
Originally Posted by
DrTimPerkins
As much as we try to dispel these notions when reporters call us, they frequently already know what they want to write (not all of them...some are happy to be educated on the subject). When we won't give them a gloom and doom story, they move on to someone else who will. It's difficult, because the story really is quite complex and has a lot of uncertainties.
That said, in the LONG run, climate change will not be kind to our friends in the far southern ranges of the maple production areas.
That about says it like it is.
This is my 8th season in a row as a hobbyist and this winter was by far the most apparently/visually affected by climate change in our region, the lower end of Mid-Hudson Valley and Soutwest Connecticut, out of all the winters I have seen/remember in the past 55 years. This year was a real head scratcher on when to put in my 70 spouts but gave in "typically" early on Feb 6th. Most taps still seem fully capable of providing good sap in what will be the final run of the season in the next couple of days.
This year I set my record on gallons of sap per tap by far. Sugar content was the same as other seasons. I had to buy more half gallon jars for syrup storage.
Early March came in as strong as any of them this year. And trees are a lot like people, they learn to figure it out no matter what comes their way. Well, most do.
Unfortunately, none of us will be here if and when it just does not work "well" anymore.
We will all be long gone.
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.