March 5th is the "average" start time by Sioux Falls. I too was hit big by the bug with this thaw, but there is to much left to do before the season starts. Hopefully the FIL can help me out.
SDdave
March 5th is the "average" start time by Sioux Falls. I too was hit big by the bug with this thaw, but there is to much left to do before the season starts. Hopefully the FIL can help me out.
SDdave
It's not the size of the tree...it's what inside that counts!
I know it sounds crazy but no joke my last year finished before the 2015 season "2015 ended before St. Patrick's day". I just looked back at the temperatures for southern MN last Feb. and 16 days were above freezing. 8 days were over 40, and the last day of the month it was 57! I know its crazy to think only a few hours south makes a big difference.
2015 18 taps 3.5 gallons
2016 24 taps 4.5 gallons
2017 40 taps 15.25 gallons
I'm an hour northwest of you and i was collecting sap until about the 10th of April last year as well. Yes it warmed up around 70 around st pattys last year but froze shortly after. I also spoke to Herings a few days ago, who is the largest producer in MN, located in Waterville right next to you and they haven't even put a tap in yet as well.
Actually the last two years have had a strong warm up in March, 70 degree weather the trees even budded out. But then less than a week after the "great buddening" solid freezing temps came back, freezing off the buds, and restarting the whole season.
Now what you do is up to you. If you want to tap then go for it. But for me who is a little further south and in sandy soil which heats up faster. I'm going to get my gear dusted off, and everything in order.
SDdave
It's not the size of the tree...it's what inside that counts!
Mark
Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.
John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
No cage tanks allowed on this farm!
Mark
Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.
John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
No cage tanks allowed on this farm!
Mark-I'm not 100% but I know Herings has about 35,000 taps. I thought the northshore people have around 25,000. I'm not positive and things change. Either way, more than I will probably ever have.
Checking in for the season! I survived another year and I am all prepped for the project. I put in my three test taps yesterday, a bit early but I don't care because now they are in and I no longer need to worry.
I ordered more taps/lines and they are on the way. I am expanding my production and if all goes well I will be processing most of my syrup into sugar. People can buy real maple syrup anywhere but it is hard to find maple sugar and people around here love it, I have had a lot more requests for sugar than for syrup. My goal this year is to produce 60-80 pounds of maple sugar and still put a couple gallons of syrup in inventory.
I shoveled out the arch area today. My reward for the effort was a bottle of homebrewed maple porter beer made using a quart of my maple syrup from last year. Good stuff. I would much rather use my syrup in a batch of homebrew than drizzling it over pancakes, I love alternative uses for this stuff. <grin>
Hoping for a great season for all!
Last edited by TooManyIrons...; 01-31-2017 at 03:30 PM.
Been that, done there.
It's not the size of the tree...it's what inside that counts!