Small Farms

Sugaring season is upon us, and for those that don’t know what this is, it is when farmers begin collecting maple sap.  Usually, this time of year is when we all gear up for that first big thaw in February, which coincidentally is this week for many producers.  The warm up is followed by a cold snap.  Unfortunately, all of this peculiar weather is adding up to a disaster for some.  The end result could be less real maple syrup and higher prices at the grocery store.

The ice and snow damage that has been occurring over the past two months is causing damage both to the trees, but also to the taps and collection tubes that many producers use.  In addition, the weather conditions are making it difficult for some to even get to their trees to collect the sap, especially if they aren’t using the gravity tubes.

Massachusetts Maple Producers Association’s Executive Director, Thomas McCrumm, is reporting that around 50 percent of the maple taps were affected by the weather.  In Massachusetts alone, there is expected to be a 20 percent drop in production this year.

Stock up now, folks before the grocery stores start raising the prices!

Though I long for the warm weather of spring and summer, this time of year is still a little exciting.  This is the time we get ready to collect maple sap, which can start as early as mid-February.  What we’re looking for is a warming trend that starts the sap flowing.

Personally, I love just about everything about maple syrup time.  It is fun to collect the sap (as long as there isn’t a biting wind) and boiling down the sap into syrup and candy is fun too.  Many people who have sugar houses around here invite the general public to come in and sit a spell, mulling over local issues or just socializing.  After all, there isn’t much to do while watching the syrup boil!

If this is your first, or even tenth year collecting syrup, there are a few basics you should make sure to have on hand :

• Hand or battery powered drill and bits
• Clean collection containers
• Clean taps
• New or incredibly clean hose, if that is your method of collection
• Equipment for boiling the sap
• Containers to store the syrup in

Being prepared will make the process run much more smoothly.  If you’re planning on selling the end products, such as maple syrup or maple syrup candy, be sure to have the proper approval from state or local governments and display your licenses where necessary.  Call your Cooperative Extension office to see what you need to do in order to be ready to sell your products this year.

Here’s looking toward a prosperous maple sap season!

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You

As I’m gearing up for maple sugar season (just a month and a half away from tap time!), it is hard not to think about real maple sugar candy.  You can’t make it with store bought syrup- it has to be the real deal from boiled down maple tree sap.  While I know I’ll be getting a few new recipes this year at the Cooperative Extension maple syrup seminar in January, here is a tried and true favorite for first-time maple sap collectors or those that know where to find pure maple syrup:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Non-stick cooking spray

Equipment:

• Candy molds - leaves, maple leaf shapes or any other small molds
• Large saucepan
• Candy thermometer

Instructions:

1. Pour the syrup and butter into the saucepan.  Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the sauce pan (if it has a clip).   Heat slowly, allowing the butter to melt, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil, stirring constantly, until it reaches the soft ball stage, then remove from heat.
2. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then stir briskly until the mixture turns opaque and thickens (like fudge).  Once this occurs, stop stirring and spoon the mixture into the molds, working quickly.
3. Allow to harden completely before removing from the molds.

Voila!  Enjoy your hard work with the sweet sensation of pure maple syrup candy!

~~Charlotte

Collecting sap for making maple syrup is a fun and exciting project, especially if this is your first time trying this hobby.  For many people in the area where I live, it is a time to get to talk with neighbors who are in the business, as sitting in a sugar shack boiling the sap is a long process.  Around here, many new sugar shacks are sprouting up, probably due in part to a renewed interest in the business and as a way to supplement income in uncertain economic times.

There are several ways in which to collect syrup, depending upon the scale of your operation.  If this is your first time collecting syrup, you’ll only need a few collection supplies, usually just a dozen or more spouts, buckets, lids and a hammer and drill for the tapping process.  Most of these items can easily be found on the Internet.  Here are a few sites that I’ve found that sell these items- just follow these links:

Yankee Grocery

Atkinson Maple Syrup Supplies

Dufresne’s Sugar House

Collecting maple sap may be a busy activity or a slow one, depending upon how many trees have been tapped, the method of collection and the type of weather you are having.  There may be days when you’ll be busy collecting a lot of sap, and others when you’ll find no more than a couple of drops of sap in your collection apparatus.

