Daily Update - 2013
Hello to our faithful maple syrupers!
Here's where you can find regular updates on our need for volunteers throughout the syruping season.
Thursday, May 2 - A Sweet Thank You!
An email was sent out earlier today with instructions on how to pick up the maple syrup thank you gift for helping this season. Didn't get the email but thought you recorded your hours? A few things might have happened:
-We couldn't read your name when you recorded your hours in the volunteer book
-We could read your name but didn't have your email address
-We made a mistake!
If you thought you recorded your hours either in the volunteer book or on-line but you did not get that earlier email, please let Sarah know!
Wednesday, May 1 - All wrapped up
The 2013 Maple Syruping season is certainly going to go down in history as one of the best and strangest for many reasons! We could not have done it without the hundreds of volunteers who share their time and talents with us. For that, we are eternally grateful!
There is not much left to do in the shack except the final tidying and cleaning up. We do not anticipate needing any more help this season BUT we do hope to see you at the Volunteer Thank You Pancake Dinner next Tuesday!
Volunteer Hours: Remember, they are due by Thursday, May 2nd at 5:00 pm! We can't thank you if we don't know you helped!! Please record your hours on this website.
Volunteer Thank Yous: If you recorded your hours, you will get an email this coming Friday with the following items:
-How and where to pick up your thank you syrup for helping this season
-A formal invitation to the pancake dinner next Tuesday, May 7th at 5:30 pm. You will be asked to RSVP so we can plan for how many people are coming!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Dirty but worth it...check out this teaser from the Discovery Channel show 'Dirty Jobs' when Mike Rowe visits a maple syruping operation. The full episode is available on a variety of internet sites, such as Netflix.
Monday, April 29 - And the washing continues!
It was a great day out at the shack...the last syrup cooking on the finishing stove...lots of volunteers in our bucket washing assembly line...all the taps out of the woods...frogs were calling...a great ending to a great season!
Bucket Washing: We are hoping that just one more day of washing will do it so we are asking for volunteers from 9 am to 4:30 pm on Tuesday. We are washing buckets in the large shed so we are out of the sun and the wind. Your shoes and possibly your shirt will get wet, depending on how messy of a washer you are! You are welcome to drive out, the road is pretty solid at this point.
Volunteer Hours: Remember, they are due by Thursday, May 2nd! We can't thank you if we don't know you helped!! You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: There are many great Native American legends about how people first discovered maple syrup. Manabozho and the Maple Trees is from the Anishinabe of the Great Lakes Region.
Sunday, April 28 - Let the bucket washing begin!
We made great progress on Friday pulling taps, thanks to everyone who spent part of their day with us! We were able to pull all of the taps on the 'buckets' side of the woods and now just have the 'bags' side left.
Tap Pulling/Bucket Washing: Monday, April 29th will be a day long attempt at getting both of these jobs done! We will be out at the shack from 9 am to 5 pm and appreciate all the help we can get! There was still snow in the woods on Friday but most will probably be replaced with mud by Monday so wear shoes that can get dirty. Ice cream with maple syrup for those who come out, if you needed any more incentive!
Syrup Cooking (update courtesy of Br Walter Kieffer): Big Burnie was cooling off Friday evening after it's first season on line. It along with Little Larry and the wood stove ate up about 20 cords of wood. Dan Weber, Bill Mock, Harold Zipp and I ran in the last sap to be cooked around 6:30. We have enough drawn off for one last finishing batch which will be done on Monday. So can't provide a final tally yet, but will say we passed 500. Most all the taps have been pulled. Monday will start the cleaning process of the pails and disassembling of the bags and bag holders. This will take a few days so come out and enjoy the nice weather helping with the process of putting to rest the sapping year which has been a memorial one for sure. Thanks to all those who have come out and helped out. ~Br Walter
Volunteer Hours: Volunteer Hours are Due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 2nd!!! You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Saint John's does not sell the syrup made here, instead it is used for things like thanking those who help us make it (so get your volunteer hours in now!). If you want to buy locally made real maple syrup, check out Wildwood Ranch, owned by Shelly and Tom Carlson. They sell their syrup, along with maple syrup candy, at the St Joseph Farmers' Market.
Thursday, April 25 - Planning for the end...
Well, it is finally happening...plans for wrapping up the season. We feel so lucky to have had a great season and for all the help we have had from you wonderful people! It doesn't mean we don't need help in the next week or so to get everything wrapped up for the season. Here is the current day by day plan.
