The Official U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2014 2nd Edition | Page 61

WISCONSIN MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION + 33186 County Highway West, Holcombe WI 54745-9407, [phone], [email protected], www.wismaple.org SUMMARY OF SEASON A fter one of the best maple seasons on record in 2013 and one of the worst in 2012. This years crop looks like it was an average to below average year for most Wisconsin maple producers. Record cold and very deep snow made tapping very challenging. Snowshoes helped but still sunk deep into the snow making just getting from tree to tree a hardy chore. Tapping took me about a week longer than average but I did manage to have my trees all taped by March 18th and cooked the first batch on the U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2014 20th. But after a short run the cold returned. When the sap did start to flow it did so in two huge spurts before my season came to a end on April 20th. I managed to make 1120 gallons from 1936 taps for my second best season ever, just short of last season 1280 gallons. And much better than 2012’s 390 season. The sap had a 2.9% sugar average. The new Indiana vacuum pump I bought last season along with the new spouts I installed this season seemed to help me make as much the last two seasons as I did in the eight seasons from 2000 to 2007. My south sloping woodlot also was a factor this year, with producers just 20 or 30 miles away having much later seasons and different results. Those using bags or buckets seemed to be on the low end of average as well. So while Mother Nature made you work much harder for your sap this season the reward was there for those who used the latest technology that research has shown to get results. Now that everything is cleaned up the fun of selling ones crop is well underway with early demand seeming good. — Allan Herrmann President Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association 6 1