are over (apparent) graves. No vaults there. On a hillside, the uphill side might be 6 ft (or 5 ft) down, but the downhill end might be only 1-2 ft down.

Very true. The older the grave the shallower the grave for the most part. Now days you can be put in a maple tree root bulb and planted. 

[RC Maple]

I'll join in the chorus....I don't think I would have any concern of contaminates, but I would fear some people may think it's disrespectful of their ancestors and families to work in a cemetery. I'd pass unless it was my only choice.

I used to work mowing grass in a large cemetery in the summers. Many, many large sugar maples with a great network of roads weaving all through it...you could drive right up to the tree and gather sap all day long without even getting mud on your boots. What a great place it would be to tap trees and gather sap. That said, I can't imagine that it would be worth it for the city that owns the cemetery to give approval for it. Like others have said, many wouldn't mind and some might even think it was a neat thing to do, but some may not think it's appropriate.

[West Sumner Sugar]

We used to tap a cemetery up until a few years ago. We mowed the grass there in the summer and the owners allowed us to tap the trees in the spring. We would set up a mainline, droplines each spring and take it all down after the season. We could get the whole thing up and running in a few hours. We have since stopped because we have added tons of new taps at our sugarhouse. That being said, those maples would produce a ton of sap! Our biggest issue there was transporting the sap which wasnt to bad, but we had a long run of mainline to get the sap out to the road and on a warm day the sap would heat up a lot in the line and unless you pumped daily the sap would spoil.

[VT_K9]

Most of our cemeteries around here are full of old tappers....people who were farmers and tapped trees in the spring when the farming was slower. They would be glad to know your teaching the kids about taping. I would not hesitate to ask and if it is for the kids then I am sure it would be a good chance to add on a few more lesson plans...the need to seek permission to use other's land and who is who in the cemetery.

Our local High School has an excellent program in their Outdoor Science class. They have a beautiful little sugarhouse. One student home built an RO. They put a lot of the science into the process.

It won't hurt to ask.

Mike

[Ltr77]

I dunno if I would do it- no need to invite the spirits of the dead in your body through sap- better to get spirits in your body through whiskey!

[NhShaun]

I have had my eye on about 20 huge maple trees that surround a very old private cemetery for a couple of years now. The trees are on the outside of the granite wall that encloses the whole cemetery, But i still think it is a little iffy and perhaps wrong to try and tap them. I would not try and tap any trees inside but the ones on the outside sure tempt me to reach out and ask the property owner.

[DrTimPerkins]

People have very different and very strong feelings about cemeteries. Some think nothing of them -- some are totally freaked out by them. I mowed an awful lot of cemeteries in high school and college...it paid a lot of bills back then. I wouldn't be caught dead in one now :D (seriously...I spent enough time there while living that I have no desire to be buried in one). After I got done my brother took over, then an even younger brother took them on and is still doing them with his kids as part of his property management business.

My Father-in-Law built his house right next to the cemetery most of the past 30 yrs. He figured they were nice quiet neighbors, but he also was the caretaker and on the cemetery association for many, many years. He spent his last few years in a condo and passed away in Feb...so he's back "home" now.

As far as tapping trees in them....probably best to be respectful of those who are there and those who visit.