Springtime Weather Has Returned

After a five or six day respite from sugaring season warmer weather has returned and we are back in production.  So far we have produced over 1,800 gallons of the good stuff.  This puts us at about 2/3 of an average production year.  Over the next 10 days we hope to make up that ground and are even optimistic that it could be a record production year for us.

Last year we had a great year even though the season was very short. We are remembering 80 degree days on April 1 last year.  That hot weather cut the season short for everyone as the trees budded out and the sap was no longer processable. 

So far the trees have remained dormant, however in the lower elevations the maple tree buds are beginning to swell.  This is a sign that warmer weather is on its way, and sugaring is drawing nearer to an end.  But mother nature has many surprises up her sleeve.  We could go to 80 degrees tomorrow or back to 3 feet of snow and cold.  Welcome to Vermont.

Sugaring Season

I can't believe two weeks have flown by since our last post.  We have been in the sugarhouse almost everyday producing the worlds finest pure Vermont maple syrup.  So far we have produced over 1,300 gallons on our 4,000 taps.  Right now we are a little less then half of our normal production.

Currently a cold snap has slowed down the sap flow.  The days are cold at about 30-34 degrees F while the nights are colder reaching temperatures in the lower teens. 

The forecast calls for warmer weather after the weekend, and it looks like sugaring will be in full force once again!  We are enjoying the breather and catching up on orders and emails.  Have a great rest of your week!

Snow Snow Snow and More Snow! (Again!)

Vermont has been slammed once again with a massive dump of snow.  This time it was the 5th biggest storm on record dumping over 30 inches in 24 hours across many parts of the state.  Our sugarbush was no exception, we received over 30 inches presenting us with a real chore to dig it out.

Our sugarhouse is located almost a quarter mile off of a state road.  We plow with a John Deere 310c Backhoe.  Without it.... we would never get to our sugarhouse after a storm like this.  It still took over three hours to plow the road.  We ended up with 8-10 foot high snowbanks and the snow accumulation is as high as our woodshed and storage tanks. 

Also, many of our mainlines were buried.  We spent most of the day yesterday digging them out. and had to hike 10 miles of lines through over 4 feet of snow.  If lines are buried they do not thaw.  If they stay frozen then sap cannot flow through.

It has been an exhausting 48 hours, but once again, after yet another massive snowfall, we are ready for warmer weather and sugaring to kick into high gear.

A leak-free vacuum system equals huge sap yields

We have spent the last week in the woods searching for leaks in out tubing system.  Even though the days have been cold and the sap is not really running much we are able to detect leaks in out tubing system and make the necessary repairs to eliminate these leaks.  This is the most important task in maple sugaring and makes the biggest difference in sap yield.  Even tiny leaks will cause tubing systems to freeze and once the lines freeze sap will not flow.


If a sugarmaker neglects his/her woods then it will be detrimental to sap yield collection and ultimately syrup production.  We spend everyday in the woods just before the season really starts and almost every day during sugaring in the woods eliminating even the tiniest leaks.

A small leak will draw great amounts of air into the tubing system.  This air mixes with the sap and causes ice buildup to block the flow of sap.  Even on warm days tubing systems can freeze around these air leaks.  We have seen lines freeze at 45 degrees when air is injected at the wrong point!

A leak free vacuum system is why we produce 3 times the amount of syrup per tap over the industry average.

Sugaring is officially here!

Cloverdale Sugarhouse

Last night sugaring officially arrived!  We fired up the evaporator at 3:00 in the afternoon and boiled off a small collection of about 1,000 gallons of sap.  This first processing is essentially the moment of truth for a sugarmaker.  There are many processes that must come together and function properly for maple syrup production to occur.  Last night we assembled the evaporator and threw the switch and everything kicked on without a hitch.  While we only produced a small amount of maple syrup we are now fully prepared to process when warmer weather brings on tankfulls of maple sap.  A fresh foot of new snow and steam pouring out of the cupola!  Sugaring is here!

All Tapped In!

Dave is saving up for pants!

It has been a busy couple of weeks since our last post!  We completed the check valve upgrade on 1/3 of our sugar bush and went right to tapping.  It took longer then normal this year as we have 3-4 feet of snow in the woods.  Tapping normally takes 4-5 days, but this spring it has taken up almost 10 days!  All is well and we are ready for spring thaws to wake up the maple trees.  We are making some final upgrades to parts of our tubing system and sugarhouse and closely watch the weather each day.  The extended forecast shows warm days towards the end of next week. Then the fun begins!

Snow Snow Snow and More Snow!

The white stuff just keeps piling up.  Last year we had almost no snow in the sugarbush going into sugaring.  For most of the spring there was bare ground and it was easy to get around.  This year is a stark contrast to last.  We continue to install check valve spout adapters and will likely be finished in another three days.  Progress is slow as we are on 36inch and 48inch snow shoes just to get around.  Without snowshoes you sink in up to your hips.  Some sap lines are beginning to be buried under the snowfall which seems to accumulate several inches a day.  While some snow is good for sugaring, it insulates the ground and hydrates the trees, too much can be detrimental.  If lines are buried they will not thaw.  If there is too much ground cover the trees will not thaw on the warm days of spring and will not run.  Hopefully the warmer weather forecast over the next few weeks will settle it down and melt it off some.  We plan to begin tapping this weekend.