This week, a brown envelope arrived from the USDA bearing the annual survey for sugarmakers. Twice, a USDA person left a message regarding technical problems with completing the survey online. In a couple of months, the survey results will arrive in another brown envelope and will be summarized in maple industry publications along with similar… Read More
Fast Forward
The trees are released! At Nebraska Knoll, even though there is considerable preliminary or mopping-up work at the edges, sugar season itself spans from the day tapping begins to the day the last tap is pulled and every last tubing line is rinsed. Yesterday! No one will miss the urgent… Read More
That Maple Walnut Combo
To get to Nebraska Knoll you follow the road that crosses Miller Brook and swoops sharply right into Nebraska Valley. The first house you pass is Joe and Becky’s on the left. Look to see if their sheep have lambed. You may glimpse a chicken or rabbit in the yard. Notice the skis lined up… Read More
The Black Box
Today’s writing prompt is ‘The embarrassing truth is, I knew this.’ Here is Chief of Operations’s entry: The Black Box Old Blue, my ’64 International woods truck which I have owned since 1980, was parked, as it had been all winter, in the only turn-around suitable for the 26’ truck I had rented to transport syrup… Read More