Weekly roundup
maple syrup flowing out of the evaporator
280 Gallons In, and Still Digging Out
We’ve run our first three boils of the season, and the rhythm is starting to settle in. There’s something about that first real stretch—when the sap keeps coming, the evaporator stays hot, and you finally feel like the system is working instead of being tested.
We’re sitting at 280 gallons, and every one of those gallons came with a lesson. Flow rates, timing, filtering, how the sap holds overnight—none of it’s theory anymore. It’s hands-on, real-time adjustment. You learn fast when there’s a tank filling behind you.
We had to shovel over 3 feet of snow off the roof of our hoop house to prevent structural failure
At the same time, we’re digging out from three feet of snow after storm Iona. Paths need reopened, access to lines restored, and everything takes twice as long. But this is part of it—the season doesn’t wait for clean conditions. You work with what you’re given and keep moving forward.
If you’re in the middle of your own sap run, this is where quality can slip if you’re not careful. How you collect, store, and handle sap right now matters more than anything downstream.
Read what I’ve learned this season:
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Getting Soil Ready Before Spring Hits
While the syrup season is running, we’re already turning attention toward the next window—early planting in the hoop house.
We’re working beds now for radish, beets, carrots, and spinach. These crops don’t need warm soil—they need prepared soil. That’s the difference most people miss. If your beds are compacted, cold, and lifeless, early planting won’t give you an early harvest.
Right now, the focus is simple:
Loosen the soil without overworking it
Add organic matter where needed
Make sure beds will drain and warm quickly
It might be winter outside, but the soil in the hoop house still needs prepping.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s readiness. When that first real warm stretch hits, you don’t want to be preparing soil. You want to be planting.
This is one of those quiet advantages that compound over a season. Start early, and everything downstream gets easier.
If your soil needs amending, now is the time to do it:
Closing Tip
Keep your sap as cold as you can, as long as you can. Quality lost before the boil never comes back.
The Grounded Homestead
8 Best Soil Amendments for Clay Soil
