With the warm weekend coming up, one might be tempted to call it quits on Saturday April 6th. I know I thought about it, however the forecast looks as though we could get some ideal conditions next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.   I am going to wait to see if this forecast plays out.  A good sap run at the end of the season can make an average season change to an above average or excellent season.   It froze in Taylors Falls last night so depending on the sap run today we will collect what we have and cook it before the warm weekend.   Sap will not keep well in temperature above 50 and must be cooked immediately.  The trees do not look like they are getting larger and to bud stage so I am hopeful we have a little more season left next week.

Don

This is week we have been waiting for.  Day night temperature swings look good and the season will end this Friday as rain and 60’s are from April 5th on. We are in the home stretch.  Sap sugar has been 3.2-3.4 so it is still up there. The smaller trees seem to be producing a little less and the larger old growth sugar maples are just beginning to “wake up”

We have cooked 3 times and have 200 gallons of the best syrup ever put away in stainless 40 gallon barrels.  The sap should run today and another cook is tentatively scheduled for this afternoon.  Have a blessed Sunday

Don

The warmer weather has taken out most of the snow and the frost.  I am hopeful with the forecast in the next week that we make our average syrup production. Our two church groups have 2500 pails out there and we are patiently waiting.  We have made about 140 gallons of syrup so far and have cooked twice.  It froze here last night but just barely, so we might get something today.

Be careful when cooking hot syrup, there are 3 ways to get seriously burned:  Fire, Steam, and hot syrup.   I was burned by steam 3 days ago so, be careful around the evaporators.

Don