Warm Winters Upset Rhythms of Maple Sugar

[rodeodance]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/us/03maple.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
March 3, 2007

Warm Winters Upset Rhythms of Maple Sugar
By PAM BELLUCK

MONTPELIER, Vt. — One might expect Burr Morse to have maple sugaring down to a science.

For more than 200 years, Mr. Morse’s family has been culling sweet sap from maple trees, a passion that has manifested itself not only in jug upon jug of maple syrup, but also in maple-cured bacon, maple cream and maple soap, not to mention the display of a suggestively curved tree trunk Mr. Morse calls the Venus de Maple.

But lately nature seems to be playing havoc with Mr. Morse and other maple mavens.

Warmer-than-usual winters are throwing things out of kilter, causing confusion among maple syrup producers, called sugar makers, and stoking fears for the survival of New England’s maple forests.

“We can’t rely on tradition like we used to,” said Mr. Morse, 58, who once routinely began the sugaring season by inserting taps into trees around Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March, and collecting sap to boil into syrup up until about six weeks later. The maple’s biological clock is set by the timing of cold weather.

For at least 10 years some farmers have been starting sooner. But last year Mr. Morse tapped his trees in February and still missed out on so much sap that instead of producing his usual 1,000 gallons of syrup, he made only 700..........

[truthisfreedom]

1. 1000 gallons of syrup... $40-$49 per gallon... wow, I'd hate to be in this business if something

goes wrong!

on edit: that's retail! They must sell to retailers at 1/2 of that price! Subsistence wages.

[lligrd]

2. Oh No - Not My Maple Sugar Candy

Figures one of my favorites would be the first to go.

[On the Road]

3. It's Especially Dangerous Because it Can Make the Trees Explode

If you don't believe me, listen to NPR.

:smoke:

All Things Considered, April 1, 2005 · A downturn in the maple syrup market is having harmful side effects for trees in northern New England. For the first time in decades, the maples are remaining untapped, with sometimes-dangerous results.

http://tinyurl.com/2m6oku

[Porcupine]

4. Go get that last jar of maple syrup.

The sugar woods could stop producing any year now. Expect climate change to start destroying some of your luxuries that are dependent on stable growing seasons.

Like food.

[cali]

6. Nah, it won't be "any year now"

That said it's bad, and so damn sad. As someone who's sugared with friends who have a pretty large operation, for over 20 years, it's incredibly disconcerting to see sugaring take place in December or January.

[Porcupine]

8. Well, I'll buy some just to keep the price up then.

I'm from California so maple sugar seems like magic to me. I can buy sugar cane at my local farmers market this morning if I want.

[sarcasmo]

5. No warm winter here in West Michigan, colder than normal this year.

[SpiralHawk]

7. First the elms will wither, then the maples

When the wild strawberry refuses to give its fruit, then that will be the third and final sign. - Ancient Haudenausenee (Iroquois) teaching about the era of changes

http://www.8thfire.net