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The collection of sample bottles is growing! Note only the last 2 have darkened much! |
Sugarwood Farms is a family owned and operated business, that produces maple syrup. We hope you enjoy this blog as much as we enjoy posting! If you are interested in purchasing any syrup or would like to come out and help feel free to contact us!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Day #16
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day #15
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Upper tank that gravity feeds the evaporator.Clear plastic tube on left is gauge we watch to see how late we will be up boiling!! |
On a goofy note, everyone has been so busy today (Friday the 18th) nobody even checked trees tonight. See what the weekend brings!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day #14
Sunday through Tuesday the 13 to the 15 were cool with an easterly breeze. Not a lot of action. Wednesdy the 16th saw some sunshine and warmth that woke the big trees up. Cody, Bob, Gerri, Kelsey,Brad, Chris, Susan, Gary, Nickie & Muff gathered 635 gallons (five from Sandhill annex) late in the evening. Ants are a sure sign that the end is near, they have arrived. Don't worry we do have a fine enough screen to filter the little boogers out. Sue is on the good list for wings, chicken & JoJo's for supper. The old guys (much to Cody's dismay) decided to quit and finish the last 200 gallons on Thursday. Kel & Nickie spent quality time stuffing marshmallows in their mouths. Susan B is still happy on day #14 amazing! Total sap: 5400 gallons. Total syrup: 107 gallons.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Day #13
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Saturday March 12th was another big day. Started out cool and sunny with trees dripping fast. We gathered at 9 am with Dale, John, Muff, Gerri, Bob, Kelsey, Brad, Bob, Cody & Jack getting 390 gallons. Spent a few hours doing some woods cleanup & grocery run. Muff made crockpot lasagna for lunch which turned out great and we had a nice peaceful meal for a change! Jack started the fire about 1:30. At five we went back out and collected 150 gallons more with Jim & family, Ted, Bob, Cody, Brad, Gerri, Ed, Chris and Charlie. Ted & Nancy spring cleaning & donated kindling! Cody was anxious to be done apparently as he made a fire that shot out clear out the stack. Guess we need Chuck to supervise that process! Total sap: 4,765 gallons.Total syrup: 99 gallons.
Two helpers looked tough too!
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Paths are looking tough from heavy use this year. |
Friday, March 11, 2011
Day #12.5
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sampler of available glass |
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basic plastic jug, quart & pint |
Day #12
Another busy day. Jenny, Kevin, Nathan, Gary, Susan, Bob & Jack gathered 290. 12 gallons was donated from the Sandhill Rd. forest (that crew considering tapping more trees-they are energetic). Sleeting when we finished. Jack boiled in the morning what we were too sleepy to finish Wed. eve. He ran out of wood so Ed helped him replenish the supply in the camp. Jenny is on the good list for bringing sloppy joes to the woods for supper!! Unusual thing is syrup looks just as light as the day we started, (typically darkens as you go!) We particularly like the darker stuff so we have delayed canning off for our family & crew until we can "mix" a little. Jack took off about 3 gallons during the day and 8 more in the evening while Chuck fired the evap. Sue supervised Chuck's fire making skills.Walked out of the camp for the night around 1030pm to find the world white with snow-again! Glad to sleep in with school delay today!! Total sap: 4,229 Total syrup: 85 gallons.
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Good thing those are new boots. |
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Plenty of water on Saturday. |
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This is the fog coming in from the North before it rained again changing to snow. |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Day #11
Wow huge run today! Jack discovered buckets running over early in the day. A tree blew down across the entrance to the north path so job one was taking the chain saw out and addressing that issue. John & Gerri (who are clearly not 25 anymore) gathered between 1 and 3pm. South path more than filled the tank (325) and the north path had 290 gallons. Jack drove tractor and is well aware of what we meant earlier when we said the heater was not working! He has not reset his thermastat yet! Reinforcements arrived after work and Bob, Muff, Kevin, Jenny, Gary, Ed, Hannah, Chris, Heath & Susan gathered while Mike drove tractor. Total sap was 895 today. Bob says he is too tired to remember but believes they took off 9-13 gallons of syrup. Have to check on that! Rained all day!! Everybody pretty wet. Give you the totals tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Day # 10
Monday found the weather cloudy & uneventful & no run. Tuesday the 8th of March was warmer & we were able to gather 376 gallons (6 from Sandhill Rd.). Dale, Jenny, Nathan, Muff, Chris, Kelsey, Brad & Bob gathered and were done by 6:30. Jack & Chuck boiled with supervision by Susan! Hot dogs for supper on the fire. Took off about 5 gallons. Syrup is still running really light. Jack worked on getting syrup to one of our favorite customers (yes, Jan is making ice cream!). Total sap: 3032 gallons. Total syrup: 58 gallons.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day #9
Jack & Cody spent Sunday afternoon replenishing the wood supply. Bob doesn't really remember anything between lunch & supper on Sunday. He assumed the napping position! The first picture is the tractor at midnight Saturday & the 2nd a picture of the camp on Sunday afternoon.
