Wood-Fired Evaporator Test Boil
At the start of sugaring season, we do a "test boil" using just water instead of sap. This is to flush the entire system, clean out all the tanks and lines, as well as to test that all the equipment is working correctly. Once the test boil is complete, we are ready to collect sap and do our first real boil of the season.
This is the warmest winter on record, and probably the earliest sugaring season we've ever had. Way earlier than historic sugaring season dates, before rapid climate change created this new normal (on average 3 degrees warmer than 100 years ago). The sugaring season has trended earlier in the year by several weeks on average, but this is the most extreme we've seen yet. We’re at over 2200’ elevation in the high peaks of the Adirondacks so tend to be a little later than most others in New York.
Maple syrup production is especially sensitive to changes in climate, because the trees need below-freezing temperatures during the winter and a range of temperatures during late winter or early spring to produce sap.
__
The purpose of this work is to establish a low-maintenance food production system that engages the community in sustainable & ethical land management. It is intended to provide food / medicine / materials as well as provide interdisciplinary educational opportunities for people of all ages & backgrounds.
This work demonstrates more sustainable agricultural practices such as agroecology (agriculture that mimics natural ecological systems), permaculture (sustainable & self-sufficient design), regenerative agriculture (conservation approach that focuses on topsoil regeneration, biodiversity, improving water cycle, biosequestration, & mitigating climate change), agroforestry & silvopasture (integration of trees & shrubs with animals), organic agriculture (growing & processing food without the use of synthetic fertilizers & pesticides), and food sovereignty (the right to healthy & culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound & sustainable methods), among others.
This YouTube channel and these videos are for educational purposes and personal documentation of various projects.