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Thread: COVID and Sugarhouse tours

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Warren, MA
    Posts
    230

    Default COVID and Sugarhouse tours

    What are you all planning to do for this season and especially Mass Maple Weekend for tours, etc. with the current COVID restrictions? We sell most of our product right from the sugarhouse and we do tours all season. The Mass Government guidelines seem very convoluted. Thoughts?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    I don't know about Mass. rules, but I will not open my sugarhouse to the public this season. I'm so glad I sell so much syrup online, and my only local retail outlet does extremely well.
    I also, for the first time didn't open to the public in 2020, but my total sales exceeded any other year since I started by around 60-70%.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    N.E.Ohio
    Posts
    247

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    We are planning a tour here in Ohio, with that said its a touchy subject for some. If you decide to open be sure to follow all guidelines by your local health department. Have sanitizer, limit customers, masks,etc. I know that it wont be my sugarhouse that will give maple a bad name. Just be a goid example of a forward thinker and if people dont feel safe (or if you dont) they wont come and you can always close.
    Kevin

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

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    UVM facilities, including PMRC, are closed to all visitors and vendors without specific permission. Only outsiders allowed in are delivery people.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Northfield, VT
    Posts
    35

    Default

    My sugar house is 20x30. Way bigger than necessary for a 250 taps/2x6 evaporator operation. I think I have enough space for a couple trusted friends at a time. One already recovered from COVID last spring. No neighborhood sugar on snow party though 🙁.
    2013 Started with 6 used buckets, 6 sap sacks, concrete block fire pit in the woods and a 20g Agway galvanized tub for boiling - made 8 quarts campfire grade syrup and got hooked. Over the years I acquired or built a 2x6 Leader evaporator, 20x30 barn/sugar house, home-built RO with 1-4x40 membrane and Kubota L3200 with log winch. In 2020 I was certified by VT Audubon as a bird-friendly producer.

    2021 250 taps on 11- 3/16" lines hoping for 80 gal.

    Out of control hobby, not a business!

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