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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer April 7, 2014 - - No. 127 |
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The ice in the small streams running through the country side held tight far into March this year. The Grand River froze over early in the winter and stayed that way till spring. Snow was still knee deep among the maples here on the farm along Brandy creek much longer than usual. There were no buckets hung to catch the sweet maple sap in February this year. Zero temperatures persisted well into March and the snow continued to fall and accumulate day after day. Old timers talked of how ‘this is the way it use to be when we were kids.”
The farmer and his family finally tapped a few maples during the third week of March. A bit of sap did flow for a day or two; but, froze up solid in the buckets when the sun went down. The evaporator in the sugar shack was made ready; a huge pile of firewood lay in waiting in the woodshed nearby. Low temperatures continued to persist at well below the freezing point for a few more days. Then on a Friday the sun came out and the temperature hit forty degrees. The sap did flow and the buckets on the maples began to fill. A fire was built and the liquid in the evaporator pans began to boil, steam billowed out of every crack and crevice in the sugar shack. After the long wait, maple syrup was finally being made. The neighbors began to show up to hang out and help. Relatives from town arrived for their annual sugar shack outing, and to take home a fresh supply of maple syrup.
The maple season this year will be short. The weather lady says warmer temperatures ahead. The family will get what sap they can, but without below freezing temperatures at night and warm sun shiny days the sap will cease to flow. Last year was one of the best maple seasons ever – not so this one! |
