2020 Missouri activity

[unclejohn]

The fever is starting to build here in Missouri.... Got a text from someone around Jackson MO who tapped trees on 12/31 and today, NewYears day, and his trees are running. Looks like Missouri will have the first harvest of 2020 in the US. Everyone, try to keep in touch here on mapletrader's Missouri posting site. I'm watching the forecast and getting my concrete blocks put together for the arch. Our 4-wheeler will come out of the shop tomorrow, and depending on weather forecasts, I may be hauling sap by this time next week. And if you know a beginner who has a lot of questions, tell em to go to the website of the Missouri Maple Syrup Initiative, www.mosyrup.com . Thanks. UncleJohn

[dogpatch]

Good luck to my neighbors to the south.We have 5-6 weeks yet before I normally get started but there are still many things to do.Marc

[Ray_Nagle]

Nice website, Uncle John. This is my second winter of not tapping since I moved to a property without sugar maples. I must say, I've been thinking about how hard it would be to decide when to tap this year--the weather has been so warm that I think I would wait to see if we get a better opportunity later in the winter. Hopefully we have a good frozen month of weather between January and February. But I'm out of the game now, so it's easy for me to make proclamations that I don't have to back up with my actions.

[oldcabin]

Well, schedule allowed me to get out into the woods today. I managed to tap some trees, none of them were running. I am also unsure with the weather this season. I am thinking the see-saw temps will get things going this week.

[unclejohn]

I tapped about 35 trees yesterday (Jan 5). They were running but not enthusiastically. Probably will run good today after low in the mid 20's, now a sunny morning with high to be upper 40s. Will tap more trees after this rain event supposedly coming later this week. John

[RiverSap]

I am getting my stuff setup. I have not tapped any trees yet. There is a deep freeze coming up next week. There could be a few days this weekend and early next week before the freeze where sap could run. I am debating tapping now or after the freeze. Please anyone in Missouri who has tapped some trees post what you are seeing. It is raining today and the forecast calls for rain all weekend. Tapping would be uncomfortable in this rain. But I would hate to miss a good flow period.

[oldcabin]

Wed eve I collected 10 gallons of sap from 45 taps. Have not been able to check since. I will be happy when the temps go back to normal. I plan on tapping more tomorrow.

[unclejohn]

Hey Old Cabin and RiverSap, glad to see you guys back on MT. On Wed Jan 8 I collected 20 gallons from my 35 or so taps, and today finished it into 2 quarts of beautiful amber light. Looks like it will be another few days before I would want to tap the rest of my trees (assuming I can even get through the mud to them!) Hey Old Cabin, why don't you private message me on MT, I'd like to get your name and phone number or email for my list of MO syrup makers.

A friend James Brochtrup who makes syrup near Festus has started a facebook site called Missouri Maple Syrup. I visited James last week and he was still doing some cleaning/maintenance of his tubing and arch.

Also got a message through mosyrup.com from a fellow in southwestern Nebraska, who taps over a hundred boxelder trees!

Keep tapping! John

[RiverSap]

I ended up not tapping today. It is suppose to get down to mid 20s tonight and then up to mid 30s tomorrow. If it indeed does get up to mid 30s and it is partly sunny I may tap a few test trees. I still think it is a little early. There is a pretty good freeze coming mid week. Next weekend looks better to me for tapping.

[oldcabin]

Those of you who haven't tapped yet, don't feel like you are missing out. My trees produced nothing in the 15 buckets I checked since Wed 1/8 eve. It started to ice and sleet on me, so I tapped 5 more trees instead. *Update* 1/11-1/15 has produced a couple cups to most of a gallon on some trees. Will report my total haul for the week on Sat.