GLOVER, Vt. — Cold weather meant a slow start to sap season. And when the taps finally began flowing this month, things only got stickier for a fledgling two-man syrup operation here on three steep knolls by Shadow Lake.
Vacuum pumps hurrying the sap along miles of tubing failed. The new high-tech $28,000 reverse osmosis rig clogged on the initial feed of raw sap. Then, an old tractor skittered into the big red tanker truck.
Comments
Great story and best of luck to these keepers of tradition and good "taste".
My family is from Vermont and we've always enjoyed lots of maple, dating back to World War II when sugar was rationed and clever Vermonters devised maple treats to feed their sweet tooth. I remember helping my Uncle Mike "sugar off" when I was a little kid, and while I wish these larger operations all success, I hope the cottage industries continue as well.
Enjoyed the piece....but would have liked also to learn how much wood is used for make, say, a quart of maple syrup, and where it comes from, and if it's renewable, or what. Also, the price of a quarter seems to have gone up to around $16-18 in the Boston area; be nice to know how year's bumper harvest will affect prices.