Farmers bring in reduced stock
BARK RIVER -- While many of us enjoyed the unusually warm, almost 80 degree weather about a month ago, it was anything but a treat for one group. Maple syrup farmers say the heat made Mother Nature's kitchen just too hot for business.
It's an Olson Brothers' favorite, the annual open house at the Sugarbush in Bark River, the syrup farm the three co-own.
Kids and families get an up-close look at the hobby the family has turned into a profession.
"If I can be outside all the time, it's great, especially right here," said co-owner Greg Olson.
But this year, there's a slightly somber tone. They'd typically still be tapping the trees, but because of the warm weather, the sap that was running Saturday was only for display. That's because it's flowing from budded trees, producing a bitter-tasting product that can't be boiled to make syrup.
Warm, sunny days mixed with freezing nights cause the sap to move and determine the length of the season. Last month's warm spell cut this one very short.
"We started with our buckets in the beginning of March, and it was soon done thereafter," said co-owner Jeff Olson. "It's like it never really started."
The sap ran for less than two weeks. Typically they'll produce three to four thousand gallons of syrup from their trees; this year that amount has been reduced by at least two-thirds at just 975 gallons.
"The sap slowed down and we were hoping for another freeze, but that never happened," said co-owner Mike Olson.
It puts a considerable dent in their business, but they are keeping their spirits high. They say days like Saturday are opportunities to produce an invaluable resource; some hands-on education, combined with a tasty treat right from their U.P. backyard.
"Nothing says U.P. like honey and maple syrup because it actually comes from the land," said Jeff Olson.
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