Wow That Was Early!!
Yes, the early spring weather is what everyone has been speaking about this year. Syrup season seems to have come early for everyone. Our sap collection began the first week of March and our first boil was March 8th. That is the earliest yet for us. For comparison, last year our first sap collection was on March 14th.
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We undertook many upgrades this past year which were still being completed by the time the sap started flowing. One of the upgrades was replacing our Reverse Osmosis equipment with a new unit with a much larger capacity. It wasn't a small upgrade since requires more electrical power and as a result we also had to upgrade our diesel generator, and the electrical panel and run heavier wire. The new RO equipment has already made an impact and reduced the amount of time we spend boiling which also reduces the amount of wood we use and all the time that goes into preparing the wood pile.
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For those who like darker syrup with that real maple taste, you're in luck. Our early-season syrup is darker than normal for this time of year which is what other Producers across Ontario are also reporting. It will be interesting to see if we get some lighter syrup in the next week or so. Typically we see syrup get darker as the season progresses. This is a natural occurrence that is partially due to the changes in the microbial and sugar composition of the sap. Last season we saw the syrup get light again midway through the season.
Despite the early warm weather, we are optimistic that we will have a good production this year. We are already at about 33% of last year's total production. The cold weather this week is welcome as it gives us and the trees a bit of time to recharge. The forecast looks promising for a good run of sap later this week and into next week.
If you are interested in visiting, send us an email and we'll let you know when we are planning to boil next.