August Journal

[Russell Lampron]

Just got back from a weeks vacation in Maine. After not selling any syrup for 3 weeks I was getting phone calls and sold some at the campground too. It was probably the best vacation ever. It only rained during the night the 2 times that it rained and the weather was beautiful the rest of the time.

After having 2 pop up campers fail because of bad canvas or rotten roof panels I had been camping in a tent for the past 6 summers. After all of the rain the last 2 years we had had enough of the tent. Last fall I bought a 28.5' camping trailer that I found on craigs list for $300. I did some fixing up and deodorizing and our 1st camping trip in it was a complete success. No more tenting for us.

[Parker]

AAAHHHH!!!! Its AUGUST...GO TIME!! I gotta get cutting and splitting,,,have plenty of wood just gotta work it up...think I am going to get started monday...Have done nothing maple other than truck wood home (but the urge is building),,,plan on makeing some serious improvements in Hill this fall..

[red maples]

After having 2 pop up campers fail because of bad canvas or rotten roof panels I had been camping in a tent for the past 6 summers. After all of the rain the last 2 years we had had enough of the tent. Last fall I bought a 28.5' camping trailer that I found on craigs list for $300. I did some fixing up and deodorizing and our 1st camping trip in it was a complete success. No more tenting for us.

When the wife and I first met We used to tent camp every year and it was great. Now we have a bit more money and usually rent a cabin on a lake or waht ever. And I take the kids out in the back yard in the tent. its a little rough on the back!!! and this year we went back in the woods and camped that turned out to be a disaster. I was up 4 times in the middle of the night beacuse of bathroom trips 2 to the house for my daughter and 2 to a local tree for my son. And the the red tailed hawk started squaking at 4:15. wasn't even light out yet. other than that I slept pretty good.


Finishing the little farm stand today!!! just in time too... I have to move some more syrup have to start buying stuff for maple projects. and the garden is getting ready to peak I got zuccs and yellow squash and beans like crazy now and should have beets soon and lots of peppers and jalapeno peppers!!!

[TRAILGUY]

Finishes the logging and have lots of maple released for down the road. Going to give them a few years to settle and grow. Money came out good all so. Buying a used motorcycle and bought the wife new living room furniture first. Plan to build a platform and roof on out side of the sugar shack so my 175 gallon tank has less chance of freezing. Wood is done and dry. Looking for 2 x 8 or 30" X 8 SS and may try some vacuum.

[Rhino]

Summer is sure going by fast, And our syrup is to. I never seen a year where every farmers market we do, a mass quantity of syrup gets sold. Sure is nice. Gardens are explodeing with all the rain and humid days, only had to run the irrigation pump once and that was to protect the garden from a frosty morning. Started out so dry this spring and sure turned around fast. Going to start to haul pallets to the syrup shack, have a mamoth of a pile there yet but i figure might as well haul more. My wife, daughter, and i all drew bear tags for this fall so i am running out to the woods often to bait so i might as well haul pallets. Time to thin down those mainline chewing rascals. (took us 7 years to draw these harvest tags). season starts Sept. 8th. Hope everyone has a great August!

[Jim Brown]

Well the selling season is in full swing and Farmers Markets on saturday mornings have been very good. Taking the business on the road this week for
'Dan Rice Days' in Girard Pa for three days . Hope to see some of the Traders there.Drop by and introduce yourself.Will be introducing a couple of new products at this show.Crew should be working at finishing our new retail shop this week next to our garage looking forward to moving everything in there to a proper retail operation
Good Luck all.Summer is GOINGGGGG fast!!

Jim

[red maples]

got the wood for sugarin' done a couple of weeks ago. I will add a little more to by the time the season is here...but 6 cords done!!

To do list getting smaller...

[Killington Maple]

Been busy in the woods. Have installed around 2500 feet of lateral 3/4 inch mainlines and about 800 feet of 1 inch mainline. Will start installing the 5/16 to the trees tomorrow. Hope to gain about 5-600 taps in this area. Tap count per acre wasn't great, but was already in the area, so figured I'd fill in a big gap in the sugarlot.
Then on to another lot to start another small complete system. Should be 12-1500 taps in this lot,with seperate vacuum system.

[Killington Maple]

Forgot to mention that I have enough wood done to carry me through next season as a backup. About 22 cords. Am converting to oil fired as soon as I can make a conversion plate to put the burner through. Burning wood with the inferno arch was a MAJOR DISAPOINTMENT this past season. But, if the price of oil goes through the roof, I'll at least have the ability to burn wood to control costs. Flexibility is a nice option.

[Thad Blaisdell]

When/if you convert over to oil dont forget to take out the fire brick and put in ceramic blanket.

[caseyssugarshack93]

hey guys, been real busy, working and working on the sugarhouse. here are some pictures. hope to get into the woods soon.

[caseyssugarshack93]

and one more

[brookledge]

Looks good. Are you going to make your cupola bigger?
Keith

[driske]

Should finish dicing up a 5 cord load of pulp tomorrow. On wet years like this I prefer to buy some wood, and forego the rut making in our woodlot.
Good luck with the Bear Hunt, Rhino. There's plenty of Bruins cruising around these parts as well. 7 years to get a tag, wow. DNR ought to take a stab at dairying, the way they can milk things.
Fairs are coming up. Golden Rod is blooming. Crickets strumming their tune. Fall is sneaking in fast indeed.

