Six Weeks Until "Go Time"

Saying six weeks until "go time" makes it feel like we have awhile yet before we get busy-- but in reality we are just as busy in preparations for the sap flow and season as we will be when the "season" actually starts.

It's hard to believe with all of the renovations we have completed over the last two years, but we are already outgrowing our operation, and needing to get creative with our use of space. This has involved cutting trusses and stacking tanks and moving work benches and building new shelving units.

One of our biggest projects this year is the addition of a reverse osmosis system. Because we live/operate in the woods, our trees are closer together so tend to be tall with smaller canopies (warning, science coming your way here) which undergoes a smaller amount of photosynthesis than a "tree line" or areas where trees are further spaced and can grow larger canopies. Because of that, our sugar concentration in our sap tends to be on the "lower" end of normal-which means more time from gathering to the finished product and more resources required to make said syrup.

The sap RO system works similar to a home water filtration RO system, except the membrane is specific for water removal--allowing us to bring our sap from 2-3% sugar concentration up to as high as 8-12% this year--- and as much as 20% in the future when we upgrade our evaporator and add a second membrane.

All of this decreases overall boil time, decreases wood consumption (WIN! Because we literally spend an uncountable number of hours a year just cutting and stacking wood at this point), and allows us to control the sap concentration we put through our evaporator--giving us total control over variety of syrup produced.

And don't let this clean/pretty picture fool you. The shack is in a current state of expected mess :)

In addition to prepping and stacking tanks and finishing rewiring/plumbing the RO room, we have new wire and tubing to run and drops to make (we are adding 400-500 taps this season), we are cleaning/taking inventory and placing supply orders (all that syrup needs bottles to go into when it's produced). We are also replacing the fire blanket (fire proof insulation) in the evaporator.

So before we know it--these six weeks are going to be GONE and the production season will be upon us.

We've also been working away to restock our other farm goodies to have them available for purchase in the shack for our visitors during syrup season. Right now we have handmade soaps curing and planned for release the end of February. Current varieties curing include Aloe and Shea Butter, Lavender and Sage (Goat Milk Soap), Eucalyptus & Mint (Goat Milk), Charcoal with Lavender and Tea Tree, Oatmeal/Milk & Honey (Goat Milk), Rose (with Rosewater and Pink Brazilian Clay) and Shave and a Haircut (Men's Charcoal Bars).

We're also working to restock our handmade lip balms, body balms/lotion bars and respiratory support salve, all of which are made with bees wax harvested from our hives.

And as if all of the other things were not enough, we are expecting the upcoming births of our baby Nigerian Dwarf Goats (with our first mama due the first week of March!!), the hatching of all of the chicks and duckies, and the addition of piggies to the farm this spring--of course all of this starting during syrup production and seed starting time for the flower and vegetable gardens--there's never a dull moment.

Bear with us while we are getting everything in place, but syrup production will be upon us in no time at all. We're looking forward to evenings boiling in the shack, snuggling all of the baby farm animals and sharing all of the goodness with you all.

We've been blessed the last two weeks with snow and cold (which are crucial to quality sap and syrup production) and are hoping this holds on for many weeks as of yet-- but once the weather breaks and we're seeing some warm days with continued cold nights-- syrup season will be in full swing and our page will get a little more active.