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Have fun Bryan, they’ll soak it up like a sponge. Took my granddaughter with me last year plowing the yard with the 4 wheeler for fun and just yesterday did it again and she ran the winch. Amazing what she remembered at 6 years old. Pretty soon they’ll be telling you what you did wrong while tapping :lol:
If they can handle the drill safely, I’d let them drill. Or hold the drill with them. Most kids want to do, not watch. Worst case you’ll have a leaky tap.
I think getting kids involved is important. Probably let them hammer with supervision for this year. When they are old enough they can support a drill why not let them drill some with supervision. Yes it may lead to a yield loss on some taps because mistakes were make, but we are all human and have made a mistake before tapping (wait no I tap perfect every single hole every single time..... grin). Personally I would take a little yield losss and get the next generation involved and excited over the extra money. Have fun
I have no problem letting kids help. I coached and later ran a youth program (as a volunteer) in Vermont for nearly 20 yrs that was very much "hands off" for adults https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/ and was involved nationally and internationally. Was pretty much my and wife's full-time volunteer job for a really long time. So I do understand the importance and happiness of teaching and letting kids do new things. So if sugaring is a hobby and you don't really care about losing a little sap, go for it. But if you're the "every drop is precious" type or making syrup for a living, drilling the taphole is one of the last jobs kids can do. Lug buckets, get firewood, tap in spouts (after instruction and initial supervision)....no problem. Drill tapholes....no.
I'm putting up my gravity lines tomorrow. I have help and I'll take it! The rest of the single trees will go in when 10 day looks promising. 3-4 more chances to snow here in southern CT this coming week...
I'd say let the kids drill their own tree and put a bucket on those trees and have them be responsible for collecting the sap from them. Or, if they can't be there, let them know how much sap they got. Just like having their own icefishing hole and tilt. Or a corner of the garden where they planted seeds and have to weed that section and watch the seeds grow in to vegetables. They love that stuff!! Heck, my girlfriend picked out a tree and drilled a tap hole when I went to get more buckets last year. She was texting me all the time wondering how HER tree was doing. I'd have to take a picture of the bucket so she could see it.
That's the way to do it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gord
I tapped today!!!!
Couldn't wait any longer - like an itch that you just have to scratch. 43 taps on tubing. We had to finish running some tubing - all new this year so not as simple as just tapping, as I made sure it was straight, tight, and downhill so this time, I don't have to replace it after only three years. It was so nice to hear the drip-drip-drip in the sap bin after we were done! I still have about 25 buckets to put up in two of my neighbors yards. Maybe tomorrow, but will have to check the weather first.
Finally - the season has started!:D
Worked on finishing up the mainline and installing drops this weekend. At the end of today I have 500' of 3/4" mainline tubing installed plus around 1500' of 5/16" lateral lines and about 82 drop lines installed. By the time the last few laterals and drops are installed next weekend I should have around 130-140 drop lines installed.
Planning on tapping next weekend if the forecast stays steady.
Tapped yesterday so that today's miniscule run could clear/rinse the lines.
I'll start collecting tomorrow but not expecting too much in the next week.
That said, the work is done, the vac is on, and I'm ready when the sap starts running!
Feels good to have the work done, and now just letting the system do its work.