Today the woods crew worked a little harder drilling taps. The 6 inches of snow that arrived Friday, Feb. 5 made the walking from tree to tree more of a work out, but still agreeable. It was sunny today and pleasant to be outside. The warm temperatures during the first week of February triggered a sap flow. Syrup was made Thursday night, Feb. 4th. In the sheep barn, two sets of twins were born tonight. These twins were bright and eager to get up and going. A shepherd's delight.
Sugarmakers today burn either wood or oil to produce the energy required to boil sap down into syrup. There are advantages to each method but at Windswept Maples we have always used wood as our fuel source for sugaring. Burning wood has made the most sense for us because it is a resource we have on our own property, and every year we have to cut up limbs and trees that have blown down on our tubing lines anyways. In addition to being a cost conscious decision, we burn wood because everyone enjoys loading the firebox while we are boiling. "Firing the evaporator" is always a sought after job on a breezy day in March, and one that usually draws...