Thursday, April 25th:
Sap Collection: Our last 'sap for syrup' collection will be today, Thursday April 25th from 3 - 5 pm. The sun is shining and it is supposed to approach 50 today...a great day to be in the woods!
Syrup Cooking: We are cooking all day today and having to cut wood faster than we burn it because we have used up everything we had cut for the season!
Friday, April 26th: Forecasted to be 65 degrees and sunny!
Sap Collecting/Pull Taps: All day from 9 am to 5 pm we will be in the woods trying to multitask. We will be collecting sap to use to clean the evaporator at the end of the season, plus starting to pull taps. Any help at any time of the day is great! We are starting on the 'bucket side' of the woods and working towards the sugar shack. We will put up signs along the trails so you can find where we are working or you can ask the people in the sugar shack.
Syrup Cooking: Depending on sap flow, this may be the last day we cook sap for the season!
Monday, April 29th: Forecasted to be almost 70 degrees and sunny!
Pull Taps/Wash Buckets: Again, all day 9 am - 5 pm out at the shack we will be either finishing pulling taps and/or starting to wash the buckets. Ice cream with syrup will be available this day to help fuel the wonderful souls who help us with this necessary part of the process!
Thursday, May 2nd: Volunteer Hours are Due by 5:00 pm today!!!
You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Tuesday, May 7th: Volunteer Thank You Pancake Supper!
Details for this day will be sent on Friday, May 3rd to the people who have recorded their hours. We can't thank you if you don't record your hours!!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Feeling a little 'tapped out' in this area (thanks Mike C for the pun suggestion!)...email me a question about syruping and I'll pick one to answer in my next post!
Wednesday, April 24 - Pancakes and Sap Collection Today!
Pancakes and sap collection today! Well, maybe not in that order but we hope to see you out at the sugar shack this afternoon!
Sap Collection: Join us for sap collection today from 3-5 pm. We will reward your hard work with pancake and hot maple syrup straight from the evaporator. Life doesn't get much better than that! Snow and mud are still in the woods...you know the drill!
Syrup Cooking: Big Burnie will be cooking syrup for most of the day, come and see him in action!
Volunteer Thank You Dinner: The new date for the dinner is Tuesday, May 7th at 5:30 pm. More details soon but remember, we can't thank you if you don't record your hours!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: In honor of Scholarship and Creativity day at CSB/SJU today...
Creativity: Check out this music video of James Hills' song 'Hand Over My Heart' where he uses maple syruping as the backdrop for the video.
Scholarship: Steve Saupe and Sarah Gainey presented a poster at the National Association of Biology Teachers meeting in 2010 about the educational value of maple syruping.
Tuesday, April 23 - Pancakes POSTPONED!!
Those who know maple syrup know we have to take what the weather brings us. So, with the snow and cold today, trees aren't dripping like we anticipated, thus our plans need to change. Thanks so much for your understanding and flexibility!
Sap Collection and Pancake Eating: We are postponing sap collection and pancake eating until Wednesday, April 24th between 3-5 pm. Come when you can! Stay however long you are able! We would love to spend part of CSB/SJU's scholarship and creativity day with you out at the sugar shack!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Ever heard of hickory syrup? The bark of the shagbark hickory tree (Carya ovata) is sustainably harvested then used to flavor a sugary solution. I have tried it...you can do what you want but I'm sticking with maple.
Monday, April 22 - Happy Earth Day!
It's hard to believe we're still syruping during the last week in April! It's looking like we'll have a possible warm-up at the end of this week, which may put an end to the good sap flow. We'll be watching the weather closely toward the end of the week.
In the meantime...
Sap Collection (and Pancakes!!!): No collection today, but we'll ned help collecting sap on Tuesday afternoon from 3-5PM. Come ready to tromp through 3-6 inches of more snow (if the forecast is correct). The cooking crew will be making pancakes along with the usual maple syrup in the Sugar Shack in the afternoon. YUM! Who knows how many more collecting days we've got left this season...so get out there and enjoy it!
Syrup Cooking: The evaporator will be cooking all day Tuesday, so head on out to the shack before the pancake party to see the process.
Jenny's Jar of Knowledge: Br. Walter Kieffer, one of our syrup gurus, tells us that April 27 is the record for the last day of cooking sap at Saint John's. We'll see if the weather will help us break that record this weekend or not! Stay tuned...