[red maples]

gettin there nate...congrats on the bigger evap. looks great!!!

[Dennis H.]

Looking good Nate, what the heck are you going to with all that extra room?

I managed to get soem things done yesterday after my 3 week "vacation". I am starting to clean up the sugarshack for the new evap. I started to tear apart the barrel evap. It is amazing how brittle the sheet metal gets from all that heat. I also had some 3/16" angle that was now only paper thin at places! That just amazes me.

I have to get out and fine tune the tubing at some point, I think that will be a job for this fall when it is cooler.

[ennismaple]

We got our sugar camp organized and cleaned up yesterday and packaged up a drum of syrup on Saturday. Since the Force 5 likes wood at 20% moisture content we won't be splitting and filling pallets until October. In the meantime there are lots of other little things to do, including fishing and golfing! Last year was so much work to get all our projects finished up so this year we're stopping to enjoy ourselves more!

[backyardsugarer]

I just put on a 16 X 8 addition so I have room for an RO and bigger TV! Adding a wood shed next week and then I have to build and insulate the RO room. Then I have to level out an area for a new stock tank. Should be an interesting 7 months til sugarin' starts. I will post pictures of the add on soon.


Chris

[caseyssugarshack93]

i think the coupal is a negitive. may get a steam hood. I wish we would make a bigger one. but i think it would be a pain to add onto this one. . theres gunna be alot of steam in there if i dont get a steam hood or a bigger coupla. but we will see. as of right now the syrup pan is the only thing that is under the coupla lol. And with the extra room. theres gunna be a r.o. and syrup storage. and supplies storage. and maybe a tank or two in there.. but we will see havent really deciede what i want to put in there yet. a feed tank would be great but not sure were to put it yet. only need a little one anyway so wont take up to much room.

[red maples]

Finally finished my little farm stand yesterday and got it loaded up I just have to make some price signs and stuff this morning and we'll be ready to open...

almost outa dark syrup!!! everyone wants dark!!!

We are going to have a meeting in my town about possibly contructing an agriculture commision for our town. meeting will be held on thursday night. Hopefully there will be a rep from the dept Ag there. Janis is our regional rep. I have to check out all the details but there will be talk about a possible farmers market, a community farm, and more advertisement for our local farmers...our town is very small no idea where they would put a comunity garden. Looks promising "as long our selectmen don't (ruin)run it"!!!!:D but I will check it out!!!

[Farmboy]

I just finished digging the trench in the sugar shack so I can hook up my floor drain and put in the drain for a sink. On Saturday my dads friend that is a plumber is coming over to put in all he pipe. Hopefully I will get concrete in this month. Now I need to go work on power washing my flew pan :( .

[220 maple]

4th day of August and there is 3 pages on the August Journal. WOW! Maplefever is spreading fast. Syrup and Candy is moving like there is no tomorrow. The gallon and the half that I delivered Thursday the 29th didn't make it thru Monday. Had to take them another gallon and a half gallon jug, they had sold all of their quarts, pints and small quarter pint jugs. Plus I replenished their glass display which was getting low also. With candy and coated nuts I sold them over 300 dollars worth. That tourist trap has purchased over 2 grand so far and they keep telling me to get ready for the rush after Labor Day. They swear their big days every year is between Labor day and when the last leaf falls in October. I'm glad I saved a barrel, I was hoping to set up at a local festival in September but with my tourist trap moving syrup at a high rate I may have to forget the Festival.

Mark 220 Maple

[brookledge]

Well it is finally vacation time for me. I leave for race point on cap cod. I've had a few long weekends with my camper but this is for 8 days. Not to happy to hear there are great whites in the area but I plan on havving plenty of beer each day at the point.
Keith

[220 maple]

I forgot to post that I went to Kentucky for my nephews wedding. I guess I hope his last as long as mine has. I've been married 29 years as of June 20th. When I was there I visited my new friend who makes syrup in the little community of Garrett, Ky. He has a very small operation but loves to make syrup. He added a blower to his evaporator last spring and was amazed at the increased production. He told me he never has to advertise because he sells everything he makes right at the camp. If you built it they will come!!!!
My next big adventure is Saturday. Planning on going to the National Card Collectors Convention. This year it's being held at the Baltimore Convention Center. The last one I attended was held at Alantic City many years ago. I was a serious collector then, now I'm considering selling some items so I can expand my Maple Business. I need two cards to complete a set that my uncle's started as kids in 1933. the problem is those two cards are very expensive, What I should do is sale the other 46 cards in the set and buy myself a RO. The killer of coarse is the fact that during the depression my grandfather traded eggs to the country store for food and if there was a penny extra my uncles got a stick of gum with a card inside. So thanks to my uncle's and the chickens I need Bobby Jones and Babe Didrickson to complete the 1933 Sport Kings Gum Set. I'll let you know how it went next week.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

as the temps get cooler and the leaves start falling the trader gets busier. I love gettin' on here in feb. not enough time in a day with boiling to read all the posts. a little quite yet but I am sure it will start to pick up soon.

Need to place an order soon running out a pint containers...seems everyone want pints!!!

[mapleack]

No maple activities for me for the next week, I'm looking over the ocean in Ocho Rios Jamaica as I type this. Hotter the heck and super humid, though a week of doing pretty much nothing was long overdue!

