2011 is hear and we are excited about the upcoming syrup season. Since November we have been working in the woods updating our tubing system. During the 2010 syrup season we did a small test with Leader Evaporators new Check Valve taps and we recorded dramatic sap flow increases over the rest of our non check valve taps. The check valve keeps sap from back flowing into the tap hole during cooling cycles which prevents micro organism growth from sealing off the pores in the tap hole. We just finished installing 1500 check valves at our largest sugar bush.
Another really exciting project we are working on is device that will send hourly text messages with data from the woods (this year it will tell us temperature and sap volume). After this season's test run we plan to have it turn our vacuum pumps on and off, and measure vacuum. My brother is a researcher in Penn States Seismic Geology dept. (or something like that) He designs and builds equipment to collect field data from ice sheets and volcanic regions around the world (literally he has been to China, Hawaii, Greenland, Ecuador, Portugal and is making his 3rd trip to Antarctica in a few weeks).
Thanks for another sucsessful year and we look forward to hearing from you in 2011.
Joseph