Friday, April 19 - 300 and Counting!
Word is it's a beautiful day out in the woods. Don't miss it!
Sap Collection: The trees haven't gotten the message that it's late April (we're usually long-don syruping by now), so we need help collecting again today from 3-5PM, but you can show up earlier if you want - John O'Reilly is out tromping in the snow right now). NOTE: The road is not yet plowed and is very messy, so it's probably best to park on campus and walk out to the shack.
Syrup Cooking: Plan on taking your Saturday break out at the Sugar Shack tomorrow; the crew will be cooking off more syrup!
Jenny's Jar of Knowledge: The 300th gallon of maple syrup was bottled yesterday out at the shack. The last time we made more than 300 gallons of syrup was in 1994!
(Sarah's on vacation, so watch for more Syrup Snippets from her next week!)
Wednesday, April 17 - Sap Up to our Ears!
Things are getting serious in the woods...
Sap Collection: Bags and buckets continue to overflow out in the woods. We need some time today to empty the barrels in the woods (that are full from yesterday's collection) but we should be ready for people by 3 pm. If you can't be there right at 3 pm, don't let that stop you from coming out!! We anticipating the collection taking a while this afternoon so showing up after 4 pm works as well! Bring friends! Family! Neighbors! Random people you meet who have boots on!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: 1985 was the year the most syrup was made at Saint John's - 560 gallons. That year they put out 1950 taps. Adjusting for our 1500 taps we have out this year, we would have to make 435 gallons this year to have a similar production year. As of today we are over half way there...
Tuesday, April 16 - Sap is Overflowing! Need Help RIGHT NOW!
Word from the woods is that it is hard to find a bag or a bucket that is not overflowing with sap this afternoon.
Even if you have a 2:40 class and can't get out to the woods until after 4, we need all the help we can get this afternoon to collect sap.
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Stop reading this website and get outside to collect sap!
Monday, April 15 - Sap Collection on Tuesday
More syrup was made on just this past Sunday than was made all of last year. Let's just think about that for a minute.
Sap Collection: Bags and buckets will be full by Tuesday afternoon so we need help collecting sap from 3-5 pm on Tuesday. The rest of the week is still up in the air but it is looking like we will be cooking and collecting for most of this week!
Syrup Cooking: Wednesday is going to be a long cooking day so if you want to see the evaporator in action, come out to the shack!
Volunteer Thank You Dinner: POSTPONED!! Originally scheduled for next Tuesday April 23rd but our season isn't going to be over so we are going to wait until early May. Exact date to be determined but just wanted to make sure you didn't show up next Tuesday night looking for pancakes and syrup!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: The preheater on the new evaporator increases the temperature of the sap more than 100 degrees F (depending upon how hard we fire the evaporator). That increases our efficiency by about 20% because the sap then takes less time to cook once it is in the evaporator.
Saturday, April 13 - Sap Collectors Needed Sunday!
Word from maple syrupers across the state is that it finally feels like a great syruping season! Sap was dripping a 1 drop per second and faster today so our bags and buckets will need tending to on Sunday!
Sap Collection: We need people to help collect sap on Sunday starting at 1:00 pm. It is hard to say how long collection will take as it all depends upon how many people show up. We recommend parking on campus and walking out to the sugar shack unless you trust your vehicle on rough roads, directions available here.
Syrup Cooking: 'Big Burnie' will also be cooking syrup on Sunday and the people in charge of cooking are always happy to give you a tour of everything going on in the shack. They also need help bringing wood in from the wood shed, loading wood into the evaporator, bottling syrup, and taste testing finished syrup (my favorite job). Ask them how you can help and they will put you to work!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: How much sap does it take to make syrup? You can use the 'Rule of 86' to help you find out. If you divide 86 by the sugar percentage of the sap, the answer is the number of gallons of that sap it takes to make 1 gallon of syrup. For example, the average sugar concentration of sap from a sugar maple is 2%, which means it takes 43 gallons of that sap to make 1 gallon of syrup (or you have to boil off 42 gallons of water to leave behind 1 gallon of syrup). Do the math for sap from most other maple species (red, silver, boxelder)...they give an average of 1% sugar in their sap.
Thursday, April 11 - And the Season Continues!
We are trying hard not to grumble about the weather but instead be happy that the sap is flowing. The report from the woods says the sap was dripping once per second yesterday, which is pretty fast for sap flow! They are also up to 100 gallons of syrup made as of yesterday.