[Thad Blaisdell]

Put up 4000' of wire and 2000' of 3/4 mainline yesterday and today. Going to mow the lawn now and call it a day.

[caseyssugarshack93]

the sugarhouse is coming along. brooklegde, i talked to the ol man about the other roof. and i guess were going to that the rafters down and put a ridge pole in and build a new coupala. Bigger one.

heres our sign i had cut out by a burn table.

[red maples]

like the signs!!!

[Gary R]

Well at least I talked a lot of Maple the last week:) Thursday I went to Karl Evans and bought my last few tubing supplies. Then I went to Ray Gingrich's and looked at 5 A&A Metals evaporators. On Saturday, we went to A&A Metals in Ulysse's PA and toured the shop. Then stopped in and talked to Richard at Shiloh Sugarbush. Now I need to get back in the woods and finish my tubing.

[PATheron]

Gary-What did the guy at Shilo's have to say? Just wondered what was going on with him. Theron

[On the ledge]

I have a non-maple question seeing how everyone seems to have alot of knowlede of other things. I have an 80's troy bilt tiller horse model made by garden way with an 8hp kohler engine and electric start that we inherited it was always garaged and is in mint condition . I was going to sell to someone I work with for $ 400 but after doing a little research I feel like I'm giving it away. Any ideas of it's value?
Thanks

[Farmboy]

Yesterday I got 100' of 1" 100 psi black plastic pipe from my grandpas. He used to us it to water some trees but they don't need watering anymore and he didn't need the pipe so he said I could have it. I flushed it and pressure tested it with water. I only found one leak so I can either put a saddle there or cut it and put a connected there. Today I marked all the maples in one neibors yard and counted all the maples in my yard and 2 niebors yards 136 total. I will have between 130 and 140 because I probably missed a few and there's a few in a really bad spot so unless I get the skidseer in there and clear a path I won't tap the 8 or so trees that are mostly silver maple. The nice thing is I will probably only have 10 buckets and the rest on lines. Yayyyyy! I'm pricing out mainline and so far home depot is the cheepest but my dads friend that works for a well company in geting a price from where he gets his pipe and calling me tommorow. He doesn't no if they can beat home cheepo though. Going to get all the res of my supplys labor day weekend because Red bucket suga shack is going to have a booth at the blandford fair and I'm going to be there anyways showing dairy goats so I will pick up supplys there and save a trip out there place.

[Gary R]

Theron, that is one big rig at Shilo. Only 5X14 but, gas fired with a piggyback. I had to stand on my toes to see in the syrup pan. Had to have been 12' tall at the flue hood. He said 6000 taps but he is losing some from one of his leassee's. Some kids inherited it and don't want him to tap. He said his rigs are for sale but he has also recently purchased some new value added product equipment. If your looking to go full time into maple, it looked like he has a nice setup. Lots of building. He had issues with forest tent catapillars. Marcelles shale is another biggie in the area.

On the ledge, I sold my old worn out, 5hp non electric start Troy Built for $300 last year. I had about 30 calls the first day it was in the paper. First guy bought it.:rolleyes:

[PATheron]

Gary- I remember seeing that evap too. It looked huge to me. The building he has is real neat. Be great to have that much room. He buys a lot of syrup. He has some real good contracts with some big stores. I think he may sell it to Wegmans. It would be too far over there for me to do anything with any of the stuff. I probly have access to a lot more trees here where Im at. I really like his building though. Theron

[red maples]

today diggin' a hole...diggin' a hole...diggin' a hole. and finally building a bridge across the creek!!!

[red maples]

If you ever wonder why NH is Called the "granite state" just grab a shovel and you will know in less than 2 minutes!!!

Got the bridge done today only 8 feet long but it was hot and humid I had to change my clothes I was sweatin' so much but when you swingin a 10lb sledge breaking up granite for 1-1/2 hours and digging by hand that'll give a workout boy!!!!:-|

Just need to get some fill to bring one side up a bit and fill in a few low spots on the road!!!

[Dennis H.]

Why the heck are you breaking up the granite, man you can't get more stable than that. As long as it is just not surface rock it won't go anywhere. use that as a base, real nice footer. If it needs attached so not to more, get a hammer drill and drill some holes for anchors and bolts even some epoxy would work.

[Amber Gold]

I got my first out of state order today. Someone down in NJ saw my information on the NHMPA website and called me up.

I may have picked up two more wholesale accounts at local farms. One is a popular apple orchard which I think will move a lot of syrup while it's open. The other is a goat farm which is open year round. They're in the works, so nothing's definite at this point.

The property owner with the sugar maples has drafted an agreement. Plan is to go over this weekend to review, and hopefully, sign it. Plan would be to get this tubed up ASAP starting in September.

In two weeks there's a Heritage Fair with 2-3000 people expected. I think I'll be the only one selling syrup. There'll be another producer there, but she's considered a food vender and I think will only be doing cotton candy and ice cream. With that many people, I wonder how much syrup I can move?

[red maples]

Why the heck are you breaking up the granite, man you can't get more stable than that. As long as it is just not surface rock it won't go anywhere. use that as a base, real nice footer. If it needs attached so not to more, get a hammer drill and drill some holes for anchors and bolts even some epoxy would work.

that would be great if was in the right place but it never is!!!

