Farmall Cub

The old sugar maples are starting to flow real good now. It's my first year trying this out. (being retired & all, just something to get me back in the woods!) One thing I learned... Must get more wood for next year. Propane cost just a little more. With that forty to one ratio, plenty of boiling is needed. But the sweet taste... WOW, it's all worth it!!

I had an Uncle that since he retired had been tapping the trees on the family farm, and making syrup for him and the family. sure was good. Unfortunately he died a few weeks ago, and no one else in the family is both capable and willing to continume with the tradition.

John, my condolences to you and you family on the passing of your uncle.


Ron, my father in law ( 79 YO) taps over 100 trees just above his house. He supplys his kids ( and sons in law ) with syrup, I always look forward to this time of year, another sure sign that spring is just around the corner!! Our season is a little later than yours, probly close to a month later, but my wife just told me he was tapping today!! Yipee!! YUMMY!!!

100 trees ! I'm tapping only ten. And I thought I was doing a lot of boiling off. Must be a lot of work. Plus, he knows what he's doing.

John. Sorry to hear about your uncle. Maybe you can start the hobbie! Use your cub to get you there & back.......

Ron,
My neighbor up the road from me does it every year with the help of lines going to his sugar house. I sure would like to learn how myself although I only have a few maples on my property! Maybe when I retire.

scotty

I have been doing the sugaring thing since I was 15 or so, then last year I built a sugar shack bought a evaporator and a few more buckets. I tap about 250 trees, it worked very well, I made about 2200 dollars and I was very pleased with the way it worked. This is what I used to buy my next tractor with!! Then in sept that !@#$%^&* hurricane Juan hit. It destroyed 80% of me sugar woods. So needless to say, I will not be doing it this year. I have another lot I can go to next year but I have to do some thinning and cleaning it up this spring first. I go to the woods every day and see the sap starting on the trees that broke off during Juan. It makes me very dissapointed.

Maritimer, very sorry to hear about your sugar bush! I understand that you guys got hit really hard with that one!! How did you make out otherwise?

BTW, do you know John Neilsen, he has a dairy herd and some Angus beef cattle as well.

Other than that, not to bad. Lost a bunch of steel off the barn, and had 5 large spruce on my house..

Does john live in Shortslake, Stewiake area?

Scotty: You should get a few books on sugaring to start educating yourself on the process. It's not that difficult for a small operation. Lots of fun and satisfaction.

Maritimer: Sounds like you had a pretty large operation going there. Too bad with that hurricane.
I'm still in the learning process. On the few real good days I've had, I didn't get to bed till about 3 AM. Something I hadn't thought of before hand! I see myself doing some summer projects to get ready and more efficient for next year.

Maritimer wrote:Other than that, not to bad. Lost a bunch of steel off the barn, and had 5 large spruce on my house..

Does john live in Shortslake, Stewiake area?

Sorry, I meant Harold Neilsen, the other brother , he lives right around Brookville.

Yeh, I know of him. He lives in Brookfield, about 4km away.

Right, Brookfield, that CRAFT was kicking in again!!! Thanks, gives me a bit of a picture of where you are. I've been to their place a few times, as we are both Angus breeders, and have an annual get-together with the other Maritime breeders every year.