Filed under: January 2021 | Tags: maple syrup, snow, winter, woodland roads
January 28, 2021
In the photo above, taken very early this winter, you can see my road we use for gathering maple sap. I am pleased with the roads condition, especially when considering that I harvested over 60 trees late last spring. We have since cleaned up most of the treetops. This road saw many trips of not only sap, but heavy logs as well. The light impact on the land by our horses can really be seen here.
We have plenty of work to do as the 2021 maple syrup season quickly approaches. Supplies and equipment must be made ready. We are doing well in that effort this year. I am even working on a few upgrades and improvements to the sugarhouse and sap handling equipment.
The horses are getting ready too. Training the young horses continues as well. Even in the winter, there is much to be done. Animal feeding and manure handling are daily chores. These chores make me happy and feed my soul. January is all but gone. It is hard to believe that winter is waning and the days are getting longer.
Today, mother nature is sending us soft snow. Its the snow globe kind that is pretty. The woods and fields are asleep, waiting on spring, then summer. I am content to enjoy the beauty of the snow, the warmth of the shop stove and the time to rest and enjoy the farm.
We are keeping an eye on the calendar and the thermometer. The time to tap the trees is fast approaching. The road to maple is a year long journey. It begins with the last clean up of the year and starts with the first one, as we scrub tanks, pans and barrels. The wood has been stacked and dried in the woodshed for months, but the woodcutting goes on all year. Making maple syrup is a labor of love, especially when done the old-fashioned way…but for me, it is the only way.
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