The Bovine Bugle

Another maple sugaring season comes to an end

Above: Samples of the syrup produced at each boiling throughout the sugaring season on Howmars Farm. The dark one is the syrup that was made at the last boiling, over this past weekend.

Ben and Dad boiled for the last time today. The sap we gathered yesterday didn't look too great, but there was quite a bit--600 gallons! The first syrup they drew off from the sap that had been sitting in the pans for the last 10 days was Grade A dark amber. I put that in cans while Dad and Ben fired the arch and kept a watch on the pans.

As the sap from yesterday's gathering made its way through the back pan and into the front pan, the bubbles of the boiling sap got darker and darker and the maple aroma got stronger. The next syrup they drew off had dropped two grades to the lowest grade, Grade C. We knew that meant this would probably be the last boiling. By the time they were done, Dad and Ben had made another 14 gallons bringing the season total to 88 gallons. This was about 2/3's of what we should have made, and that seems to be about the norm this year.

With the boiling all done, this just leaves the fun jobs of pulling and washing buckets, emptying and washing the syrup pans and storage tank, and closing up the sugarhouse for the season. Let's see...the boys are on vacation from school in a few days. I guess we'll have plenty of help!!

Below left: Ben and his grandfather struggle to get more wood into the sugaring house for the last boil of the season. Right: Ben stokes the fire under the raw sap.

--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont

Learn about other organic dairy farmers and the Organic Valley family of farms.

ABOUT THE BOVINE BUGLE

Subscribe by using the box at the upper left.

To unsubscribe, send a note to chalvorson@stonyfield.com

Posted by Blogger Chris at April 18, 2005 05:50 PM