20 or so years ago my friend wanted to learn how to sugar on some land he owned about 4 hours north into Vermont. We brought 10 or 15 buckets up and tapped. We returned the next weekend after working all week , made a fire, and boiled sap in the largest pot we could find. Stayed up all night drinking beer and adding fresh sap when the volume got low. I checked it with a hydrometer near dawn and we considered it finished. When we poured it on pancakes later it was almost perfectly clear, and I was sure I screwed it all up- until we tasted it! We had inadvertently made first run, grade A, or close to it.
Hummm.....Colebrook? As in Ashtabula Co.? Who has an operation that big and I haven't heard of it? Ma****'s?
This is Deer Run Maple Syrup. Ray Gingerich is the point man behind the operation, but he’s partners with Magyar Farms.
OK, so I was partly right. I knew there was a sugar bush on the Magyer property. I am friends with a large farm owner north of him.
Copy, my chainsaw dealer (Ray’s Repair) is uncle’s with Ray Gingerich. He bought the dealership from Ray and then Ray turned his attention to maple syrup. He makes and sells R.O. machines and operates Deer Run, with the help of his two sons. Ray lives next door to the sugar shack and his son lives down the road a bit. The shack is on Easton road, close to Yuhasz Bros.
I know the Britton Boys, Eastons and Thompson brothers. I had C&R saw shop on Newcomb rd fix my brother's 026 years ago. Is this the same place? I have since switched to Alvord's in Chardon for parts since I do my own work on saws now.
That’s cool, I don’t get out there much, usually on the motorcycle or Hardy dealer if I do. I like how open it is out there. No, C&R closed down years ago. I bought a lot of their parts inventory though. Ray’s repair is in a newer building on Georgia road right near the Kubota dealership. I think you’d save a lot of money going their versus Alford’s if you’re a husky, echo, red max, shindaiwa kinda guy. For consumables like chains, bars, oil; Ray’s Repair will definitely be cheaper. For stihl parts out your way, Miller’s Small Engine on bundysburg Rd near Mespo is awesome for parts. He keeps quite a bit in stock, plus used stuff.
Stopped by the home of a neighbor for a brief business meet. A guy was at his property setting up his equipment today
Around here if you had that much sweet syrup in containers in the woods, the bears and raccoons would be into it. They don't hibernate much around here.
In Indian country around here March is called Iskigamizigie-giizis, or "sugar bush moon." The tradition to make this staple food of the Ojibwa people goes back many centuries in the sugar maple forest which occurs in a narrow band of trees just inland from Lake Superior along the ridges of the Sawtooth Mountain range. I used to help a band member and friend from the Grand Portage Reservation in his sugar bush. There was a lot snow when he started in March so he used his sled dog team to get in to the site, and haul wood once there. His sugar shack was a traditional wigwam covered in birch bark sheeting. Beyond that he had the metal pans suspended over the fireplace that was made with cinder type block. The product was excellent and consisted of the syrup and hard candy. The syrup was finished by innate feel versus any type of more modern aids. As I recall he watched how the liquid sloughed off a stirring paddle to know how the process was progressing.
The history of sugaring I think is fascinating. Very awesome that you got to experience it in a traditional, native manner.
Sap flow has been mediocre since the first excellent run of five days. Nevertheless, been boiling away. Fired up the new pan last week. Hoping today’s warmer temps give the trees a little jump.
Boys are tapping out this week.. Has less to do with weather than school being out for a week. Still below 0 at the sugar house.
What’s the latest into the year you’ve seen or heard of maples producing a sap run up your way/how late do people usually leave their taps in? Have seen only two good runs here so far. Couple small one-day flows in between. Extended forecast is colder than it’s been. Days in the 20s and nights in the singles. Once again, February was warmer than March.
