What the hell does that have to do with being organic?Quote:
Originally Posted by spud
Unbelieveable
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What the hell does that have to do with being organic?Quote:
Originally Posted by spud
Unbelieveable
If you think that is bad then you should dig deep into "organic" guidelines. One would think it means producing without chemicals but some of the practice guidelines are crazy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maplewalnut
Organic does not mean simply that the product was done without using certain types of chemicals or substances. It also includes best practices for sustainability and land management.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maplewalnut
In the case of NOFA, they are a membership organization. Typically members get a chance to vote on such changes (or at least voice their opinions) at the annual meeting.
I had heard that they were going to start enforcing the 9" minimum rule. Previously if you had trees that were less that that, but you intended to thin (cull) them in your next forest thinning, you could mark them as cull trees and tap them in the interim. Apparently they found that too difficult to enforce.
video of our two releasers working with a moderate flow of sap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-o...ature=youtu.be
I got: " This video is private, Sorry about that."Quote:
Originally Posted by sjdoyon
Let me try one more time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-o...ature=youtu.be
looks like it worked that time. thanks for sharing it,, nice sap run there fore sure.
Well dug this old thread out, seamed to be an appropriate time for it. What's going on in the vt woods? With an abundance of help Sunday I felt like we made head way in the woods. Finally thanks to good friends and family it's coming together. Still got to wire the sugarhouse and plumb the RO. Then clean tanks and finish up the last section of woods. I think it's shaping up to be a good year, Im planing on tapping end of this month.
When's everyone else thinking they will tap in?
PM
???????
..........
???????
I was able to tap 700 today. The snow was up to my knees (22-24 inches) and it was hard going. Things are going very good for me though and I hope to be all tapped in by the 15th of this month. Once I am all tapped in I am going to run another mainline on a lower section in hopes to getting about 200 more taps. The chains on my 4-wheeler have been a life saver for me this year. I think it's setting up to be a very good sugaring season.
Spud
http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...he-2015-SeasonQuote:
Originally Posted by PARKER MAPLE
Sounds like your off and running spud. Good luck this year, I'm sure you will do well. This are getting going for me know. 10 day still showing cold so probably be the end of the month for us before we start tapping..
few more parts for ro showed up, garage all insulated starting sugar house portion and putting ceiling in so we dont have to wear long johns and insulated coveralls while boiling. hopefully drill holes in frost and run lines across fields.
GeneralStark,Quote:
Originally Posted by GeneralStark
This Thread was started by Parker Maple ( over a year ago ) for all Vermont Sugar Maker's to give each other updates. Once the sap starts running this is the Thread i click on daily to see how everyone is doing. Why are you trying to end it and start a new thread? It's fun to read what each state is doing throughout the season. It would be better if we did not have more then one thread for Vermont Producers. I'm sticking with Parker Maple. Just my 2 cents.
Spud
We are way behind this year. We are still putting our arch back together. The plumbing for the pan is being welded this week. I have to build a float this weekend so hopefully next week we can start our woods work. We will be pushing it.
Spud - I'm not trying to end anything. I responded to Parker's inquiry to give him a heads up that people were posting what they were up to in a different thread in case he was interested. After going back and reading my thread I actually see that you and Parker both posted in it.....A thread I had started to see what people are up to in VT in the 2015 season.Quote:
Originally Posted by spud
It seems like each state has their own way of setting up their season's tapping updates. I think Pennsylvania has a good model with one general season thread and then more specific threads. I don't frankly care how we do it, but please don't accuse me of staring a pissing match. I posted a thread to a public forum and people starting posting to it (including you and Parker). Parker revived his thread which you seem to think is the one VT producers should use. That's fine with me and I am ok letting my thread die.
Just having some fun and trying to see what others are up to...
Personally I think each year should be its own thread this one is currently 58 pages and most of it non relevant to what is going on this year! just my opinion.
