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Thread: Looking to move to Kentucky

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    7

    Default Looking to move to Kentucky

    I am heading for the hills and interested in moving somewhere between Kentucky and North Carolina. One desire is to find acreage in a good maple sugaring community. What counties or areas in Kentucky are amongst the best for Sugaring ?


    Thanks,
    Ronald

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Scottsville ky
    Posts
    138

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    hi ronald, in western ky where the land was re-claimed after strip mining, i hear that maples are plentiful. my little 3 1/2 acres of woods, was cut for timber 40 years ago and i have 120 sugar maples. i don't know any one region where sugars are prevelant except perhaps western ky. but they are scattered all over the state.
    first year at the market 2015!
    I don't act my age so why should i act like i have any sense?
    2014 added a 40"x12' king
    239 taps on my little 3 1/2 acres
    Looking for a sugarbush lease!
    2015 350 taps total
    60 gallons made in spite of learning curve and leaks!
    Good year at the market with all the confections too!
    2016 delaval 76 & with a 6.5 Hp engine gives me 16hg! I think it made my trees 10' shorter.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    scottsville
    Posts
    87

    Default

    Looking kind of lonely over here...We are putting our taps in next Tuesday, Dec. 18....Right at noon. We are so excited!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Martinsville, Indiana
    Posts
    311

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sugar View Post
    Looking kind of lonely over here...We are putting our taps in next Tuesday, Dec. 18....Right at noon. We are so excited!
    Is this the time of year that you typically tap? I am so tempted to tap a few up here in Indiana, seeing how our season for late winter never comes.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Stamford, Vermont
    Posts
    96

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    Man, I don't get it. I don't mean to get off topic but reading this post challenges all of what I thought I knew about sugaring.

    In the Northeast, we generally tap at the end of February or sometime in March. I have even first tapped on April 1st (no joke). My thinking was that we tap then because the coldest part of winter was over and it was going to continue to get warmer, thereby creating optimum conditions for sugaring.

    But if you tap in Kentucky in mid-December, does that mean it will begin getting warmer in your area starting now? Can Dr. Tim or somebody explain to me how this works?

    And, by the way, last May we went to the Hatfield-McCoy riding area in southern West Virginia to ride dirt bikes. Great country down there!
    1991-1993 traded sap for syrup, 30 taps
    1994 small flat pan outdoors 30 taps
    1995 barrel stove, small pan outdoors 30 taps
    1996-2011 homemade 2 X 4, sugarhouse, 50 taps
    2012 new 2 X 4, 60 taps

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    scottsville
    Posts
    87

    Default

    Well...Doesn't the sap flow, when the pressure is just right within the tree and the root system?...Freezing at night, above freezing during the day? Put in a couple trial taps and keep track. I do my little bit of woods and a friend's 40 acres. I can gauge how things will be on the 40 acres, by checking my fewer taps first.
    The way the weather has been...Simply unpredictable...I am going for the recent prediction, starting next Wednesday and for at least 20 days..Freezing at night, thawing during the day. Maybe you could so some of your trees early and save some for later, until you figure out what works in your area. I don't think you want to stick too many taps in, and not get anything, and let the holes get infected. The Mennonites tap here in December and if the temps look good...Why not? It's all a gamble. I say I am a seed gambler, so guess a sap gambler as well...

    Just have fun and do some experiments.....Maybe you will end up with some surprise fresh maple syrup for Christmas breakfast. How wonderful would that be?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    scottsville
    Posts
    87

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    Quote Originally Posted by ericjeeper View Post
    Is this the time of year that you typically tap? I am so tempted to tap a few up here in Indiana, seeing how our season for late winter never comes.
    I would definitely give it a try. If you wait, your little window of winter, may stay closed. Good luck!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Green County Kentucky
    Posts
    188

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    Sugar
    This year is looking a whole lot like last year and I didn't have much luck in Green County. It's 52 degrees right now and raining, it sure doesn't get me in the mood for tapping trees. Maybe before long it will be freezing weather.

    Dave
    Sorghum Producer
    60 Bee Hives
    200 Acres of Ky hills
    225 Taps on Gravity
    2018 - Lapierre 2X8 Storm
    1963 Military M37 Sap Hauler
    and if things get tough...M35A2
    youtube videos

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    scottsville
    Posts
    87

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    Quote Originally Posted by afretired View Post
    Sugar
    This year is looking a whole lot like last year and I didn't have much luck in Green County. It's 52 degrees right now and raining, it sure doesn't get me in the mood for tapping trees. Maybe before long it will be freezing weather.

    Dave
    Starting Thursday night, we have freezing night-time temps for about 20 days, with daytime thawing...That's what you need. Yesterday though, that favorable forecast had changed, but today it is back again. All I know is that evaporator will be here in 2-3 days....It's the freeze/thaw that you need...At least that is what I go on, until the buds come out. What do you use to decide when to tap?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Green County Kentucky
    Posts
    188

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    Yes, it takes the freezing and thawing, but the problem is the week or so of 50 degree weather and then a few days of 25/45 degrees then back into the 50s. Last year we had the same thing and the sugar content was real low and it had an off flavor. I believe we need several weeks of hard freezing then the freezing/thawing cycle to produce good syrup.

    David
    Sorghum Producer
    60 Bee Hives
    200 Acres of Ky hills
    225 Taps on Gravity
    2018 - Lapierre 2X8 Storm
    1963 Military M37 Sap Hauler
    and if things get tough...M35A2
    youtube videos

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