Tapping near a landfill (dump)

If you really want to tap there take a sample of the groundwater (dig a hole, let it fill up and fill a one cup specimin jar) and the sap from one of the trees to a lab for a full spectrum chemical analysis. They'll be able to tell you if anything exceeds allowable limits for human consumption. If you want to be double certain, boil down a few gallons of sap into syrup and have it tested for full spectrum as well - contaminants will be concentrated when you make sap into syrup.

Is the bush uphill or downhill from the dump? Obviously, groundwater won't flow uphill. Another thing to consider is most of the roots for maples are shallow so the chances of them picking up contaminants from groundwater are low.

I wouldn't be to worried about it , everyone taps roadside trees, which as far as contamination are probably worse than being next to a dump. You have road salt, calcium chloride if on a dirt road, exhaust fumes everyday, leaking oil and fuel from cars and trucks.
The processed food we eat is probably more harmful to us than any sap that comes from a tree located anywhere near a dump or cemetary.

one must also remember that trees have a natural ability like an aquifer to filter out contaminants.

You're right MaplePancakeMan. Proctor Research has done tests for what's in maple sap and a person could get a good idea from those tests if you check their site, as to what is usually found in sap and the concentrations.

I know that it would be great to put on the form for organic certification.
keith

I know this is an old thread, but out of curiousity I called Tim Perkins at the Proctor Center, and he indicated the following:

Salt - Maples definitely pick it up, and it can make the syrup taste salty

Heavy metals (mercury, lead) - their tests suggest that these materials get bound up in organic materials in the soil, and are not readily absorbed by maples.

PCBs - Not studied so far.


Mac

Perc test pits for every acre of sugar woods and a government certification approved by the EPA, FDA, USDA and local municipality. These must be filled out in triplicate at the beginning middle and end of every season or 3 times every month of the season which ever is more. The season shall be defined as March 1 through April 29. Tapping later or earlier will result in a mandatory tap audit, increase in producer tax and of course more testing. Tests results will be made available by the producer online, while waiting in line to submit the results and of course lined up on the wall of the the federally certified FDA-USDA-EPA-OSHA approved manufacturing facility. Said facility will be constructed using only recycled "green" materials and will meet all current, previous and unknown future zoning regulations as set forth by your town or by my town, which ever is more burdensome. All trees being tapped will be required to provide written permission to be tapped. Failure to obtain permission will result in lose of operating permit. Said permit will be obtained only after producer has demonstrated ability to fulfill previous requirements. Trees tapped near power lines, roads, gas stations, houses, animal habitats, cemeteries, landfills, rivers, other non-maple species or in areas frequented by birds are strictly off limits. Tapping a tree in previously designated area will result in a penalty of death. Good luck.

I have a guy that keeps trying to get me to tap his maples. they are along a sewer ditch. while the amount of real septic systems has greatly improved in the last 20 years. there are still several homes(dozens) that have not changed hands and have not upgraded. While it does not stink like it did when I was a kid. I ain't tappin trees with their roots going strait to that ditch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peckfarm

Perc test pits for every acre of sugar woods and a government certification approved by the EPA, FDA, USDA and local municipality. These must be filled out in triplicate at the beginning middle and end of every season or 3 times every month of the season which ever is more. The season shall be defined as March 1 through April 29. Tapping later or earlier will result in a mandatory tap audit, increase in producer tax and of course more testing. Tests results will be made available by the producer online, while waiting in line to submit the results and of course lined up on the wall of the the federally certified FDA-USDA-EPA-OSHA approved manufacturing facility. Said facility will be constructed using only recycled "green" materials and will meet all current, previous and unknown future zoning regulations as set forth by your town or by my town, which ever is more burdensome. All trees being tapped will be required to provide written permission to be tapped. Failure to obtain permission will result in lose of operating permit. Said permit will be obtained only after producer has demonstrated ability to fulfill previous requirements. Trees tapped near power lines, roads, gas stations, houses, animal habitats, cemeteries, landfills, rivers, other non-maple species or in areas frequented by birds are strictly off limits. Tapping a tree in previously designated area will result in a penalty of death. Good luck.

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this must be factual, sounds just like legislation comming out of DC:mrgreen:. also sounds like the mayor on "best little whorehouse in texas"....oooo i love to dance a little sidestep......:lol:. nace

Been giving this some thought.

Lots of folks tap roadside trees, and I imagine many of those are along dirt roads.
Around my place, they come by after grading the road and apply a chemical to keep the dust down.

Now I’m sure there aren’t many folks out there, with a lick of sense anyway, that would want to draw a pot of that stuff straight from the truck to make their coffee.

To take it a step further, how can anyone say, with a straight face, that the dirt in those ditches, right up next to those roadside trees, isn’t contaminated? (oil, antifreeze)

Yet we all know there is a bunch of syrup made, sold, and eaten from those trees and I’ve never heard of any widespread outbreaks of illness related.

Kind of makes you wonder, don’t it?