Sap Collection: We could use people to help collect sap again today from 3-5 pm. We know it is easy to barricade yourself inside on days like today - but we can almost guarantee you will have a memorable time in the woods on a day like today!
Volunteer Thank You Dinner: Not that we are excited for the season to be over, but we do want you to put on your calendar Tuesday, April 23rd as the date for this year's maple syrup volunteer thank you dinner. Pancakes, Saint John's syrup, and lots of gratitude from your maple syrup family for all your help are on the menu. More details will follow and remember, you need to record your hours to get the official invite to the dinner!!
Volunteer Hours: Just a reminder to record your hours that you spend helping out at the shack. You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Over 1000 preK-12th grade students visited our sugar shack in just 10 days this year! Learning about maple syruping is great for all ages and here are a few of my favorite maple syruping books for kids of all ages.
Sugarbush Spring by Marsha Wilson Chall
Maple Moon by Connie Brummel Cook (on my 'need to read' list)
At Grandpa's Sugar Bush by Margaret Carney
Wednesday, April 10 - Quick! Let's Collect Sap Before the Snow!
The snow is coming and our buckets and bags are getting full! This is a last minute request for help collecting today before we get snowed in!
Sap Collection: We need help collecting sap today between 3-5 pm! We know it is a late request but what better excuse is there to stop working/studying and get outside?!?
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Make good use of the snow! Here is a recipe for 'Sugar on Snow!'
Tuesday, April 9 - Syrup Cooking Today
We are trying to be 'half glass full' people this week and be glad the weather is looking good for sap flow. And that the ground needs the moisture. I just ignore the 'possible accumulation' part of the forecast!
Syrup Cooking: It's hard to say how many more times we will be cooking syrup this season so today is another chance to see our new evaporator in action. We will start cooking around 10 am and will be going until at least midafternoon.
Sap Collection: No sap collection today, with the strong winds we try to keep at least a little sap in the bags and buckets to prevent them from flying off the trees.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Sugar sand is a natural precipitate that forms when you boil maple sap. This sediment is made up of minerals and other materials that must be filtered out of the syrup. Half of the name is correct...it isn't sweet but it is sandy, which makes your syrup gritty.
Monday, April 8 - Our Sap Runneth Over!
Syrup is being made! We are up to 50 gallons of syrup bottled and more ready to go. Please don't be sad about the weather, it is looking great for sap flow this week!
Sap Collecting: We need help collecting sap today! Please come out to the shack between 3-5 pm and help us collect. Wear boots, you will be dealing with mud and/or snow! Bring your friends! Beat the long winter blues and get some fresh, albeit cold, air!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Even maple syrup makers are aware of their carbon footprint. Solar Sweet Maple Farm in Lincoln, VT, is equipped with enough solar panels to generate enough power annually to cover their power usage during their sugaring season. Their goal is a zero net carbon footprint and last year they made 4,000 gallons of syrup with only 12 cords of wood. Hard to imagine what an operation like that feels like, especially when standing in our sugar shack that uses no power except kerosene lamps and the occasional diesel generator!
Sunday, April 7 - Syrup Cooking Today!
We had a great crowd at the maple syrup festival yesterday and collected lots and lots of sap! Thanks to everyone who helped make the day possible!
Syrup Cooking: The evaporator is cooking syrup today! If you are interested, head out to the sugar shack to see our brand new evaporator in action. The cooking crew out there today would be happy to show you how things work and let you help out if you are interested in learning how. They estimate they will be there until late afternoon today. The roads are muddy and rough - we recommend you park on campus and walk out unless you trust your vehicle in those conditions! Directions are available here.
Volunteer Hours: Just a reminder to record your hours that you spend helping out at the shack. You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: CSB/SJU Biology professor Steve Saupe and his student Michael Culshaw-Maurer are conducting a study in the woods this syruping season to see what difference, if any, using a 5/16" spile has on sap flow versus the usual 7/16" spile. Stay tuned for their results!
Tuesday, April 2 - Sap is flowing!
Thanks to everyone who showed up to help collect over 800 gallons of sap on Saturday! The temperatures the rest of this week look favorable for sap flow so we are still hopeful that we will be cooking syrup soon.
Sap Collection: We would like help collecting sap on Wednesday, April 3 between 3:00-5:00 pm. Meet out at the sugar shack and wear your boots as you will be encountering either snow or mud or both!
