The Official U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2014 2nd Edition | Page 9

H IGHL IGH TS SEASON OF THE 2014 maple industry at a glance. What people were talking about … Buckets do not runneth over Bucket sugarmakers got skunked for the most part in 2014, with trees producing very little sap during erratic runs without the help of vacuum. “We just had a stop and start season,” said Donald Marks of Woodville, Ont. who with wife Jane tapped 167 trees, most on buckets. “We probably made 65 percent of a crop.” Those who got their buckets out early found that the little sap they received turned into frozen ice chunks. 3/16 tubing takes off The end of Fancy The Vermont state legislature approved the first-in-the-nation changes to the maple syrup grading system, which eliminates the Fancy grade of syrup by next year. Following the decade-long initiative by the International Maple Syrup Institute to persuade all maple states and provinces to use the same grades, Vermont formally put in place Golden Delicate, Amber Rich, Dark Robust and Very Dark Strong. There will be no grade B syrup labeled as such. Vermonters had the 2014 season to break in their customers on the new grades and all must be officially turned over to the new system by next year. Other states like Maine, New York, New Hampshire and others are also slated to officially switch over to the new grades for the 2015 season. U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2014 The 2014 season saw the first major results from the 3/16 natural vacuum gravity tubing phenomenon, which had been in testing mode for the past three years. Researcher Timothy Wilmot, a maple specialist for UVM extension at the Proctor Maple Research Center developed the technology and was on the receiving end of many reports from the field this season from sugarmakers getting upwards of 28 hg vacuum without any mechanical help. Producers in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire were seeing amazing results and enjoying much less stress by not having to worry about breakdowns. The tubing just plain works, as long as there is a decent slope and at least a 30 foot rise from the last tap on the line to the collection tank. 9