Snow!!!

Hello everyone,

Snow, snow and more snow. It has snowed almost everyday for the last ten days and it is still snowing! Hard to think about gardening while you are shoveling snow!

The one bonus: the ski trails are beautiful at our house. I am getting much better, as a novice skier, hills are my nemesis. The last three times out, I did not fall once. And yes, I did go down hills! I guess the other bonus is the gorgeous sight that meets the eyes every morning as the day dawns. Monochromatic is the best way to describe it. Everything is white.

I read in the local paper that maple syrup season may start early because of the warm daytime temperatures. With all of the new snow, I don't think that will be happening. Mike and Ian are ready to get out there and tap our few trees. We generally make about three gallons of our own. It is a smalltime operation. We tap about 10-15 trees the old fashioned way with metal taps and metal pails that have covers on them.

Our land was a sugar bush back in the day. When we purchased it, there was an old log boiling house. It had not been used in decades and was rotting into the ground. Mike tore it down and used the tin roofing to cover wood piles that dot our forest. It is amazing to know that the trees we tap were the same ones tapped 50 years ago. There are some old beauties growing close to our house. If trees could talk, they would have amazing stories to tell.

After the sap is gathered for the day, Mike builds a fire outside to start the boiling process. He has a large metal pan that is placed over the flames. As the sap boils, more is added to the pan. After several hours of boiling, the sap gets closer to syrup. We bring the pan inside and place it on the gas burner to finish off. There are scientific tools used to determine when it is syrup. We use a less perfect method. Sometimes we get syrup that is a bit watery, other times a little thick, occasionally it is just right. You may already know, it takes 30 or more gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup. And you wondered why maple syrup is soooo expensive!

We have written the contract for the CSA and the list of veggies that will be available during the season. I will be sending those by email to the folks who have already indicated they will be signing up for the 2010 season. Please fill them out and send them back to us.

Enjoy the snow and remember, fresh veggies will be on your table before you know it.

Take care all,
Maria