HHF 2022 maple updates - Week Three

If you read my update last week, then you may know we were struggling with breakdowns - vacuum pumps in two woods locations, broken valves, and evaporator issues back in the sugarhouse. It was quite the week! We took Monday as a fresh start, and, fingers crossed, we’ve gotten over the hump. The weather this week has been unseasonably warm. The sap ran hard through the weekend and into the first part of this week. The past couple nights, we have not seen a freeze… so the sap flow has slowed down. A freezing night is needed to reset the trees’ sap flow - which is why we only make syrup this time of year. Right now, it looks like we won’t see that much needed freeze until Monday night. This makes sugarmakers nervous. There’s still frost and snow in the woods, and a lot of mud everywhere else. With any luck, we will make it through (considering its still mid-March) and make syrup for another 10-14 days.

Are you ready for New Hampshire Maple Weekend???!! We are busy preparing for lots of visitors this weekend. Traditionally, maple weekend is the opportunity for people to visit sugarhouses all over the state while they are in peak production. You can find a listing of all the participating sugarhouses at NH Maple Producers website. We plan to be open 10am till 4:30pm on Saturday and Sunday with tours/samples and special maple treats - cookies, popcorn, and ice cream with syrup. Hope to see you!

Thanks to the good sap flow, we are now approaching half our maple production goal for the season at 450 gallons. We should hopefully hit that mark by the end of the day today. We’re optimistic that we have many sap boiling days ahead!

Another fun thing about this season is we have been able to invite group tours back. Last Friday we hosted a winter activities group from Bradford school on Friday and Sullivan County 4-H members on Sunday afternoon. This week - a class from Mount Royal came by yesterday to learn all things maple. Today, we have two classes from Sunapee Schools. We just love sharing our passion for maple syrup, farming, and the outdoors.

maple tap count
2,500 Taps

**First Boil - February 12, 2022**
**12 boiling days**
**Total Sap Collected so far…**
22,295 Gallons
1.74% Sugar Average
50 Gal needed for 1 Gal syrup
**Maple Syrup Total as of 3/17**
450 Gallons
**Maple Grades**
Amber Rich & Dark Robust

We’re in the heart of maple season now. Visit us for our NH Maple Weekend celebrations on March 19th & 20th. The shelves are stocked with fresh Maple Syrup in plastic jugs or glass. We have a replenished supply of Maple Cream, Candy, and Sugar. A large selection of our homegrown Grass Fed Beef is in our shop freezer. Get it while it lasts. See you soon!