[220 maple]

Made candy again last night, store owner called Monday night, it had been six days since I delivered. You can't buy stale sugar candy at that store it turns over to fast.

Mark 220 Maple

[Dill]

Just doing hay. I did have to go into the sugar house to find my portable grinder the other day. Syrup stock is dwindling for sure out there. But it looks like I'll have plenty of firewood at this rate. Just get the word that you'll take pine and it will come to you.
My wife sold another decent order of syrup to HI, pretty much every time a group of worker's come over from Pearl Harbor now they seek her out as the "maple lady".

[red maples]

sold a bunch of syrup the last few days....only 1 pt of syrup stolen. what ya gonna do?? so supply is dwindling as well. still lots of B yet but only because I more than than everything else Med/DArk almost gone!!!

[red maples]

[QUOTE=Amber Gold;115397]I got my first out of state order today. Someone down in NJ saw my information on the NHMPA website and called me up.

QUOTE]

I guess I can say my syrup is now world wide.

Have syrup in NH, VT, NJ, NC, CA, TX, MA, PA and England!!!

[Amber Gold]

Red maples...nice job on sales.

Dill...if you produce it they'll come.

[red maples]

alot of it was friends and family but almost all sales though...where in NJ is the person that contacted you? I am from there originally!!! just curious...

also glad to here you are getting some stuff lined up for the upcoming season. I am sure it really took the wind out of your sails especially after working so hard to get a good customer base the past few years!!!

[ennismaple]

I guess I can say my syrup is now world wide.

Have syrup in NH, VT, NJ, NC, CA, TX, MA, PA and England!!!

Well done! It's satisfying to see your syrup make it's way around the world. I've got some going to Germany this weekend. I really need to get a world map to keep track of all the places our syrup has gone!

[Farmboy]

Went to home depot today to order mainline and got to deal with there wonderful staff. NOT! I even give them the modle and serial # and they still couldnt find it. Oh well I will try the other homedepot that is in the next town over and see if the staff there has any comon sence. There worse than Napa.

[Dennis H.]

Good news today! I am one step closer to getting a new big shiny thing in the sugarshack. Chris just emailed me that my new evap is ready to ship. I got to send off a check and I should be good to go.

Farmboy I kind of figured that they would be like that I was kind of skeptical to hear from someone else on the trader here ordered some and got a good deal on it. I was going to stop in and ask one of these day just for Sh!%'s and giggles.

[Farmboy]

Home depot has all the 100' roles of 3/4" 100 psi you could want for $0.18 but I really wanted a 500' role. I might go back and just buy a bunch of 100' roles. The 500' role was cheaper per foot.

[red maples]

Got some going to OH soon.

So our town wants to start up a an Ag Commission.

Went to a meeting last night for it and signed up to be on it. It was a pretty big turn out for our little town.

With a possible farmers market and educational series at the school workshops where people come to the farms and learns about different types Ag. + a bunch other stuff.

Should be able to sell alot of syrup through it !!!:) lots of possible sales from town folk last night. Gotta get the word around more!!!

[Dennis H.]

We have a farmers market in the town of Carlisle that I want to stop in and checkout. It is called Farmers on the Square. Only producers cen sell stuff there so there will be no junk sellers. It is a kind of market where it is run by the people who have the stands. Not sure if there is and fees to have a stand there or not that is what I want to find out. Not sure if I will try to sell there this year or just wait till next year, I am sell syrup from the house right and doing ok with that. We'll see.

[red maples]

thats what I am doing for this year too...just out the house and word of mouth. which is good because I didn't make that much but next year's gonna be the BUMPER CROP!!!! at least I hope for me anyway.

but as I grow I will need more outlets for sales. So this may be the perfect thing for me.

[Rhino]

Had some nice feedback from a Wisconsin Maple syrup judge last Wednesday who was up vacationing in Eagle River. He stopped by the farmers market and introduced himself and ask if he could "critique" our syrup. After he visually looked it over he then sampled it like a fine wine. He loved it so much he bought a gallon. I know we all hear from our customers," oh you guys make the best tasteing syrup" I also heard of some syrup makers in other areas of the state say their syrup has a slight off flavor. I wonder how much the soil/minerals have to do with the flavor of the syrup? With our syrup, we don't do anything special so i always give the credit to the location of our sugar bush. Wonder if that has alot to do with it or am i way off base?

[TF Maple]

Nice job on the syrup Rhino, he probably took a gallon so when he judges syrup and tastes some bad stuff, he can give them a taste of your syrup and say "this is what good syrup is supposed to taste like."

You are what you eat and the same goes for your trees or any other plants. So the soil is very important, in my opinion, with how good your sap and syrup is. Of course the trees have to have good genetic potential too.

Over 60 years ago, when my dad was young and was working for other farmers in the neighborhood, he had his eye on the farm we own now because he knew from the crops and working the soil, it was the best soil around. And custom crop harvesting operators have the same opinion when they harvest our crops.

So when our sap started out at 5% and didn't drop below 3% until the last day of the season, I think it is genetic potential and then good soil to let the trees do what they are capable of. So you must have good soil there too I would think.