As the season gets closer I have always looked for the Thread title ( Checking what Vermont sugar maker's are doing ). I kinda got used of that and when I saw Parker Maple post something my thought was ok here we go for season 2015. Parker's post was the first one of the season. General I am not upset with you starting another Thread I was just wondering why it was needed. I think had your Thread title said (Vermont 2015 Season) it would have been better. Either Thread we go with is fine but having two is silly. We all look forward to seeing how each other is doing throughout the season. I think steve j makes a very good point as long as the Thread title list the State and year.
Spud
I would gladly change the title of the thread if I knew how but I don't have the time to figure that out. Perhaps a moderator has to do it?
Anyway, I figured that "The 2015 Season" in the "Tapping Vermont" section would be descriptive enough to let others know that the thread would be about the 2015 season in VT. It works for other states, and clearly it was pretty clear for a number of people whom already posted.
I don't personally think there are two threads on the subject. "The 2015 Season"a is pretty clearly about the 2015 season. This thread is not really about any specific season, but it just happens that we used it last season for posting updates.
If someone can let me know how to change the title I will gladly do so. For now let's just see where people post, but given that there are quite a few more posts in the 2015 season about the 2015 season, it seems clear to me what makes the most sense.:)
Broke some trails today in hopes that I will be tapping this weekend. Would like to have 5000 tapped by the end of the weekend. Time will tell.
Spud
Picked up more mainline and wire for tomorrow this afternoon. Man froze my you no what this morning -18. I think all my help is coming back in morning seems that we are making progress. Checked out the RO room this morning all the insulation and heater is keeping it nice and warm. Still need to do the plumbing in there but shouldn't take to long. Sounds like more snow for the weekend could accumulate up to another 12". My plowing customers are going to start hating me soon. Oh we'll pay up or get out there shovel.
Looks like another foot of snow for me in the next few days. The race is on to try to beat the deep snow.
Spud
Breaking trails in morning and strapping on the snowshoes
Finished up the winter logging in the sugarbush just before the big snows came. Now looking to extend the mainlines and redo laterals for vacuum (Waterhouse sap puller) and set up the new collection tank. Don't plan on adding too many new taps this season, but hoping the vacuum will up production significantly
Ian you will absolutely wonder why you didn't do vacuum before now. I don't think I will ever set up a bush now whit out it. It's just like money in the bank. But it's really sap in the tank.... Sorry had to do it lolQuote:
Originally Posted by northwoods_forestry
Parker
Was able to tap 500 more today. Snow is really deep was things went well. Looking to do 500 more tomorrow.
Spud
Man I love being able to read back on the old posts and see what was going on this time last year.
I wonder if Randy has tweaked the helium injection system he was working on?...
Spud how many taps will you have this year?
randy is in high gear i hear cleaning up his big sugar woods because of the Dec. storm, guess he lost a lot of treesQuote:
Originally Posted by PARKER MAPLE
yes he is tweaking the HE injection on his system hoping to get as much sap with less trees
Hey Flats what is Thad up to? I have not seen him on Trader for a while. I hope when the sap starts running we will hear from Thad, Randy and yourself more often.
Parker Maple it looks like I will have 9000 this year. Once the tapping is done I am adding a mainline in hopes of getting a few hundred more. The snow is very deep 20-24 inches so everything takes longer to do. I too like to look back a year ago to see what we all were doing. I just hope I did not upset General. I have always enjoyed reading his post. He is a great asset to the Trader.
