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Thread: What does it take to maintain a woods?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    174

    Default What does it take to maintain a woods?

    For some crazy reason I have a desire to increase my tap count, perhaps getting big enough to sell syrup at the local farmers market. There is a church with an acre of woods 7 houses away from me and I estimate I could put about 30 taps there (silver maples). I did a walk by today and the woods looks ugly. The trees aren't super healthy. They have broken and rotting limbs. The underbrush is a mess. Fallen branches all through the woods.

    I was thinking about asking them if I can tap the trees in exchange for 25% of the syrup and cleaning paths in the woods so I can walk to the trees. I have a chainsaw and a 4x8 trailer but I don't really want to haul anything out. Do you think I can easily clean up some trails or is it more effort than its worth?
    2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
    2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
    2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
    2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    River Falls, WI
    Posts
    831

    Default

    That sounds like more effort than it's worth for 30 taps on silver maples. But if you'd like to help out around the church and tidy things up, maybe the equation isn't as simple.
    -Ryan


    Went off the deep end. Might be in over my head...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

    Default

    Does the church in question have a youth group? Maybe they can be roped into helping clean up the woods so you don't have to do all the work yourself, cause it does sound like a lot of work for only 30 taps.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    174

    Default

    Good idea. From what I've seen it doesn't look like a really busy church. But they have an Easter egg hunt so I'll try to talk to someone then.
    2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
    2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
    2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
    2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Volney, NY
    Posts
    275

    Default

    That acre will double your tap count, so go for it. The church will put your syrup to good use.

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