Day #8
Well let's review, Jack & Chuck boiled & took off 6 gallons of syrup on Thursday the 3rd during the day, no run to collect. Friday was very windy & scant run as well. Total syrup: 33 gallons.
Saturday the 5th was the biggest run of the season & a very long day! A small army showed up to collect at 1pm (this "group texting" people thing is working out!--til people wise up anyway!) and it still took over two hours to gather but collected 832 gallons-to be clear 12 from the Sandhill Rd. forest-we expect them to have there own evaporator by next year. Anyway was a ton of fun, rained the entire time and most buckets were pretty full which made for olympic training as we walked through mud. (We will be curious to see who responds to the next text!) Almost filled the trailer on each path. Chuck got a fire going after the first dump to help shorten the day. Used up the entire wood supply in the camp. The syrup lightened up as you can see on the serial bottles (one of these for kept for each 5 gallon bucket of finished product).
Highlights include: Mark has not yet wised up & gotten real boots. Ang & Adam aren't smart enough to know most respectable college students don't spend spring break in wet carharts.Nickie showed up ill, what a trooper. Muff & Gerri have decided their arms aren't quite what they used to be (or the trailer has gotten taller!). Jenny did not fall in mud much to Brad's dismay who is living for the next time this happens! Bob took his wet shirt off & hung to dry near evap. He left zippered sweatshirt on beneath carhart bibs and was amazed to find the metal on the zipper heats up considerably when you stand next to the fire. Jenny & Gerri enjoyed the "fire dance" tremendously.
Big thank you to Mark, Susan, Jenny, Kevin, Nathan, Caleb, Ted, Angela, Adam & Nickie from the natives who would have been hours longer doing this alone! Chuck, Bob, Cody & Charlie finished boiling around midnight. Snowed a couple of inches since the sun went down. Thanks to Cathy for chili for supper. Experimented with sausage & venison in the fire pit. Jack canned off a little syrup in the evening at the house. Total sap: 2,656. Total Syrup:53 gallons. Notice all the little elves on the far side of the mud hole. The 2nd pictures show people who were not yet soaked & still happy. Sorry, Nickie couldn't resist your enthusiasm in pic #3.The 4th picture down shows the process of filtering the syrup just after taken off the evaporator.
Saturday the 5th was the biggest run of the season & a very long day! A small army showed up to collect at 1pm (this "group texting" people thing is working out!--til people wise up anyway!) and it still took over two hours to gather but collected 832 gallons-to be clear 12 from the Sandhill Rd. forest-we expect them to have there own evaporator by next year. Anyway was a ton of fun, rained the entire time and most buckets were pretty full which made for olympic training as we walked through mud. (We will be curious to see who responds to the next text!) Almost filled the trailer on each path. Chuck got a fire going after the first dump to help shorten the day. Used up the entire wood supply in the camp. The syrup lightened up as you can see on the serial bottles (one of these for kept for each 5 gallon bucket of finished product).
Highlights include: Mark has not yet wised up & gotten real boots. Ang & Adam aren't smart enough to know most respectable college students don't spend spring break in wet carharts.Nickie showed up ill, what a trooper. Muff & Gerri have decided their arms aren't quite what they used to be (or the trailer has gotten taller!). Jenny did not fall in mud much to Brad's dismay who is living for the next time this happens! Bob took his wet shirt off & hung to dry near evap. He left zippered sweatshirt on beneath carhart bibs and was amazed to find the metal on the zipper heats up considerably when you stand next to the fire. Jenny & Gerri enjoyed the "fire dance" tremendously.
Big thank you to Mark, Susan, Jenny, Kevin, Nathan, Caleb, Ted, Angela, Adam & Nickie from the natives who would have been hours longer doing this alone! Chuck, Bob, Cody & Charlie finished boiling around midnight. Snowed a couple of inches since the sun went down. Thanks to Cathy for chili for supper. Experimented with sausage & venison in the fire pit. Jack canned off a little syrup in the evening at the house. Total sap: 2,656. Total Syrup:53 gallons. Notice all the little elves on the far side of the mud hole. The 2nd pictures show people who were not yet soaked & still happy. Sorry, Nickie couldn't resist your enthusiasm in pic #3.The 4th picture down shows the process of filtering the syrup just after taken off the evaporator.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Day #7
Wednesday the 2nd of March brings with it sunshine and a constant sweet drip. Big & small trees both running today, except those on far north end. Chuck & Jack boiled in a lot of sap today, the leftover from yesterday. Grandpa Clarence would be bewildered, high of 35 degrees with north wind and still lots of sap. Jack, Nickie, Dale & Bob started gathering with Gary, Gerri, Brad, Ted & Nancy wandering in fashionably late. Collected 520 gallons of sap from the woods & 4 gallons from the Sandhill Rd. annex forest which poor Chuck collected all alone! Even Petey is tired as he is napping in Mindy's favorite chair! The H is back in use, never got stuck today!! Gonna be cold tonight. The sap trailer was getting slick near the end (slushy forming on the deck!) Quit early again (if you call 9 early) and guys will boil rest in tomorrow.Total sap: 1824 gallons. Total syrup: 27 gallons.
