Threats to Maple Trees

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive wood boring beetle that feeds on the tissues under the bark of ash trees (Fraxinus spp) and kills them. EAB is 100% fatal to native ash trees of any size, any age, healthy or unhealthy, (according to research by Michigan State University and the US Forest Service).  Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is not a threat to human health but it does threaten our forest and urban tree populations.

The metallic green EAB beetle is native to East Asia and was accidentally imported to the United States within the wood of shipping crates from China. EAB was first discovered in North America near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. Since then the beetle has spread to several eastern and midwestern states, including Wisconsin. EAB has also been found in Canada.

 

Read more at Wisconsin's Emerald Ash Borer Information Source.
MapleAcres
Bumper Crop Of 102 Gallons For Season 96 PDF Print
Tuesday, 09 April 2013 21:00

Out of the woods at 5:40 PM.  Done.  All the big things are cleaned.  Into the woods by 9:15 AM.  Today's plan was to clean the evaporator.  It started raining around 9:30 AM.  About 38 with a North wind.  That makes it feel very cold.  The evaporator had to be cleaned so we pushed on.  After lunch it started raining hard.  Still had the bottom of the evaporator to clean.  So out into the rain to scrub the bottom of the evaporator.  Wrapped a tarp around to try to keep dry and warm.    Warmed water on the stove so our hands did not get cold.  Must have been quite a sight.  And we also had some lighting and thunder.  At least we did not get sleet or snow.

Final syrup total is 102 gallons.   Amazing.  Picked up 3400 gallons of sap.   We think it was about 1983 when we last made over 100 gallons of syrup.  Quite unexpected.

You can read about the reset of the 2013 season here.  Season 96: 2013
 
Maple Syrup: Nature's Spring Tonic PDF Print
Saturday, 01 November 2008 10:23

Maple Syrup has been produced at MapleAcres in Two Rivers, WI since 1918.  2013 marks the 96th year Maple Syrup is made at MapleAcres.  Maple Syrup is made in the spring of the year.  The season starts around the end of February or early March and lasts to early April depending on weather. Maple trees need a unique weather pattern of alternating warm sunny days and freezing nights that happen as winter gives way to spring.  


Click here to read about the 2013 season.  You can read about past season by clicking on the section "In the Sugarbush."

 

The Sugar Master at MapleAcres

The Sugar Master at MapleAcres
 

In Memoriam

Ned T. Zander died Wednesday, June 1, 2011 in the home where he was born, lived, and passed. He was surrounded and comforted by his loving family.

Ned was a Maple Syrup producer. His parents introduced him to Maple Syrup making. He made Maple Syrup all his life.  First with his parents, then with brother, Paul Zander, and later with help from family and friends. He was a member of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association. In recent years he enjoyed attending the annual meeting of the North American Maple Syrup Council in various US states and Canadian provinces where he could talk about maple syrup 24 hours a day.  In October 2006 during the North American Maple Syrup Council annual meeting the participants toured his humble sugarbush.  Ned was thrilled to show his small operation to large producers from Vermont, Maine, New York and Quebec.

Ned was also an avid woodsman. Over the course of his life he cut and split approximately 700 cords of firewood for heating his home, cooking maple syrup or selling. He also made logs from his woods that he sold to Algoma Lumber Company.

We plan to continue making Maple Syrup not only to honor Ned, but also because we like doing it.

Old Maple Syrup makers never die, they just evaporate.