The record setting warmth of 58 degrees on Saturday allowed sap flows of over 1 gallon/tap. By Peter's and my agreed upon scale, this is a "good" sap flow.  If the flow had reached more than 1.5 gallons/tap, we would have been in Trump territory of "Great!" sap flow.

The Reverse Osmosis has allowed us to complete the boil in 4 hours instead of 12!  We produced 15 gallons of medium amber syrup ("amber rich" by the new grade designation).

It is a delight to sample the first returns from the sugarbush.

The next few days look too cold for sap flow, but warmer temps are forecasted for the end of the week. We're always optimistic in the sugarbush and hoping for   terrific flows to yield syrup.

The early tapping of our trees on February 2nd and 3rd proved fortuitous as a warm air mass jump started the sap flow on February 19th! We have been keeping records at Somerskogen since 1994, the year we acquired our sugarbush and the previous early start was February 24, 2002. By comparison, the latest start was March 22, 2005. Quite a variation!

Our preparations for the first boil are nearly complete.  The vacuum system is operational and able to deliver 22" of negative pressure throughout the sugarbush. Careful attention to leaks at individual taps or connections will optimize the achieved vacuum. A well-designed vacuum system can increase sap production by 50-100% over gravity flow.

The weather models look somewhat favorable over the next few days for continued sap flow before a cold front arrives next weekend.

Check our website often to keep up to date on the activity in the sugarbush.

Our delicious maple syrup is now available for purchase in all sizes except the little 3 oz. bottles. Since we only received 60% of last year's crop, please make sure you order everything you want. We anticipate being sold out earlier than usual.

You may pickup your maple syrup or we'll be happy to ship wherever desired. Shipping charges are automatically calculated and included by PayPal. If you decide to pickup at the sugarbush, we will refund the shipping charges. Online ordering is credit card only. Payment at the sugarbush is cash, check or credit card.