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Is that a 50% loss for producers with vacuum? If it is, then producers without vacuum would be approaching a 75% loss, since vacuum is suppossed to increase your yield by 50-60%.
Mark
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Kevin,
That all sounds well and good but a producer who tapped over 2 weeks ago a little north of me in VA has had good sap weather and hasn't gotten hardly any sap. 8O
Any thoughts on that as I know you have a wealth of knowledge! :wink:
Were you a weatherman before this?
2 things to consider, 1) (I am speaking from the 45th parrallel, may be different where you are).....the sun only has so much strength in January, which I believe has everythingto do with sap flow. 2) again, speaking from where I am from, alot of the days that have been warmer have been cloudy, or windy......not conducive to good sap flow.
As far as looking at the calendar regarding agricultural crops. Example:May 1st.....corn should be going in the ground, you may get away planting 2 weeks earlier than this if conditions are right, but you run the risk of cold weather and a freeze again...(I have seen the devastating effects of this before)
#2 example: First crop alfalfa/hay is generally ready for harvest by June 1st. There have been years where its dropped on May 20th, but usually theres much less quality and you take a huge risk on the long-term viability of the stand if you cut when theres not much there, especially if this happens for 2nd, 3rd and possibly 4th crop.
The whole point is to illustrate that everything has a cause and effect. I seriously doubt that I have lost 50% of my potential crop when my 2 sample taps that have been tapped for nearly a week have yielded only a half gallon of sap. Now....they are one week closer to running less sap due to microbes. These taps were on the south slope and trees that I know run good. I know my north ones have not ran squat.
Furthermore.......Tapping the middle of January would be a FULL 2 months ahead of schedule where I live. Any other agricultural crop you can think of is never ready 2 months before normal. A month maybe....and only a few times have I ever witnessed this. There is added cost and risk to tapping extremely early. Now back in the days of the pill, then you could have tapped in November and not worried about the holes sealing off. Thats not possible today.
With the cold weather thats inevitably on the way...I am glad that things are not tapped. I could be at it in a few days here if need be...the chances are about 1% though. These are my comments...Mark
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Kevin,
I don't know much other than water in the ground is in abundance. 8O
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