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A bit of a lull - anticipating BIG runs!

by Mary 2/27/2017 8:41:00 AM

We've had several days of no action in the sugarbush, due to temperatures below freezing. We had an anticipated a major winter storm last Thursday and Friday, but patterns changed and southern Minnesota had 6-12" of snow, while we had none. There is no snow on the ground, so when we do have a warmup, the frost should begin coming out of the ground.

The weather forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday looks promising for sap flow and making maple syrup. The best news is the major warmup this weekend, continuing for a full week! Here is a visual graph from Paul Douglas' blog on the StarTribune page. We'll be syruping!!

 

Earliest Season for Sap Flow

by Mary 2/15/2017 3:30:00 PM

With the unusually warm weather, more common for late March or April, the maple sap has started to flow again. Presently, we have 1000 gallons of sap, ready to process through the Reverse-Osmosis machine to increase the sugar content in the sap, prior to boiling. We'll most likely boil tomorrow and perhaps, have our first taste of syrup from the collected sap. The weather forecast for the next week looks favorable for sap flow every day.

 

 
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Taps are in! Warm weather arriving!

by Mary 2/9/2017 7:53:00 AM

Our 1000 taps in the sugarbush are now in and as soon as the warm weather arrives, the sap will begin to flow. A few projects remain, such as installing the new vacuum pump, cleaning the stainless steel bulk tanks and reassembling the evaporator. Like last year, spring is arriving earlier and no one knows how long or short the season will last.

The latest forecast calls for unusually warm temperatures, more typical of late March. Though the windchill was -14 yesterday, tomorrow's forecast is for a high of 51! The following graph, from meteorologist Paul Douglas at the Star Tribune, demonstrates spring is arriving early.