April 6th Festival Volunteer Schedule: Thanks to everyone who has sent in a form to volunteer on Saturday. The final schedule will be sent out sometime on Wednesday.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: It's official! Saint John's Abbey maple syrup is the 'Best of Minnesota!' Check out the video on the WCCO website.
Wednesday, March 27 - Saint John's Abbey syrup on TV!
WCCO TV has a 'Best of Minnesota' series as voted on by their viewers and Saint John's Abbey won best maple syrup! They were out at the sugar shack today filming and the segment will air this weekend, Saturday between 8-9 am and Sunday between 6-7 am, and will eventually also be on their website. Congratulations to all involved!
Volunteers over Easter: We would like to create a separate email list of people who are potentially available over Easter weekend. If you are around Saint John's between Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1 and could potentially help those days, please email Sarah by noon on Thursday, March 28th. She will compile the list and give it to Br Walter, who will contact people if we need help over the holiday weekend. We will most likely need help collecting sap. No previous experience is required and all ages are welcome to help!
Volunteer Hours: Please remember to either write your hours down in the volunteer book in the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Volunteers for April 6th Festival: The volunteer form for the 2nd festival on April 6th is still available. Please submit your form by next Monday, April 1st. The final schedule will be sent out a day or two after that.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Another great volunteer, Mike Leedahl, has a blog where his latest posting is about his own maple syruping operation. Mike is in charge of the amazing display at our festivals where he demonstrates how Native Americans historically made maple syrup. Stop by and visit him on April 6th!
Monday, March 25 - In Search Of...
It is spring break at CSB/SJU this week but even though campus is quiet, the sugar shack is hopping with school kids out on maple syruping field trips. We did get a few drips of sap this afternoon from the tree we tapped, it was a great sight to see!
We are in search of a few things this week...
Sap: Maybe by the end of the week?? Just in time for Easter and all our volunteers to be gone!?!
Volunteers over Easter: We would like to create a separate email list of people who are potentially available over Easter weekend. If you are around Saint John's between Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1 and could potentially help those days, please email Sarah by noon on Thursday, March 28th. She will compile the list and give it to Br Walter, who will contact people if we need help over the holiday weekend.
Musicians: We are looking for people (solo or in groups) willing to play 45 minute sets of acoustic music around the bonfire at our 2nd festival. If you are interested, please contact John O'Reilly!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: One of our great volunteers, Larry Schug, is also a poet and found inspiration for a new poem on tapping day. Enjoy!
Maple Syrup Time
With a blessing we enter the woods,
trudging through fresh-fallen snow,
knee-deep and sparkling, rejoicing
under sky the color of a bluejay's wing;
tree markers, drillers, tappers,
bucket hangers and harvesters,
humbly and gratefully reaping the gift
of soil and water and sun
given us by acer saccharum,
the generous sugar maples,
casting their shadows on un-drifted snow
like a forest of sun dials,
telling us it's time for making maple syrup!
~Larry Schug
Wednesday, March 20 - Call for 2nd Festival Volunteers!
Happy Vernal Equinox! It doesn't feel much like the start of spring but at 6:02 am this morning astronomical spring began. The 12 hours of daylight today and more to come will increase our solar radiation and get that sap flowing soon!
Volunteers Needed for 2nd Festival: The volunteer form for the 2nd festival on April 6th is now available. Please note we historically get more volunteers than needed for the 2nd festival. We schedule based on when we receive your form and what shift(s) you are available. Submit the form sooner than later to increase your chances to be scheduled. We will do our best to get as many people involved as possible but please know that not everyone who signs up to volunteer will be able to. Also note the times are slightly different than the first festival.
Sap Collection: Still waiting...
Be a Good Friend: I will now start posting some of the syrup updates on the Arboretum's Facebook page. Didn't know you could be our friend on Facebook? Find us here!
Correction: Thanks to Br Walter for pointing out that last year we bottled 39 gallons of syrup, not 37 like I said in the last snippet. Still the worst year ever but I don't want to short the syruping crew any of the syrup they did manage to make last year!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: I love this time of year for a number of mapley reasons but also because baby owls are starting to hatch!! This has nothing to do with syruping but check out this live owl cam from Houston, MN where 2 owlets hatched last weekend and a 3rd is still in the egg. Shhh, don't tell anyone but I was somewhat excited it was too cold to be out at the shack yesterday because that meant I got to monitor the owls all day. My persistence paid off as I got a quick glimpse of the owls when their mom flew off the nest for a few minutes!! Faces only a mom and an owl nerd like me could love!
