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Thread: 220 Maple East of the Continetal Divide

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default 220 Maple East of the Continetal Divide

    Season off to a good start. Have half of my taps in, only planning to open 75% of my taps this year. Preparation was lacking this Fall, rebuilding one of the sugar bushes so it can have High vacuum in the future, never got finished, plus would like to get some of the Walnut trees open, I keep dreaming about a barrel of Walnut syrup easing my financial pain.
    Yesterday a writer for the Farm Credit of Virginia's quarterly magazine visited myself and first cousin farm's. Should be a great article when finished and printed. She was really excited, she learned a lot, plus should create great exposure for us and West Virginia's maple potential!
    Future updates coming soon

    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

    Default

    Mark you are in the same boat I am as they are showing bitter cold temps until the first of March. With no snow cover down here, the frost is going to go very deep this week and it is going to be a very short season.
    Brandon

    CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
    3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
    Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
    2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
    24x56 sugarhouse
    CDL 1,000 2 post RO


    WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Sistersville Wv
    Posts
    73

    Default

    I am wondering if this colder than average will go into march or will we pop out and cook the tapps , place your bets Ladys and Gentlemen
    Sweetcreek Sugarworks
    3x12 dalliare & hoods & preheater
    300 ro & vacuum
    Ls 4 wheel Drive 58 horse
    kabota 4 wheel drive 20 horse
    lt50 woodmizer saw mill
    36x40 sugar area

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

    Default

    I would have to bet on a bad season at this point with very little syrup going to be made in February. Hard to have a good season without a good February. Been too cold here so far this month. Had one warmup and it went to 64 in 2 days that killed the run and then next day cold again.
    Brandon

    CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
    3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
    Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
    2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
    24x56 sugarhouse
    CDL 1,000 2 post RO


    WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default

    This February just like last year getting to far behind to catch up! Two years ago in February boiled 10000 gallons of sap, we have boiled 3200 gallons so far, last year we ended February 7000 gallons short, unless the weatherman is wrong going to be short again in February by 7000 gallons. I'm really getting ticked with this global warming! I love to tell people who are complaining about how cold it is, "Just think how cold it would be with if we did not have Global Warming?" That usually stops the complaining

    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default

    We got another 6 inches of snow on top of the six we already had last Sat. Temps jumped to 48 Sunday even though ground is frozen still had enough sap come in to fire up the evaporator. Should end up with another 14 gallons of finished syrup? One more semi good run and we would be at half of what we produced last Spring, not where we need to be! I believe I have some good runs left. All taps should be fresh, none have went thru an extended warm up, some have been in since last two days in Jan. Still opening trees, hope I can get another 250 taps in before Sunday, which appears will start are next good run, two days with out a freeze! Imagine That West Virginians.

    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default

    Basically season complete, Less Taps, Less Sap, same amount of syrup produced as last year, happy with what I got! Looking forward to next year.
    To quote my former deceased Maple syrup producing friend Garnett Whetzel. " There is only two seasons, Maple Season and getting ready for Maple Season"
    unfortunately the getting ready season is the longest.

    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

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