WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
If you’re a skier or snowshoer, this winter (so far) has been a bust. But this unusually warmer January has been great for maple sugaring. My 18 buckets gave 47 gallons of sap in one day last week. That means on average, these taps ran about 2.6 gallons of sap per tap. Anything 2 gallons/tap is considered a “big run.” The sugar content has been no slouch either, running at about 2.5%. That equates to 33 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. We’ll see if it continues. The 10-Day forecast is looking good but may finally get colder or more “seasonable” towards the end. After all, we’re not even into February.
May the Forest Be with You,
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association