Spud
I was wondering how Randy was making out I know his Hubbardton bush got hit real hard. We took a pretty good slap in our Orwell bush Had 60 man hours in just getting stuff off the lines still broken beeach hanging here and there but work around them. Maple trees survived well (thank God) they are a tuff tree! I've been trying to get another 1000 new taps in this year but the weather and lack of help have been a challenge getting close now. I wanted to start tapping next weekend Feb. 14 but temps even here in the banana belt of VT don't look to be far from 0 Sure hope this March is not as cold as last March was!! I always say though every year is different no two seasons are the same that's what make's sugaring interesting
Talked to Thad. I think Sunday. He was going to start tapping Monday.Quote:
Originally Posted by spud
iv been doing a little stuff but dont want to turn this into a FB posting:today i woke up started the coffee had to go to bathroom to drop a duece, wiped , went back out coffee was done opened computer sat down, had to get back up to let dogs out. went back to sit down, GF said she couldnt move blue containers out of bath tub::lol:
I put up the ceiling joists in sugar house yesterday, going to insulate today then plywood for now. I insulted the arch to good have to wear insulated coveralls and long johns to boil.
randys bush in Benson got hit really hard I heard he lost a lot of tops of his trees. I havent talked to him since deer season, texted a couple times
Hey Flats if you add a little Sarah Lee Pound cake to your day then your day would be a lot like mine. Plan on tapping today once it hits 15 degrees. I think the wife wants me out of the house because she is outside the window blowing on the thermometer stem. If it was really 70 outside there would be no snow :confused: We only got one inch of snow last night so that's good. Got to go for now.
Spud
All tapped now. Install a high brix expansion for the RO. Put in a new vacuum pump with twice the CFM as the old one. Just adding a few more taps and waiting for the sap to run. It's going to be a while by the forecast. Snow continues to get deeper I had to retire the four wheeler and use the snowmobile.
Starting to get everything together for the season. It's been a long off season with some big changes happening here in Duxbury. Not really adding any taps this yr. Just trying to get all the equipment installed so I can add more next year. Last year I was at the max of my re-leaser, tanks, filter press and RO. Now I will have a new re-leaser, RO and filter press I still need to pick up. I'm cutting it close. I still need to set everything up, insulate a room, and install a few tanks. What is that saying, I may have bit off more than I can chew. There is a reason for the madness. I hope to add many more taps in the years to come and the equipment I am installing now will allow that to happen.
For this year, I think we are a month or more away before things really start happening on my dark corner of the humpy mountain. The snow is DEEP. It is no fun to blaze trail with snow shoes in 3-4 ft of fluffy snow, not at all. Even worse is when it fills back in the next day and you do it all over again. I know tracks for the wheeler are in my future.
Ben
Good luck to you Ben. Lets hope we all have a great season.
Spud
Still working on my new Sugarwoods. The lot will have about 7000ish taps when all done. Trying to get 1750 for this season. Started installing the second week of November. 2 men, afternoons and weekends. Started cutting in drops last weekend. I have about 900 left to go. Still need to install whips (30) and 3 boosters. 500' of double 2" to where the tank will be. Set tank when it arrives (5000gal). Build a enclosure for my new vac pump and electric releaser. Went with a AtlasCompCo GV150 w/106CFM's. Running with a VFD. Purchased from MES. New RO is about 2 weeks out. D&G Prestige 8post fully automatic with auto tank valves and concentrate high limit shut-off. Its a beast! When it arrives, it will need to be plumbed. It has a 3" intake!! All of the old plumbing is only 2". Figures. Set tank and pump in my other bush. Put up some aerial wet/dry. Then....Tap! Just over 5000. Going to be a busy couple of weeks, despite the cold temps. Waist deep snow is making it a slow process this week. Guess I will order some new snowshoes.
Syrup2nv sounds like you will be scrambling. Are you the operation at the sugar shack, on old rte 7?Quote:
Originally Posted by syrup2nv
Thanks Spud, I hope we all have another good crop.
syrup2nv, good luck to you as well. It sounds like we are in the same boat. All the hard work will be worth it when the sap is running and you get that beast RO working. You will miss boiling.
Ben
Syrupn2v- Wow sounds like you have some big money tied up in your operation. In time you might want to be the sap buyer of the South. Put that 8 post to work. Best of luck on your season.
Spud