taping maple trees

[m hawley]

Got warm enough to tap some trees friday.


 

[wheat straw]

What mower is that on the 430? Is it the IH decaled for Ford or is it an older one. Looks like a belt drive.

Thanks

Wheat Straw
 

[m hawley]

The mower is a 515 ford belt drive.
 

[Adirondack case guy]

I don't ever remember needing a 3pt mower to tap trees!!, but you got a very nice 430 there. We have been working this past week to get the evaporators ready-- cleaning pans, setting the smoke stackes up, and sodering one leaky drop flue pan on the old 6x24 Grimm evaporator.Plan on hanging about 1200 buckets, starting Monday.
Loren
 

[TimBinWV]

I"ve seen several posts by you about the syrup process, and I"d like to learn a little more. Do you have anything on file, or any recommended sites, that you could link to/email me that could condense(pun intended) the process so a mere mortal like me could undrestand the basic how-to"s? Thanks, in advance!
 

[bradley martin]

With 1200 taps, I am surprised you are not using a vacum system instead of buckets. Most all syrup operations here have gone to vacum/pipeline systems and the buckets are only used to demonstrate the "old way" near the sugar shack.
 

[Adirondack case guy]

This is a 100 + year old sugarbush on dead flat limestone bed rock, covering 65 Acers. Tubing not practical. Our family produced syrup for 97 yrs. continiously until 2005. In our hayday we put out 3500 buckets. My uncles are about 80 and I am 65, and we have a few cousins and nephews in their teens to 40 that are now taking an intrest and helping out. We're too old to invest in vacum systems and RO systems. We are just trying to carry on a family tradition, and financially justify our time and effort. I will post pics as the season progresses. These pics. are from a couple of weeks ago when we were cutting wood for the evaporators.
Loren




 

[retired farmer]

You must be one tough bunch of people to actually saw and split that much firewood. I don't think I would last long enough to cut up one log.
 

[Adirondack case guy]

Tim,
Just Google (making maple syrup) tons of info there. As we progress I will be postion pics., but our system is old and antiquated compared to modern technology.
Loren
 

[mEl]

[m hawley]

Sorry boys I don't have 1200 taps I'm just a cowboy with a hat and no cows. This is just a hobby for me I make less then ten gallons. But my wife thinks I need 430 case to do the job.



 

[Brokengun]

I don’t know about this taping maple tree business!

Here in Illinois a man Union County tapped some trees and some one turned him in claiming he was running a meth lab.

The local police raided (swat team) his place guns drawn demanding to know where the meth lab was located.

The man had to show them his syrup making equipment and donate a few bottles of syrup to the locals before they decided he was ok (that’s of for now, but I bet their watching him)

So I don’t think I’m going to be tapping any trees in the near future, I don’t want the law coming after me here in Illinois
 

[Don Rudolph]

Loren,

That is a great family tradition. I hope you can keep it going for many more years. When you mention limestone bed rock it really hits close to home here as we are on the other end of the Niagara escarpment. Don
 

[D-C-741]

Where are The Trees that Country Folks had In there Paper Back In the 1980's ? I allways Rember them It was the First Year They Were Tapped. Loren !
 

[C. Amick]

Here is a link to some photos of my buddy's maple syrup operation in Dawson,WV.
WV Maple Syrup Operation