As the days bein to warm, the sap begins to flow inside trees. This is the time of year to tap maple trees and collect that sap to make maple syrup and other products.
In the Blacksmith Shop building at Muscoot Farm on Sunday morning, Rich Focht from Hummingbird Ranch in Staatsburg added wood to the firebox that was heating the sap in an evaporator, burning off the water from the sap collected earlier.
People gathered around as he explained the process to children and adults who visited the farm to learn how sap is collected and made into tasty syrup.
Focht gathered some tools and collecting buckets and led the group down a path to several maple trees along Route 100. With the asistance of some eager young vistors, he drilled small holes into the trunks of the trees and inserted a metal spout.
Everyone grew excited as the sap began to drip, slowly at first but then more steadily as Focht attached collection buckets to the spouts. "If we stay warm we should fill the bucket in about a day," Focht said as he walked back to the Blacksmith building to educate another group as they began to arrive.
Syrup made from the sap will be used at Muscoot Farm's Sugarin-Off Pancake Breakfast on March 17 and 18 starting at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.muscootfarm.org.
