Red Roof Maples 2012

[Russell Lampron]

The buds are swelling but haven't popped yet. Pumped up 250 this morning and had very little coming into the releaser at the time. Sugar back up to 1.8% for that batch. Went down at 3:00 to see what was in the tank if anything and to my surprise there was 200 gallons more. It just don't make any sense. The sap is running pretty good considering that it is 74* here with no freeze last night.

[Russell Lampron]

It still just doesn't seem right that I had to call it a season on the 20th of March. I just got done finishing the contents of the evaporator and ended the season with 130 gallons of syrup. Not good by any means but not as bad as my worst season. That was 2005 when I had over 500 taps and only made 45 gallons of syrup. It was cold that year, I didn't even start tapping until the 13th of March. I was expecting the season to last into April but it was over 2 weeks later at the end of March. 2010 was a bad year too. i made 152 gallons that year so this total isn't too far below that mark.

I am getting an early start to my clean up getting ready for the open house weekend. Unlike last year I won't be dirtying up the sugar house after the open house. Other than the evaporator everything will be pretty much cleaned up and put away. I will be boiling water this weekend for the 1st time ever on open house weekend. It won't be the same but at least my customers will be able to see some steam and hopefully smell a little maple too.

[PerryW]

well russ, I might just tie your worst year as I'm at 41 gallons now. My worst year in 23 years was 1998 with 72 gallons.

[red maples]

Yeah I don't feel so bad at least you got to keep going a little linger than I did. Although I did tap back I think it was feb 6 or 8th I started tapping. I'll be boiling water too. The season went well beyond mapel weekend last year. so yes except for pulling taps and the evap everything will be nice and clean after this weekend!!!

[Russell Lampron]

well russ, I might just tie your worst year as I'm at 41 gallons now. My worst year in 23 years was 1998 with 72 gallons.

Did you put in the 750 gravity taps and 50 buckets like in your signature? How many gallons will you get when you finish off whats in your evaporator? With the temps that we got here I am assuming that it hasn't been much cooler up there. Is your season over too?

[Russell Lampron]

Yeah I don't feel so bad at least you got to keep going a little linger than I did. Although I did tap back I think it was feb 6 or 8th I started tapping. I'll be boiling water too. The season went well beyond mapel weekend last year. so yes except for pulling taps and the evap everything will be nice and clean after this weekend!!!

I tapped on the 7th of February this year myself. I thought it was a little early and was hoping for a normal March but now I'm glad that I tapped when I did. The clean up is going to be a lot easier this year. I got most of it done today.

[GeneralStark]

well russ, I might just tie your worst year as I'm at 41 gallons now. My worst year in 23 years was 1998 with 72 gallons.

Bad year for northern NH it seems.

I'm at 45 gallons with 260 on tubing and vac. and 65 buckets. And the sap is still coming in, but not making table syrup. Hopefully this will be my worst year.

North aspect is key.

[Russell Lampron]

The turn out for day 1 of the open house was a little slow to start but by days end we had a lot of visitors. Just about everyone that came bought something too and even though it wasn't a record day 1 total it came in a close second. Normally I get a few free loaders that come for the free samples then ask a ton of questions while their kids are running around gobbling up more free samples. When they are done they herd their kids back into their mini van and head to the next free meal without taking the wallet out.

One guy got my wife POed when he picked up a bag of nuts, said he wouldn't pay $5 for it and threw it back onto the table. I would be POed too if I was at the table when it happened.

The ones that figured it out didn't care that I was boiling water instead of sap. I told most of them outright and they liked the steam coming off of the evaporator anyways. It sure is a lot easier boiling water than it is boiling sap when I am entertaining visitors.

[red maples]

We seemed a little slower on both days but far exceeded our sales from last year!!! Maybe because we were a little more organized!!! Last year was my first year and it was bit overwleming to say the least and this year I knew what expect going in to it. although I would have like to boil sap, I didn't have to boil the night before, Saturday night and sunday night. So it was much more relaxing.

Sorry to hear about nut or nuts guy thats just rude. If you don't want it or can't afford it don't buy it period, just shut up keep your comments to yourself and move on!!! nuts and syrup are very expense. You need to charge what you need to charge!!!

As for the car load of kids sucking down free samples, it was pretty good here most people were not to bad with that. I think there was only Mom with 2 kids had hot chocolate doughnuts etc then left. If there were more I was so busy I wouldn't even know, my wife everyone was pretty good about it and donating for donuts coffee etc. last year I have a few of those, but most people were really into it ad had a great time.