[forester1]

My first year at the local farmers market this year and I have sold 2/3 of my crop almost exclusively there. My syrup has gone to visitors to take home to Japan, England, Switzerland, and Slovakia as well as many states. It's fun talking to people about maple syrup from elsewhere, even those who just want to taste mine to compare to their own.

[Farmboy]

Today my dads friend asked him if I was intrested in tapping his maple trees. He needed more land in ag use to keep his land in chapter 61a so tommorow i'm going over there with a Lease form for him to look over and so I can look through his woods. He has about 4 wooded acres so hopefully I can run tubing to one spot. He's less than a mile down the street from me too. I'm really expanding this year. I've been bitten by the bug bad.

[KenWP]

Went to home depot today to order mainline and got to deal with there wonderful staff. NOT! I even give them the modle and serial # and they still couldnt find it. Oh well I will try the other homedepot that is in the next town over and see if the staff there has any comon sence. There worse than Napa.

You haven't lived till you try to work in French. I asked the other day for pressure treated fench posts and she said do you want 4 inch square or 6 inch square. When I told her I wanted round ones so big she looked at me if I had horns. She had never heard of round fence posts. I said they were to fence in cows and that confused her even more. Turns out regular fence posts for barb wire do not get stocked anywhere close by any lumber yard or farm supply dealer. I should have suspected it as I have not seen one brand new fence put up around here in the 3 years.
I asked for grit for my chickens and got two bags of turkey feed loaded in the truck instead. Nobody had ever heard of chicken grit either so I had to find a sand pile the wind had blowen hard on and picked up a bag of little stones left behind when the sand blew away. I tried to buy medicated turkey feed and got no where with that either. I even asked the poultry specialist from the biggest feed company in the country and she looked at me like I was a idiot. You can buy it but they call it weird names instead of medicated feed.

[Amber Gold]

Got the agreement from the property owner and he just modified it to fit our needs. There's some minor errors which will need to be addressed before it can be signed. We also agreed on a price so this property should locked in. Time to start spending money.

Now I need to decide if I spend the time to reuse tubing that two years old, use all but the drops, or just start over. It seems like a waste to not reuse 2-year old tubing, but it's also PITA to do so. We'll see.

[Dennis H.]

Josh I bet that releaves some stress, but like you know now the work starts.
Glad to hear you got an agreement.



I did alittle fab'in today. I picked up a Delaval milk sink at an auction this past spring. It had a center divider in it, it was kind of banged up and it wasn't sealed so I removed it an now have a nice sap tank. I figure it will hold right around 75 gals. I removed the angle iron legs and built a nice wooden frame to support it. Now I have to make up a lid for it and I will be set. I will have to make something also to hold my Bender releaser. I figure something on the end and the dump valve inside under the lid.

[gator330]

Back at it! Ready to lay down cement this week and start cleaning up the rest of the building. Thinking the maple opperation is going to get 1/4 (15x25) of the building with the head tank on a upper level. Be able to back in the truck or trailer that will haul the sap then pump it up to the second level. This part of the building is over a basement Going to reinforce the floor and set the evaporator on cement board also thinking it is going to be a fuel oil evaporator. Need to be able to turn it on and off. When I need to go I need to go. Just have to tap more tree's for some added cost. Be easyer on the help this way too. I'll Be in the market for a 3x8 fuil oil evaporator as soon as I can cut down some trees (other then maple) and get them sold to pay for it... Really don't think it will be up and running by March.

Four weeks and I will be hunting bear and elk in Colorado. Never left the kids:cry: /farm:confused: /job:lol: for two weeks before. Going to be a shock to me. Really looking forward to it.

Only 15 half pints of syrup left for sale and I'm sold out. Have a good fall as I find it hard to get time to log on this time of the year.

[Randy Brutkoski]

Finished up framing the 4th wall today on the new sugarhouse, Next is the rafters, that should be alot of fun. I will try to post some pictures tomorow, if i can figure it out. My better half will probably end up doing it for me.

[Dill]

Got some going to OH soon.

So our town wants to start up a an Ag Commission.

Went to a meeting last night for it and signed up to be on it. It was a pretty big turn out for our little town.!

I just started an Ag committee in town last month. We have to wait til town meeting to vote it into a commission. We had a major issue with a sugarhouse and a new neighbor last spring. So I decided it was finally time to get one going. Mostly its a fun meeting to BS about farming.
I sent more syrup to Austria in exchange for cheese and chocolate.
Fixed the headgaskets in the Zetor and am looking forward to heading up to Forniers auction this saturday. Too bad Leader isn't open for the day as well.

[red maples]

I don't have any problems with the neighbors...they know if they can smell it the wood burning rich then they come in for samples!!!;) yeah we pretty much did away with the town meeting type vote and went with the absentee ballet. but they still hold the meeting to discuss the items on the ballets...I hate it it always gets folks all riled up.

We have to get it voted in as well, next spring is our annual hoopla!!! but we have alot of support so I assume it will slide though easily.

Took the long trek out to bascom's today...my first time... the drive sucked but its like being in a candy store!!! Its nice to see all that stuff much better than catalogs and computer pics. when I was there a tractor pulled up loaded with stainless!!!! mostly tanks I think. I ordered ahead so they everything I needed already to go... I am sure I forgot something but good for now!!!