Monday, March 18 - 1st festival was great!
Despite the cold wind, over 200 participants and workers enjoyed a sunny day out at the sugar shack on Saturday! Thank you to everyone that helped to make our first festival a success, even without any sap!
Sap Collection: CSB/SJU is closed today due to weather, except for those who provide essential services on campus. While some of us consider sap collection an 'essential service' to our syruping operation, it isn't worth the risk of frostbite or driving into the ditch this afternoon! Plus there is still no sap to collect so even our Crew Leaders don't have to worry about going out to the shack today!
2nd Festival Volunteers: We will be asking for volunteers for our second festival on April 6th starting later this week. Watch for the form if you are interested in helping!
Help Needed Take Two: Brother Walter needs 2 people to help him move a new bulk tank we are getting for the shack. He needs help on Tuesday, March 19 from 2:30-4:00 pm. If you can help him, please email him directly.
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Boom and bust years are common for maple syrupers who depend on something as undependable as the weather for their crop. For the monks at Saint John's, their biggest year (since 1970) was in 1985 when they made 560 gallons. The biggest bust year was 2012 when a mere 37 gallons were bottled!
Thursday, March 14 - Still waiting...
Still waiting...the warmer weather today and tomorrow may cause the sap to run a little bit but any sap we get, we are going to save for the festival on Saturday.
Help Needed: Brother Walter needs 4 people to help him move a new bulk tank we are getting for the shack. He needs help on Friday, March 15 from 1:00-4:00 pm. If you can help him, please email him directly.
Festival Volunteers: If you are on the list of volunteers for Saturday, you should have received a separate email from me with final details and the schedule. Please contact me if you thought you were volunteering but didn't get that email! Don't want to volunteer but attend instead? Preregister by Friday at noon to get a discount!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Saint John's Maple Syrup in the news! Check out this article in the St Cloud Times last weekend about the syruping operation at Saint John's.
Tuesday, March 12 - Festival Volunteers Needed
Still waiting for sap to flow...the weather looks like it may warm up later this week so we may have a little sap just in time for the festival on Saturday.
Festival Volunteers: If you are on the schedule for Saturday, you should have received an email from me earlier on Tuesday. If you didn't get that email but thought you were helping either #1-you didn't submit the volunteer form by Monday or #2-I made a mistake! If you submitted a form on Tuesday, I am still working through those forms and will be in touch with you soon. If you submitted the form earlier but you didn't get the email, please let me know!
I am in need of a few more people to help on Saturday, especially for the 2:30-4:30 shift. I do not need anyone else for set up. Please fill out the form ASAP if you are available to help!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: 1 tablespoon of maple syrup has 52 calories, while 1 tablespoon of honey has 64 and high fructose corn syrup has 53. Maple syrup also contains a variety of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals not found in other common sweeteners. But if you are eating maple syrup for its nutritional content, you are eating too much sugar!!
Friday, March 8 - No Sap Yet!
We check every day, sometimes twice a day, but alas, no sap yet. We may get a little flow this weekend but we are anticipating not enough to need sap collectors. Maybe next week...
Shack Clean-up Help Needed: Now that we have our brand new evaporators installed, we need a little help tidying up the shack this weekend. Steve Saupe will be leading a small clean-up crew this Saturday at 1:30 pm and the first 2-3 people who email him get the privilege of spending time with him cleaning up the shack. Again, only a few people are needed and please email him if you are interested! He will let you know if you made the cut!
March 16th Festival: Don't forget to let us know you are available to help the March 16th festival by submitting this form. Please do so by Monday March 11th!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' has their own take on the maple syrup heist that occurred in Canada this winter. Check out the 2nd segment in the Feb 28th episode for some laughs. For those of you not familiar with the show, it is a satirical news program that should be taken very lightly. Not appropriate for those easily offended.
Tuesday, March 5 - Crew Leaders Needed
More snow usually means a more gradual spring warm up which usually means better sap flow which usually means more syrup so stay off the roads and wish for the snow to keep falling!
Crew Leaders: We are looking for people to commit to collect sap between 3-5 pm either one (or more) days during the 6-day class cycle or one day during the week or weekend. Trainings for crew leaders will be from 3-4 pm this Friday March 8th, Monday March 11th, and Tuesday March 12th. Check out the website for more information and email me if you are interested!