Sap flows quickly when there is freezing temperatures during the night and then a very warm day following.  This will stimulate the flow of sap.  As I reported in my previous blog post on tapping trees, in some locations this can occur in February, whereas it may not occur in other locations until March.  If you’re unsure of when this will occur, either follow the weather very closely or consult with a local Cooperative Extension agent or other syrup producers.  Where I live in NY, it is very common to see all of the producers hustling about with their collection containers (most do this in our area with plastic tubing and 100 gallon plastic containers on wheels).  There is no doubt here when the sap is flowing!

The best advice is to make sure your trees are tapped early so that you’ll be prepared in any event.

See my previous post, Tapping Maple Trees for Sap for more information on preparing the trees for sap collection, or view my other posts on maple syrup :

Maple Syrup Production

Making Money with Maple Syrup

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You.com

Tapping maple trees for syrup isn’t a difficult process and most small farm owners can do this with just a few simple tools.  The following are the steps you will need to take to tap your trees in the spring when the sap begins to flow.

Tapping supplies:

• Drill with a 7/16 bit for older standard spouts or a 5/16 bit for newer small spouts
• Collection spouts for each taphole
• Food grade collection containers (buckets, bags or tube line)

The exact month you begin tapping depends upon the state in which you live.  You want to tap before the earliest run begins, which may be as early as February.

Trees should be measured in the fall and marked so it will be easy to identify them in the winter months.  Trees to be tapped should be no smaller than 10 inches in circumference at four feet above the ground.  Most experts agree that a tree should have no more than 2 taps in it in order to keep it healthy (unlike the above stock photo!).

Once you’ve selected the trees to tap, drill a 2-inch hole where the tap will be, using a slightly upward angle.  This will facilitate the process of the downward flow of sap.
Place a tap in the hole and gently tap it into place with a rubber mallet or hammer.  Attach the bucket, bag or tubing to the spout.  Make sure to cover any open buckets with a cover to keep rain water and debris from the sap.

Stay tuned for more information on the sap collecting process!

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You.com

If you live in a rural area with maple trees, odds are you’ve considered trying your hand at making maple syrup.  There is nothing like the taste of real maple syrup.  I’ve yet to find something even remotely close to it at the super market.  If you’ve never tried real maple syrup, you should really give it a try.  You’ll know the difference the instant a drop of it touches your tongue!

Anyone can make a small batch of syrup at home, but be prepared to spend hours doing so.  Syrup has to be boiled down before it even resembles the familiar amber color.  This is because the sap is mostly water.  It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.  If you want to make this in your kitchen, you may want to run the fan and open a window during the process.  If you don’t, be prepared to have every window covered in steam and perhaps have your wallpaper peel away from the walls (and I’m not kidding!).

Once you are bit by the syrup bug, there will be no stopping you!  You may start going in search of every tree that is 12 inches around on your property.  Perhaps you’ll even start a small scale family business.  It is a lucrative one, especially if you have 1000 taps or more on your property.

If you’d like to learn more about the maple syrup business, please visit the following websites:

• New York State Maple Producers Association
• How to Make and Market Maple Syrup

~~Charlotte

SmallFarms4You.com

Do you have some acreage and you’re not sure what to do with it? Consider growing maple trees. As an added bonus, there are no animals to feed and there is little to do 3 seasons out of the year. In the spring, be prepared to work on this business 24/7. If this type of small farm business appeals to you, read on!

Maple trees are not without diseases, but the good news is that they are easy to cultivate and relatively quick to grow. You may even have a few maple trees already growing in your area. The following is a quick guide to what you need to grow maple trees for syrup:

• A  good sized area to grow your maple trees - they should be spaced about 15 feet apart.
• A specific type of maple tree- the sugar maple. These are inexpensive to buy if you purchase seedlings, especially bare root stock.
• Equipment to collect the maple syrup- depending upon the size of your operation you may need taps and buckets or a system of hoses to collect the sap into a collection area.
• Equipment to boil your own sap and containers to place the finished syrup in.
• A place to sell your syrup- either on your own premises through advertising and word of mouth, farmer’s markets or local stores.

It should also be noted that maple trees are short-lived. They may live from 30-50 years, depending upon environmental factors in your area. Once you have established trees, it may be a good idea to plan for the future and plant new trees to replace the ones that will die off in the future.

Alternately, you may also harvest maple trees after they have outlived their usefulness for wood - another profitable small business as well (more about this later!).

~~Charlotte
SmallFarms4You.com