[Dill]

So your town is Sb2, which in my mind is an absolutely terrible way to run. Let me ask you this are in a default budget? Epsom has had one for 6 years running. You get 2.5% higher than the year before. I tell people that town meeting worked well for 250+ years why change it now?
My neighbors are fine with all of my playing farmer. But we had a guy buy a house in march with a shared driveway next to a pretty serious producer in town. And then complain about the amount of pickups coming in and out of the sugarhouse. He did stop calling me to complain when he saw my truck in there dropping off sap.
I grew up in Lee and they where the first town in NH to have an AG commission. If you get the right mix of people its good, if not its one more layer of useless government.

[red maples]

No default budget...everything is voted on and then the increase is figured and applied. I have to say I like the Sb2 better because for some reason our town doesn't like to participate in town meetings they just go about their own business unless it really concerns them!!! Or they really have to be there. One thing that was happening was the town gov and a few older folks were showing up and half the time most of the residents didn't even know about the meetings even me when I first moved here. anyway the town gov was basically voting on their own salary and the town secretaries make a really nice salary and really don't do that much except process a form here and there and type something up or have to pull a tax map now and again and don't work more than 30 hrs a week. So once stuff like this caught wind the petition went out and now we are an Sb2. which seems to better so far a much much bigger voting turnout.

The good thing about farm commission is that we are trying to get the town people and local farmers to run it so that it can do what they want it to do for them. Not what the town says you have to do with it. if that makes sense. and it won't be run by the selectmen ...thanks god!!! So we are excited about it. A few old timers were a little worried about how it will govern them but thats not the purpose as you know!!!

[stoweski]

Finished installing the water line to my sugarshack today since it was raining. Cold water only although I'd like to get one of those on-demand water heaters. Problem is they say not to use them near open flame. Since I have the wood-fired evaporator as well as a propane stove & finisher I'd say I have too many open flames. Cold water will have to do for now.

Last week I threw on a coat of Behr transparent stain on the shack. Looks much deeper/richer now. Took nearly 6 gallons of stain on a 14 x 20 shack w/cupola! Rough cut pine soaks it right up. I didn't want it to weather gray and decided this was the best stuff. Hopefully I won't have to treat it again for a long time! Took nearly four days to do it. Yuck!

Have post holes dug and ready to be filled to build my wood shed on the back of the shack. It's going to be 12 x 14 and will keep the wood undercover as well as the sap tank. Got a load of #2 round stone for the floor.

Still a few things left to do (like split/stack more wood) but I'm getting there. Hopefully I'll have it 100% ready to go by Turkey Day (or the end of the year). That's my goal. We'll see.:rolleyes:

Enjoy the wet weather! We need it.

[Amber Gold]

All the money I made this year, and then some, just bought a Lapierre 250 RO. I picked it up today near St. Albans, VT. Very excited and can't wait to boil concentrate next season.

The sugar maple property is now official. We signed papers last Friday night. This is going to work out very well and the property owner is excited about this as well. Now I just need to work on the red maple property and hope to get that under contract this fall, so I have an orchard to expand into next year.

Things are coming together. HUGE load off my shoulders. Time to get to work.

[red maples]

Good for you!!! sounds like everything is falling into place. now get busy hangin' tubing!!!

[dano2840]

well turned 18 on thursday, moved to barre the sunday before, i wasnt planning on sugaring at my sugar house in college any way, but since my mom split with her boy friend i may not be sugaring there ever, im not to worried, here at vtc now, i could help with their sugar house but its just not the same as doing it your self, deer season will be used for both hunting deer and for about a 100 taps near a sugar house hahaha, we'll see how it all pans out

[DrTimPerkins]

well turned 18 on thursday, moved to barre the sunday before, i wasnt planning on sugaring at my sugar house in college any way, but since my mom split with her boy friend i may not be sugaring there ever, im not to worried, here at vtc now, i could help with their sugar house but its just not the same as doing it your self

Come on up to Underhill and give us a hand. :)

[Thad Blaisdell]

dano, If you are at VTC, what program are you enrolled in. I am sure that
Charlie Dana would appreciate the help with their sugar house. If you see him ask him if he is done with the barrel he borrowed from me.

[tuckermtn]

All the money I made this year, and then some, just bought a Lapierre 250 RO. I picked it up today near St. Albans, VT. Very excited and can't wait to boil concentrate next season.

The sugar maple property is now official. We signed papers last Friday night. This is going to work out very well and the property owner is excited about this as well. Now I just need to work on the red maple property and hope to get that under contract this fall, so I have an orchard to expand into next year.

Things are coming together. HUGE load off my shoulders. Time to get to work.


Josh- GO man GO!

[Dennis H.]

Been selling syrup lately, Haven't sold much the past 2 months and then all of a sudden it starts to move.
I also just put a small ad in the local paper. I am kind of courious how many calls I will get from that.
I am just not sure how fast I will run out. I have been wanting to pick up some bulk syrup and repack it as my own but the wife says that it isn't "MY" syrup so I would be lying to my customers. I try to tell her that it may hurt me more if I run out and have no more to sell.
I will at least take thier name and number for the coming season.

I got the sugarshack all cleaned up and read to go for the new evap.

I walked a buddy's lot this morning to look for more maples, I feel good about it there looks like there may be 2 or 3 areas that I can do. I want to try and have one of those on vac but it may have to live with gravity for this year.

