MOOSE CREEK – Despite the fact the official start of spring is still weeks away there is one sure fire reason to believe winter is almost over – the sap is running.
Local maple syrup producer have already begn gearing up for what they hope will be another solid season of ooey, gooey sweetness and the good news is production is about a week or two early.
“This is really a bonus,” said Angela Coleman, co-owner of the Sand Road Sugar Camp in Moose Creek with her husband Scott. “Things are rolling.”
Our winter in Cornwall and SD and G has been anything but bitter this year, and with warm temperatures already creeping into the forecast, it looks like production could remain on track for the balance of March.
“We usually consider tapping this week, but we started last week,” Coleman said in an interview. “But what could give us a challenge is if it gets warm fast.”
Typically, syrup producers look for temperatures of minus five Celsius overnight, and a high of five Celsius during the day. If it gets too warm, trees start budding – and there goes the season, says Coleman.
“We’re tuned into the forecast at all times,” she adds, with a laugh.
Coleman knows all about the demands of a sugar bush. She grew up helping her uncle, Albert Sanders, at his sugar shack and pancake house.
With the Colemans’ purchase, Sand Road leaves the original Andre family which saw two generations own it after Leo Andre was succeeded by daughter Julie Andre and husband Brian Kinnear.
And keeping with family tradition, the Colemans have been blessed with plenty of help from relatives, including former Andre employees, who are lending their syrup making expertise.
The syrup runs has been light so far, says Coleman, adding that heavier production will likely begin by the first weekend, or so, in March.
