Maple-pocalypse? Syrup looks like the latest victim of climate change
There was an article in the Financial Times yesterday about the Maple-pocalypse and the impact of climate change on the industry and hobby. I would post the link, but I think you have a better chance of reading the article, finding it on Google than from my link, as they will want you to subscribe to read the the link.
They talk about an earlier start to seasons, eventually less sugars in the sap and less yields per tap.
When you look at one year, you are looking at weather, when you look at many years of change, you are talking about climate change.
This year, as I imagine almost every year, there will be areas with low yields and areas with high yields.
I am a believer in climate change and its impacts will be real. I likely will not see too many profound changes in my sugaring time, but I think the difference 25 years from now will be profound.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.