Making surp in maryland

[sweet maple]

I taped 700 on Feb 10 and put 250 buckets out on Feb 15 so far so good. We mad 30 gal of surp. Hope to get my other 1000 taps out wed Feb 25.

[Dave Y]

Welcome to the board sweet maple. where are you in MD. My son and his wife live in Cumberland. He has metioned about a few sugar makers south of the Mason/Dixon.

[finzel_md]

Its about time we hear from someone in MD. We are tapping on the 4th of march.

[220 maple]

Welcome Garrett County Syrup Makers. I bet you know the family near Gorman, Md. that make syrup, great bunch guys with a large camp right beside the road between Gorman and Lock Lynn.

Mark 220 Maple Grant County WV

[Dave Y]

Hey Finzel Md,
Thats great country you have down there. My son just finished a bird study ay Finzel swamp for his masters degree. I helped him do some of the field work. Beautiful country! Let me know where you are and I will look you up some time I am down that way.

[finzel_md]

Hey dave havent been logged on for a while made a little over 400gal last year. It was a very short year for us better luck this year i hope. My camp is located just off the finzel exit going east bound cant miss it getting off the exit just look down over the hill on your right.

[Dave Y]

Finzel,
I have been by there a number of times, the next time I come down to see my son I may drop in and check out your operation.

[maple flats]

What are you tapping that for south, Reds? Great to have a wider base of producers.

[220 maple]

MapleFlats

I met some Amish that had came to the tubing seminar in Somerset County, Pa. They picked up their new RO while they was there, a 1000 gal a hour unit. They needed it pretty bad for their 7000 tap operation in southern Kentucky. Yeah Sugar maples! South of the Mason-Dixon, Don't tell Al Gore it may ruin his global warming gig.

Mark 220 Maple

[3rdgen.maple]

Amish and an RO now theres an oximoron.

[KenWP]

MapleFlats

I met some Amish that had came to the tubing seminar in Somerset County, Pa. They picked up their new RO while they was there, a 1000 gal a hour unit. They needed it pretty bad for their 7000 tap operation in southern Kentucky. Yeah Sugar maples! South of the Mason-Dixon, Don't tell Al Gore it may ruin his global warming gig.

Mark 220 Maple

Were they Amish or Mennonites big difference. Both same religion just different way of doing it.

[3rdgen.maple]

Mennonites were the first thing that popped in my head as well. They like modern technology and running water.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

There are several of the Amish maple producers in this area that have RO's. They take the electric motors off and run them with a hydraulic motor.

[KenWP]

Stupid guestion how do they run the hydralic's. Lived around them my whole life also and never could figure out all the rules. Except courting day was Sunday afternoon.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

The ones i've seen are run by a diesel engine driving a hydraulic pump. As a matter of fact, the local dealer for maple supplies is Amish and does a great job at it. He is a dealer for Leader, and has a large inventory and also buys bulk syrup as well.

[Jim Brown]

Buffalo Creek sugar Camp; You have to be talking about "Henry"

Jim

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Jim, Yes i was talking about Henry. Do you come down this way to buy supplies?

[Jim Brown]

Buffalo Creek sugar ;Sorry I do not come that far down but we deal with a real close friend of his in Coudersport ,Brian Ianson. He and Henry buy alot of supplies and equipment together to get agood price.and he passes on to his customers.

Jim

[KenWP]

Only in PA. could you have a name like Coudersport. So far that groundhog isn't going to hibernate if the weather don't change some what.

[Jim Brown]

KenWP; You must mean "Punxsatawney" that is were the weather groundhog lives!!(LOL)

Jim

[KenWP]

Dad's family were from PA. Had to have been a place like Coudersport or something knowing them. Old Bill is probbably still up this month.

[finzel_md]

Hey dave feel free to stop any time. We spend alot of time around the camp this time of the year.

[Dave Y]

Finzel,
we may be done your way around new years. I will contact you if we are for sure.

KenWP
Twice no you have refered to "only in Penna" you must think it is as special as we Pennslyvanian's do.

[finzel_md]

Dave just let me know. I'll be around the camp or in the woods close by we are trying to add about 600 more on gravity if the weathers decent.

[finzel_md]

Hey dave you got everything ready to go,almost ready here in maryland just waiting on the weather about the end of feb!

[Dave Y]

Finzel,
I am still adding taps. I meet with my electrician tonight we are going to install electric at my tanks so I can hook up vacuum I should be ready in about 3 weeks. I never made it south this winter. But when I do I will look you up.

[finzel_md]

Dave vacum sounds great i"d like to try some vacum next year! We have a couple days in the camp cleaning up,couple days in the woods and we should be ready to go.

[sweet maple]

well guys i hope you are all ready to tap i think wants this cold front gets buy it will be good to go

[Dave Y]

Finzel,
are you ready to tap? I hope to be by the 20th.

[sweet maple]

i think we are goin to have a good season

[Dave Y]

I hope you are correct!

[finzel_md]

Dave almost ready have a few drops to put in and set tanks. sounds like were going to get another 15 or so inches of snow hopefully then the weather starts to break!

[Dave Y]

Finzel,
I was talking to my son last night and he said that on sunday he and a couple of other folks got stuck driving in to finzel swamp. Had a heck of a time getting out. took about 3 hrs.
I am hooking up electric at my tanks on saturday and then getting pump and releaser hooked up. then a number of odds and ends to wrap up, plus 600 more buckets and I will be ready to go. I hope to tap my tubing presidents day and the buckets the following weekend.

[finzel_md]

Dave, that finzel swamp is a nighrtmare this time of the year! I think we are shootin for about the last week of feb weather permitting. Tell your son he's welcome to stop in the camp during the season if he gets the sugar bug like the rest of us do

[Dave Y]

Yea he should know better but the fella driving didnt. I will tell him. I am trying to covice him and his wife to help me hang buckets on the 20th. If work dosent call him out of town.

[finzel_md]

Dave, 1200 buckets i hope to he helps you thats alot work for one man or do you have other people that also help?

[Dave Y]

Actually he doesn't help that much he has been gone from home for almost seven years now. He is also married and works for Maryland-DC Audubon. I have a crew of people that help. That I pay to help. All my sap gets trucked. I have two that I haul sap with. I am hoping he will come for the weekend here in a couple weeks and help tap

[finzel_md]

Well at least you have some help thats alot by yourself! Let me know the difference between gravity and vacum. I'd like to try vacum next year if the funds are availible.

[Dave Y]

They {who ever that is} say vacuum on 2000 taps will pay for itself in a half season. You should do very well with your taps if you have your mainlines sized correctly.

[Dave Y]

Fiinzel ,
How much snow? are you buried in it?

[sweet maple]

i think we r going to be awow before we can tap now in maryland we got 40 inchs of snow with 10 to 20 more come on tuesday it is gettin rediculous the snow needs to leave very soon

[finzel_md]

Hey dave we got plenty. I live about 10 min from sweet maple so i'd say we got 40" just like he said. It will be tough getting around in the woods but we'll manage. How much did you guys get?

[Revi]

You guys have all the snow this year. We only have about a foot on the ground, and temps in the 40's today.

You might need snowshoes to tap this year.

[sweet maple]

well i ges i the weather man was right again we are gettin another 15 inch of snow tonite thru tm nite hopefully we will have a good march