RicelandMeadows

Time to Tap!

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ricelandmeadows

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Here we go!
Here we go!

March 8, 2015

Here we go, the 2015 maple syrup season is off and running! Two days ago it was -9 degrees F. Today it is 40 F. I will get started tomorrow. The horses and equipment are ready to go. We will start tapping hoping to finish by the end of the day on Tuesday. There are lots of things to do, but so starts my favorite time of the year!

The snow has been settling, melting from the bottom up. It is still a little deep in the woods, but melting fast. The frozen trees will soon start waking up. I hope to be all ready when they do. The steam will be rising by the end of the week no doubt.

The weather looks like it will beat us up with sap, but hey…that is what it is all about!

4 responses to “Time to Tap!”

  1. Ken McGarry Avatar
    Ken McGarry

    Ralph, we are located in Lincoln County in middle Tennessee and are in the midst of one of our best maple sap runs ever. I put out 30 taps Saturday morning (3/7) and most were overflowing the buckets by noon Sunday! I’ll probably be boiling for the next day or so.

    Reply
    1. ricelandmeadows Avatar
      ricelandmeadows

      Good for you Ken. I see you folks have been getting some real winter weather. At least for you maple syrup guys there is an upside! Good luck for a great season and enjoy the liquid gold!

      Reply
      1. Ken McGarry Avatar
        Ken McGarry

        As of today (3/11), about half of our taps are still running good, even though it hasn’t been below freezing since Sunday. We had an inch and half of sleet last Thursday, and it has rained about two inches on thawed ground since Sunday, so as you can imagine the ground is a soupy mess. Come the droughts of August we’ll remember this time with great fondness!

      2. ricelandmeadows Avatar
        ricelandmeadows

        Hello again Ken, It sounds like you are getting perfect moisture for your syrup. The trees are still cold, no problems until the buds come out. If you get a good cold night, it will start your trees running again. I guess you know this because you are a maple syrup producer! It doesn’t matter the size of your operation…it only matters that you love it! and I can tell that you do!

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