Day #6
Bob, Chuck, Susan, Muff, Dale, Brad, Kelsey, and Kevin gathered 290 gallons in the dark as we did not start until 6:00pm. The trees were dripping about a drop a second when we finished. The 560 once again got stuck in high gear and we had to finish with the H. Cathy made a roast for supper that was devoured! Chuck ran the boiler by himself successfully! The water in the woods is impressive in spots as seen from the perspective of the tractor driver above. Jack arrived from Florida in time to help finish boiling. Quit before we even started on today's sap. That can be addressed tomorrow. Everyone is tired! Total sap: 1300 gallons. Total syrup: 20 gallons.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Day #5
Saturday found us with knee deep snow on the north side of the woods. Bob, Cody, Brad, Gerri, Ted, Mark, Susan, Chris & Hannah gathered about 100 gallons of sap and left a lot of ice behind! Tractor was stuck twice, but only once required getting the H out to pull. Brad & Gerri washed some new buckets up and Susan ran to Toft's for more lids. Total sap: 100.
Sunday the 27th found every type of weather known to man, snow, sleet, rain, fog and thunder and lightening to round things out. Everyone gone except Cody who got some help & gathered 250 gallons of sap, likely a lot of it yesterday's ice. No boiling today! Total sap: 350.
Monday was the first big run of the season!! Susan B., Kevin, Jenny, Kelsey, Chris, & Brad gathered 660 gallons. Kelsey drove through woods and did not get stuck once! She is very proud of this, however should mention she hit a tree with dual. Small river running through woods! Jenny explored the bottom of mud hole much to Brad's delight! Always advisable to dress in layers! Front end of tractor under water so it will need greased ASAP. Muff brought supper over. Chuck & Bob boiled for first time tonight and took off 15 gallons. Total sap: 1010. Total syrup: 15 gallons.
Sunday the 27th found every type of weather known to man, snow, sleet, rain, fog and thunder and lightening to round things out. Everyone gone except Cody who got some help & gathered 250 gallons of sap, likely a lot of it yesterday's ice. No boiling today! Total sap: 350.
Monday was the first big run of the season!! Susan B., Kevin, Jenny, Kelsey, Chris, & Brad gathered 660 gallons. Kelsey drove through woods and did not get stuck once! She is very proud of this, however should mention she hit a tree with dual. Small river running through woods! Jenny explored the bottom of mud hole much to Brad's delight! Always advisable to dress in layers! Front end of tractor under water so it will need greased ASAP. Muff brought supper over. Chuck & Bob boiled for first time tonight and took off 15 gallons. Total sap: 1010. Total syrup: 15 gallons.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Day #4
Huge huge day. Couldn't type last eve! 18 ton of stone moved into large mud hole plus 2 trailers of field stone, made only small dent, but certainly major progress! Mark & Trevor distributed stone and neighbor Mike loaded wagon for transport. Mechanical issues led to Mark heading for Gibbs for hydraulic hoses and Bob & Mike spending significant time pulling parts off one 560 and onto another. Trevor took over tractor driving since Bob needed to work on 560 (broke his little heart to drive through all that mud!)Everybody else assigned to the bucket briggade distributed buckets all morning and began tapping in the late afternoon. Finished well after dark with the help of friends Mike, Kevin & Jenny-the later most notable for being the only person smart enough to show up with a flashlight! 2 inches in a few buckets by the end of the day. Made a Sandhill Rd. run for Chuck's generator but didn't get it hooked up! There is always tomorrow.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Day #3 (with a few days in between!)
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To Clear up any concerns the mouse is on the right (my left) and the rock is in the other hand! I thought Grandma Wilson might enjoy this one!! |
Monday, picked up new syrup jugs! Tuesday, the David Brown Tractor found its’ way back into another mud hole, it has WAY too much fun playing in the mud! Chris prepared the military trailer for picking up rocks to help with this situation! Wednesday, worked with Slingwine Excavating to develop a plan to get the rocks into the mud holes! Today, Chris and Kels picked up 4,596,387 Rocks! Gigantic, Muddy, Heavy, Yucky, rocks, with the exception of one field mouse!! Dad refers to these as a fine specimens of Lime stone with intriguing fossils! Talked with the neighbors and seems to be ok that we haven’t started to tap yet, but we’re still pressing the matter! J
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Day #2
Cody swept out camp & hauled water to camp and got the evaporater all scrubbed out! Chuck, our personal boilermaker, finished a sample glass etching on a syrup bottle that looks awesome! Much warmer today. million calls "when ya gonna tap?" No answer.
Day #1
Paths are cleared. New tractor fits through woods! Heater does not work!! Cody also found the bottom of big mud hole. Mud Flying. Smoke rolling. Dad swearing (again). 1/2 hour later time investment, priceless life long lesson! 18 inch Cherry tree sucessfully cut, dragged, out of woods with much effort (more than 1/2 hour). Chains all worked well. Minimum 1 foot snow pack whole woods. Great start to this years season!
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