March 16th Festival: Don't forget to let us know you are available to help the March 16th festival by submitting this form. Please do so by Monday March 11th!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: The newest book on my 'to buy' list is 'Modern Maple' by Minnesota author Teresa Marrone. 75 recipes using maple syrup including Roasted Carrot-Ginger Soup with Maple and Grilled Radicchio with Maple Drizzle and Goat Cheese. Yum!
Monday, March 4 - The Trees are Tapped!
Thanks to the 150+ people who helped us put out 900+ taps in less than 3 hours on Saturday! We couldn't have done it without you! Lots of people wanted to know how to help again...read below for how to get involved again!
Volunteer Hours: We try to keep track of all the hours it takes to make maple syrup at Saint John's. This is how we know how 'sweetly' to thank you at the end of the season so be sure to record your hours! You can either write down your hours in the book out at the sugar shack or on this website. Please DO NOT record the same hours in both places-we will combine the paper and electronic lists at the end of the season.
Maple Syrup Festivals: Our two maple syrup festivals are March 16 and April 6 this year and we need lots of help for both of them. Please use this form if you are interested in working at the first festival on March 16. Please submit the form by Monday, March 11 and the schedule will be send out March 12. The form for the 2nd festival on April 6 will be available at a later date.
Sap Collection: It is hard to say if we will need help collecting sap this week. The predicted snow on Monday and Tuesday added to all the snow already in the woods will help keep temperatures lower out there so even if the temperature gets close to 32, the sap may not start to run for a while. We will let you know when the sap starts to flow!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: What conditions are needed for sap flow? Nights with temperatures below freezing and days with temperatures above freezing? Why? Check out this article by our very own Steve Saupe on the U of MN Extension website to learn more and then be able to impress your friends! Or at least maple nerds like us.
Wednesday, February 27 - Tapping Day Details!
Here we go! We are all ready to tap trees this coming Saturday, March 2nd. Please see below for details.
Again, to clarify, you DO NOT need to come to the training this Thursday to help with tapping day. Unless you have heard specifically from me, we are not expecting you at the training. Please just come to tapping day and we will put you to work!
2013 Community Tapping Day
Saturday, March 2nd
1:00 - 4:00 pm
-Directions to the sugar shack available here. We ask that you please park on campus and walk out to the sugar shack as the road is very rough, snowy, and many many vehicles have gotten stuck. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the edge of the SJU campus to the sugar shack.
-You do not need any previous experience to help on Tapping Day! We will train you and put you to work! Also, you do not need to let us know if you are coming.
-Dress to be outdoors the entire time in the cold, snow, and mud. The snow is deep in the woods and that's where the trees are we are tapping!!
-There is a portable toilet out at the sugar shack.
-You do not have to come right at 1:00 pm or stay the entire time. Please note that we may be done early if we have enough help!
-Bring the kids, neighbors, roommates, and friends! Please just be sure they are dressed to be outdoors!
Sarah's Syrup Snippets: Over 80% of Minnesota is experiencing extreme or severe drought and it could change the way trees are tapped this year.
Monday, February 19 - First Call!
We are enjoying the wonderful skiing season this winter at Saint John's (what are you doing on Sunday?), but our thoughts are already on the upcoming syruping season!
Community Tapping Day is Saturday, March 2 from 1-4PMand we hope you can be there! In preparation for that day we are putting out a call for some experienced volunteers. We are looking for people who can fill one of two roles:
- Tree Driller: works the cordless drill that drills the hole into the tree.
- Tree Tapper: directs a group of people on the correct way to tap in the spile and hang the bucket/bag.
You are one of these people if you meet the following criteria:
- You are available March 2 from 1-4PM
- You are available Thursday, Feb 28 from 4:30-5:30PM for a training session
- You have previous experience tapping trees
- You can provide your own cordless drill if you are a driller (but not required)
- You love maple syrup with your whole heart (not required but really, why don't you??)
If you meet all of the above criteria, email us by Monday, Feb 25 with the following info:
- Do you want to be a Tapper or a Driller?
- Can you provide a drill?
- Confirm you can be at the training session on Feb 28 at 4:30PM
If you don't meet the above criteria, DON"T WORRY, we still need your help that day! More details to come.
We look forward to seeing you out at the Sugar Shack!
Sarah