[farmall h]

Dano looks like Dr. T wants to take you under his wing! You may want to change your major to a BS in Syrup.;)

[Farmboy]

Got the floor drain piped in and have the drainline roughed in to where the sinks going and it is backfilled. The only problem is I can't compact it yet because there's a soccer ball sized bees nest in the rafters and they don't like vibrations. So hopefully it comes down in the next few nights. Then I need to dig a small trench to run eleteric to it. Then compact it and it will be ready for concrete.

[KenWP]

Bees don't make nest do they. Sounds more like good old hornets or wasps. Don't light fire to it like one twit. Hang a big blowen up paper bag and see if they will move out.

[Farmboy]

There deffenitly hornets. I think at night i'm just going to get on a ladde go up there and put a plastic contractor bag around it. Thn knock the nest into it and seal up the bag. Next time I have a bon fire everything is going on it.

[red maples]

Glad to see more folks on here as of late...everybody gettin back from vacations and kids are starting school in the next week or so. more to read!!!:)

everyone getting back to maple!!!

My wood is done for sugaring, wood for house is starting pile up nicely hopwfully be finished by the end of next week. bottled up the last 17 gallons of syrup. Folks even like my "C" Grade stuff sold some of that too. everyone is running out of syrup that bought from me and is returning for more....guess I am doing something right!!!

as soon as the bugs let up a little more I will be working on tubing and stuff!!! and button things up for the long winter!!! can't wait til I'm tappin trees again!!!

[Farmboy]

My dad took care of the bees last night. I walked in the sugaR shack this morning and there was a ladder setup and a five gallon bucket tht had written in the cover DO NOT OPEN BEES! So now I can get the floor prepped for concrete befor school starts next Wednesday. That will cut down on sugaing time.

[Amber Gold]

Eric, GIT R' DONE! The race is on now. Let's hope for 700 taps and 3% sap. With the RO, let's bring it on!

I've decided to go with all new tubing...probably reusing mainline. I don't think it makes sense to start a lease with used tubing and possibly replacing it mid-lease. I also don't have the time to deal with making the tubing fit the new woods. It'll be an expense, but it should yield good results this season if the weather's there.

[red maples]

Yeah WEATHER!!!!! 'tis the key!!!:confused:

[Parker]

Pouring rain yesterday, too wet to log,,so Ray and I got out the big powersaws(2100-394-066) with 2 foot bars and started quarting the big (3foot thru) chuncks that have been collecting at the sugarhouse..think we worked up 15 or so cords and stacked it with the crane,,ready for the splitter,,,,I think I am about 15 cords short of what I need here,,,,but,,I also think the volume in those chunks might suprise me,,,I have alot to split and stack...BUT moving forward!!!

[Farmboy]

I got 2 100' roles of 3/4" 100psi pipe at home depot today for mainline for my neibors woods. I also got a few vice grips so i can make a tubing tool. Also dug a trench from the barn the the sugar shack so I can run water and electricity to the sugar shack.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Ran more main line and wet/dry line today..... another 4000 feet completed. so far I have put up 14000 feet of wire and 12000 feet of black pipe. I figure I have roughly 6-7000 feet more to go.

[Turtlecreek]

Getting the feaver! I have to go get wood I got permission from a friend of mine that is building a house to get all of the 2x cut offs. I stopped by the other day and he must have atleast one truck load already! I just got to go get it put it on pallets and cover it up. I think I will have enough with that and the wood I have been stock piling over the summer.

I hope to free up a few bucks to order a new pan from a menonites welder down the street that can build me one really cheap. I also need to order an new air tight door and put I all together, I burnt the pan last year and my door is failing.

The race is on!

[Dennis H.]

I walked the woods of a buddy of mine today and found seversl nice stands of maples.
One area I can get about 120 nice slope too. I am looking to put this on vac.
Another area I can get maybe 30-40, this will be nice for a gravity setup. The slope is very steep.
The other areas are for future expansion if I ever need them.

My buddy sounds like he is all for it, seeing that it will allow him to put the 90 acres into Clean and Green AG and save a boat load of money on taxes!!

I will need to go back over and really plan how I want to run the tubing and then show him what I want to do. I don't want to cause and hardship.

I am happy now that I have more trees lined up for tapping. It is a good day.:)

[3rdgen.maple]

Just got home from my daughters sweet 16 party. 8 hours of screaming 16 year old girls and boys. My ears are ringing. Got home watched the news and the idiot that runs this state got a tax bill to pass. I thought I heard it all but if you buy a bagel in NY and they slice it for you you gotta pay a tax on it now. Name of the tax bagle slice tax. What is this world coming to? Anyways have any of you maple producers made it to the state fair and seen the NYS maple producers booth? Would like to go and see it but something about 100,000 people crammed into one spot does not interest me.

[stoweski]

Going to the state fair on Monday specifically to see the NYS Maple booth. Haven't been to the state fair with all of the others around me - including the one in Altamont just 5 minutes away.

Did not see the new bagel tax but I wouldn't put it past him. Ever since he got into office he's been pushing taxes for everything under the sun. Can't wait 'til the day he's gone! Although he may be taxing everyone in the state but I highly doubt he'll be able to go see a Yankers game for free anymore!

