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Warm winter drives rush to sugarbushes
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - February 08, 2012)
Warm winter drives rush to sugarbushes
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Maple syrup producers in Geauga County are getting a jump start this year as the mild winter has stirred concerns that the traditional season may be too late.
"It came way earlier than we ever figured," said Les Ober, an agent with the Ohio State University Extension Office in Burton.
He estimated that at least 20 percent of the producers have begun tapping maples about three weeks before the traditional start on Presidents' Day.
With temperatures about 10 degrees above average for this time of year, there is a fear that waiting any longer could lead to the trees to cease producing the sap that is turned into sweet syrup, Mr. Ober said.
David Rennie, co-owner with his wife, Debbie Richards, of Richards Maple Products in Chardon, which has been a fixture in the city for 100 years, said activity began picking up the first week in February as many tappers headed out to their sugarbushes. "The phone has been ringing off the hook," he said.
Mr. Rennie, who has been in the business since 1974, said this is the earliest he has ever seen the tapping begin. "This is a very unusual season," he said. "It has generally run from latter part of February into early March. That's been a given, but it's just been strange this year."
Some producers fear that, if the warmer temperatures continue, trees may begin to bud and the transfer of sap from their roots will cease, ending the opportunity for reaping the liquid gold, he said.
Traditionally, Mr. Ober said, there is usually one week in February and four weeks in March during which the tapping occurs. He said advancements, such as a tubing system, have enabled producers to tap a little earlier than those traditional times and run a little longer.
The ideal conditions, he said, are daytime temperatures in the mid-40s and below freezing at night. Those conditions allow the sap to rise, he said. With current temperatures providing those ideal conditions now, many producers are hurrying to the woods to take advantage, he said.
Mr. Ober said many fear that, if current conditions continue, it may be too warm by mid-March for trees to produce the sap. "It could end up shortening the season," he said.
If that were to occur, it might put a crimp in Chardon's traditional Tappin' Sunday ceremony planned for March 11. Mr. Ober said, even if it does, families can still enjoy the Maple Madness Tour March 10 and 11 and 17 and 18. The tour of Geauga County countryside offers an opportunity to see working sugarhouses.
Mr. Ober said there was a fear that the record rainfall over the past year would hurt the quality of sap, but that does not appear to be the case. He said the sugar content of the sap remains at 2 percent to 2.5 percent, which is good for producing the sweet syrup.
Mr. Rennie said it's too early to tell whether it will be an early and abbreviated season, and producers have no reason to panic now. "Right now, it's still safe," he said. "We're still in good shape. I've got my fingers crossed that it will still be a good season."
Mr. Rennie said producers get an opportunity during the sugaring season to add to their incomes at a time when there is little to do elsewhere in their fields.
Mr. Ober said there is always an element of unpredictability for any farmer, including maple-syrup producers.
Last year, the area saw record production with about 125,000 gallons of syrup produced. Normally, Ohio ranks about fourth of fifth in maple-syrup production nationally but last year fell to sixth because of record production elsewhere, he said. In 2010, only about 67,000 gallons was produced in Ohio, he said, because deep snows prevented producers from getting out into their sugarbushes.
Mr. Rennie said no two seasons are alike. "Mother Nature is always in control," he said. "They might as well not worry, because we have to take what she gives us."
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