Thursday, March 28, 2013

Fingers Crossed, But Maybe, Maybe, We'll Have A Maple Season?

The weather forecast looks great for maple season for the next five - and possibly, ten - days!  I've learned not to look too closely at the ten day forecast because the weather tends to change too much in that longer time.  But... yesterday, I picked up sap from our tanks.  With the next (maybe) week of proper temperatures we may see some sap flow!    Then we get to boil that lovely sap into delicious maple syrup!

Sap dripping from a tree.

My Fingers Are Crossed




Saturday, March 23, 2013

Still Waiting For The Weather To Break/Potter-Tioga Maple Weekend

Not a lot to report today.  We're still waiting for the weather to break so that we can get some maple sap.  I'm happy to watch my garden seedlings starting to sprout.

Although our Sugar Shack has not evolved to the point where we're ready for lots of visitors a lot of other area Maple Producers are opening their doors to be visited this weekend.

Click on the link for more information and locations.




For those of us who turn up our  noses at “pancake syrup” and crave the deep, pure taste of real maple syrups, creams, candies and even ice cream—our time is coming.
The Potter/ Tioga Pennsylvania Maple Weekend, held the last weekend of March, is a true tribute to all things maple. Now in its ninth year, the Maple Weekend is a “traveling festival” that allows visitors to observe tree tapping, sugar boiling, and other maple-related activities in Potter and Tioga counties. Fourteen members of the Potter/Tioga Maple Producers Association open their sugar shack doors during Maple Weekend for a deliciously educational experience.
Bring the whole family and celebrate this truly American Tradition. Visit several Sugar Shacks as each is unique in production and variety of products.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Maple Patience



"Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days."
~Henri Alain

...Nor can you make maple syrup when the temperatures are too cold for the sap to rise in the trees.  Patience, and the acceptance of the inevitability that nature follows its own schedule are all that's possible.  

Maybe next week...

Waiting for Sap To Flow

P.S. I finished the last of my spring planting and moved the leafy greens into an indoor window box.





Saturday, March 16, 2013

It May Be Snowing Outside, But I'm Planting Inside!

After lots of time figuring out what my family wants to eat and how many plants that will require I finally put together my planting chart for inside and outside the high tunnel.  I'm still planting a lot of varieties of vegetables, but not in the quantities that I've planted in the past.  My 2013 Garden Plan:  Feed My Family, Can and Preserve, Have A Little To Give Away, Have A Little For Farmer's Market



This is my chart for inside the high tunnel.  Note that it's written in pencil and you can't tell, but there are lots of erasures and rewrites on it.  Everything is subject to change.


This is my planting chart.  I have flats with 72 cells.  So I printed out the chart and now I'm adding the plants.  The color coding allows me to write the plant name.  Something I learned.  Use a pen.  Do not write your plant names in marker.  A drop of water smears and destroys them!  


Some lettuces and greens I planted a few weeks ago.  They desperately need to be planted.  I think I'm going to pull out a window box and plant them in that!


I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.
 ~ David Hobson    (www.brainyquote.com)








Thursday, March 14, 2013

Mother Nature Scoffs

I believe that Mother Nature is scoffing our feeble attempts to make maple syrup!  We need above freezing during the day and below freezing at night for the sap to flow.  Maybe tomorrow we'll get some sap.

Keep warm!



5 Day Forecast

Updated: Mar 14, 2013, 9:18amEDT

TodayMar 14

Flurries / Wind
29°F
20°F
Flurries / Wind

FriMar 15

Rain / Snow Showers
38°
30°
Rain / Snow Showers

SatMar 16

AM Snow Showers
31°
23°
AM Snow Showers

SunMar 17

Partly Cloudy
32°
24°
Partly Cloudy

MonMar 18

Snow Shower
31°
30°
Snow Shower

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Spring Is Making Its Way To Potter County, PA


Temperatures are beginning to hiccup their way upwards.  We've boiled the first of our sap and anxiously watch the skies for good maple sap weather.  Last night the temperature stayed well above freezing and that doesn't bode well for a good sap run today.  But... the weather over the next 10 days calls for highs above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.  Perfect temperatures for good maple sap runs.  May the stars reach their proper alignment and the sap flow!

Thinking about planting a garden this year?  Maybe growing some tomatoes in a pot?  

You should...




Monday, March 4, 2013

Pickled Garlic Scapes

A couple of days I posted about pickled garlic scapes.  The presentation looks so striking in the jar that I'm determined to make them this year and, oh boy, that tangy, mildly garlicky taste!

Pickled garlic scapes 003 cropped


Go to Wooleylot's Blog here to read an article by our Farmers Market "garlic guy" and get the real low down on garlic scapes.  



Sunday, March 3, 2013

Best Garden Ever!


Is everyone planning and preparing to grow their best garden ever in 2013?  I know I am!  


Borrowed from Farmer's Pal