Finally got the beams to make the roof extension to cover the wood & sap tank on the back of my shack. Used a wrecker truck to get the stuff since my trailer is only 8'. Thank god for helpful neighbors (with excavators & wreckers!!!). Passed along a few pounds of honey & another quart of syrup as payment. He loves the stuff.

Travers weekend - means I stay away from Saratoga!

Keith

[Farmboy]

I dont know how long you state fair is but down here in mass we have the BIG E its 17 days long and its prettty much in a city. Im there every weekend and some weekdays. It gets old after awhile. I dont have anything against city people but ive had too deal with some wackos. Are any other traders working at the mass maple booth. Im going to be there the first or second saturday I think.

[jrthe3]

hi yall i am back and feeling better sorry to them who pm me i will try to get to you on the auto draw off as time permitts i have i long road to a full recovery

[3rdgen.maple]

hi yall i am back and feeling better sorry to them who pm me i will try to get to you on the auto draw off as time permitts i have i long road to a full recovery

Did I miss something? What happened?

[ennismaple]

Got some mainline work done in the bush this weekend. Cut a couple limbs off of lines, added some side ties and fixed some mainline that had humps and hollows in it. We also walked the main bush and added wire ties to old mainline that was put up with zip ties or electrical tape. Hopefully snugging things up will help get better vacuum out into the bush. The time spent walking the lines gave me a chance to figure out exactly what needs to be done to add drylines to that bush.

A buddy who just finished his forestry college program is looking for work and will split wood and fill pallets for us over the next few weeks. I'm already planning what to work on with the time saved!

Not many work weekends left before the snow flies!!!! So much to do, so little time...

[Dennis H.]

Well my list just keeps getting longer and longer.
At work last night I started to make a list of things that need finished or even started, WOW! I need to get my butt in gear.

Most of the things can't be done until the new evap shows up. Hood, preheater, feed tank. Now I can make the sdtand to hold the drawoff tank for the evap.

Oh yeah I am also looking into getting another piece of sugar'in equipment. A Kubota RTV500. Stopped by the dealer this morning to hand my app to see if I qualify for the 0% 0 down for 60 month's. They are just giving it away!!

[PATheron]

Dennis- That would be super if you could get some trees close to the house. Spent the weekend here pretty much finishing up the big work in the shed. Dont have to much left in there now and I think I will save whats left for rain days. Starting tomarrow its operation FINETUNE on my lines. Going to work steady now from here to season making things perfect. Adding dry lines. Fixing leaks, grading everything better, etc. Want perfection by season. If I get done ahead I might even put more taps out but want perfection first. Even thinking of running the pump this fall with the drops parked and fixing leaks that I can get now before even winter. Want some BIGSAP for my BIGRIG!! Thee(gonna make 3000 gallons and if its 2,999 Im tipping the barrells over and feeding it to the critters)roon

[jrthe3]

3rdgen i broke both my legs at work a ditch came in on me about a mounth ago just starting to move around

[Revi]

I hope you're feeling better 3rd gen.

The woods around here are really dry. It rained all day last week, but the creeks didn't have a drop in them at our woodlot. The ground must have soaked it all up.

We could use the rain, but I hope the wind stays offshore from the hurricane.

[3rdgen.maple]

Revi I m feeling fine its jrthe3 that had the accident. A speedy recovery for you Jrthe3. I broke my knee once back in the stupid snowmobile racing days. Cant imagine dealing with 2 broken legs. Not good. They youngest boy broke his wrist saturday when he fell on it.

[Farmboy]

Didn't do much maple today. I did order supplys so I can pick them up at the blanford fair instead of going all the way out to the dealer. Baled 7 acres but we havesnt got enough rain so we only got 70-80 bales on second cut. We should be able to make it tro the winter though.

[Revi]

Sorry, I meant Jrthe3. I hope you are feeling better.

Hot, Hot, Hot here in Central Maine.

Time to dive into a lake!

[Paddymountain]

Got up and split wood this morning before work, much nicer at 63 degrees than 90. Still have a little to split, and all of it to put away.

[tuckermtn]

any other Traders putting their syrup in at the Hopkington Fair this weekend? first time for us at hopkington- we usually do Sandwich Fair in October. My 11 yr old daughter wants to go to the fair over the weekend to see the alpacas- we just inherited two alpacas and she thinks she want to show them next year.

almost out of syrup, even after buying a barrel from a local producer. I need to get over to Bascoms to trade in my commercial so I can buy some more bulk.

not much happening in the woods till October/november when I plan on taking a week off to blitz out some expansion. just picked up a GAST 2567-103 vac pump and looking forward to figuring it out...looking for the BIG SUCK next season.

[Thad Blaisdell]

tuckermtn are you going to enter your syrup or from the local producer? LOL I am entering some in the Tunbridge Worlds Fair sent the pre-registration in last week. I figure if I can win at the "Worlds Fair" then who can touch my quality......

[tuckermtn]

its from the last 5 gals of my syrup- but my wife asked the same question...but I know its been done before- just not by me.

[220 maple]

Hey traders it's September, an no one has started the September Journal, I tried but apparently it would not let me start the thread, maybe it's because today I'm another day older! And that disqualfies me because if the math is right I was concieved on New Years eve. Therefore the system knows that bad things can happen at a New Years eve party. I have been living proof of that for 52 years. Lol................

[Thad Blaisdell]

Happy birthday 220, hope you have a great day.