Dons Sugar Shack is a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Licensed Wholesale Food Producer.  I am be able to stay open to provide Maple food products and supplies to the food industry and provide supplies to the maple syrup producers .  My hours are posted on my website and will offer evening hours during the next two weeks.

The maple season looks to be coming to an end early next Week. Night time  temperatures are not fall predicted to fall below 32 degrees after next Monday.   I will continue to accept and purchase sap  through next Monday.  I have many glass bottles in stock however, I am currently out of “Minnesota” labeled plastic quart bottles.

It has been a very good year considering we tapped just a little over 2 weeks ago.

Take good care and get outside for a walk as our governor suggests.  Geese and sandhill cranes are migrating now and there is nothing like that sound overhead.

Don

This week could provide a small sap run on Wednesday and Thursday.  Next Saturday/ Sunday, however looks very promising.  Beyond Sunday temperatures are warming up freezing temps at night remains questionable.  By then, the tap holes will be 3 weeks old for us and is close to the end of the season.   We have about 60-66 percent of an average year of maple productions thus far and this last week looks like we will be close to average by the end of the season

I have found that during this maple season I have been able to somehow put the corona virus to the back burner if for only for a couple of moments.  Its feels good to get out in the woods, and think only of the trees giving their sweet bounty, listen and observe the geese and sandhill cranes flying north, and know that we will come out of this crisis.

Don

Spring is here and the sap season is well underway.  In fact we may be over half way through it.  Looking ahead to the forecast, it appears that we have a very good week ahead with temps below freezing and highs in the 40’s.  I see possibly 2 more good sap runs, one this Sunday and Monday and another at the end of the week.  After March 29  and 30th it becomes less of a possibility as there are no freezing nights in the forecast beyond April 1st.  So with that be ready to have a good week and remember to keep checking those buckets.  Mother nature likes to mess with the maple experts and give us a late night sap run or one during a snow event.

Don