a thaw

My experience tapping maple trees began in earnest last year. I produced two litres of syrup on my wood stove from trees around the house and fired the evaporator for over a thousand more litres at Sugar Moon Farm. Even after just this one year of experience, the excitement of putting in my taps and waiting for the drops to fill the buckets is heightened by the anticipation of spring. In the throes of this cold winter it is difficult to keep faith that under the snow and in the trees lies the chorus of frogs and tips of leaves.

I tapped in (put the taps in the trees) in mid-March and this sugar season for me has yielded enough for two servings of pancakes. Not good. Most of this early spring has been cold and the snow covered ground has resulted in a spring of washing rain and bugs out of buckets and chasing them around the property as they are blown around by the gales (Scott at Sugar Moon has been faring better.. I make no comment on the state of the industry and suggest not extrapolating from my one year of experience and rudimentary setup). This weekend there was a good run and a boil is on my horizon. There should even be enough to put in a jar! I have 7 taps in and hope for about 3 litres of syrup so don’t look for me peddling syrup by the roadside just yet.