Stealing Sweetness

Last week we started the process of stealing sweetness. Yup, we started tapping!! I cannot overstate the joy of being outside among the trees and thanking them for the gift they are about to bestow on us. Mother Nature is making us work for our sap this year though. We have over two feet of snow on the ground so traveling from tree to tree is a workout. We call it Maple Interval Training. The most vexing question we have asked ourselves this season is, “snowshoe or no snowshoe?” We all started out in snowshoes and after each one of us tripped and fell, we left the snowshoes behind. We are still falling, cushioned by the snow, and giving those that remain standing a good laugh.

Our network for stealing sweetness.

Sugarbush Supervisor

Although the snow is challenging muscles rarely used, we are delighted to see all the animal tracks in the snow. It is a superhighway out there, but we rarely see the traffic. Each set of tracks makes me wonder, who was going where and why. There is a set of tracks out there that I do recognize – those of the Sugarbush Supervisor. Juneau has been our constant companion while tapping trees. She too is interested in the comings and goings of all animals, but she is also committed to making sure we do a good job installing taps.

Juneau is one of 60 pawsome entrants in the Sugarbush Supervisor contest. We hope you agree she is the best. You can vote for her here.

Juneau checks the taps because she is the very best Sugarbush Supervisor.

Waiting for Sweetness

The snow may be challenging as we tap, but we are grateful for the cold temperatures and the insulative layer of snow on the ground. In theory, this insulative layer of snow keeps the trees from budding, prolonging the syrup season and making sweeter sap.

We finished tapping this week and are now waiting to transform the sweetness into wonderful syrup. The next 4-6 weeks are the most important for us and by the time we are finished syruping, we will be ready to celebrate our one-year anniversary of owning the farm. We have learned, laughed, and experienced so much in the last 11 months, it is hard to believe the most important time is just ahead.

We feel up to the challenge, after all, we’re being watched!

With all the trees tapped, we watch and wait for the right weather. Or is someone watching us? Our barred owl shows up multiple times a day to hang out and wait with us.