Checking into what other Maine sugarmakers are doing

[bees1st]

Sterling, I was up in Sandy Bay Twp . on Monday visiting a friend who has a bush there . It had just rained and I pitied the poor soul who found himself on a back road without tire chains ! You guys have a jag of snow up there! I'm jealous. My wife tells me if we keep having these non snow winters that we're moving north. Good luck with your expansion .

[bees1st]

I ended up only tapping my trees on vacuum last week (435). Had a small run on Saturday and a bigger one Sunday, let most of it run onto the ground as there was a fair amount of crud in the lines . By noon yesterday it was coming in clear . Sugar content at 2.5 Brix. It was great to get most of my leaks fixed . Vac at 27 . May get a couple more days in before it freezes again .

[McAllister farm]

We been busy replacing old 5/16 line with new 3/16 line. We now have about 500 on 3/16 now! And replacing taps and drops on the rest of the bush. Went up Saturday and worked on one of the main lines that had a couple of trees on it. Finding it hard to get much done with having these chemo treatments this year it's taking a lot out of me! But we will get it done. We are planning on tapping by the end of February.

[Sterling Maple]

Bees1st,
Yes, we still have plenty of snow, more on the way. Roads have been glare ice for 10 days now. Still smoother than 201. I'm in the next Township over to the East.

[gmcooper]

Got some tubing repaired over the weekend. Getting closer to tapping but not in a rush.

[bees1st]

Sap was coming in nicely on vacuum yesterday. About a gallon/tap . Above freezing temps today but wind is in the forecast . Not sure what the day will bring. I'm not liking this warm weather so early. Felt like spring yesterday.

[Atgreene]

We're still holding out a bit longer. Adding 2-300 taps this year so we have a couple miles of pipeline and tubing yet to run. I have no doubt it will be an early year, but if I recall correctly we've never tapped earlier than Feb 23 in roughly 7 generations. We may this year if things continue.

[dadsmaplesugarshack]

just checking in on maple trader , been real busy upgrading the sugar house and adding more trees to the sugar bush that's on vacuum ,thinking about taping we use cv's the snow isn't too deep and were not looking at a thaw anytime soon would be two weeks sooner than we ever tapped before ,we will wait on the gravity and buckets its that time of year I watch the weather forecast three times a day if only we could believe what they predict good luck to all ,might be the best season ever .

[wurmdert]

The plan is to string out 10 or 15 rolls of. 3/16 this weekend for the new expansion and put collection tank in place. Try and cut in most of the drops next weekend. Probably tap them as I install to save time.I don't have a solid number on tap count for the expansion, bulthinking 350ish.

[wurmdert]

IMG_20170203_203547344.jpg. Here we GO!!!