2010 Crop Report

     F irst,  some comments on the ongoing effects of the 2009 ice-storm from the perspectives of carbon farming:   In the upper ledges and ridge-line of this forest, wood debris and new browse growth is thick.   Attempting to navigate across this terrain sometimes ruefully reminds us of the old Maine adage; “you can't get there from here!”   Once again, we left many trees untapped as we await their recovery.   From a short-term perspective this sector of forest is considered by some to be carbon-positive as large amounts of downed wood decay.   However, carbon farming's interests in biodiversity reveal other events in this ecosystem that we have observed.   Last summer, many species of mice, moles, other rodents and squirrels rapidly expanded their communities under cover of limb tangles and rich growth of blackberries and nettles.   Insect populations and grubs who enjoy vulnerable wood increased their numbers, as it appears did the many woodpecker species who hunt them.   Following these leads, we observe increasing signs of numerous predator owl clans (nightime is often raucous!), hawks, fox, weasels, fishers, coyotes, and cats of several sizes along with snakes and toads.   We all observed a rarely seen trio of otters hunting the forest along the farm's stream banks and pushing brook trout into our pond's shallows for capture!   Evidence of deer, turkey, partridge, woodcock, rabbit and porcupine also seem prevalent as we work the land.   Long-distance traveling bears and moose visit  thickets burgeoning with food.   Growth conditions for microbial and fungal populations as well as forest floor plants appear strong.   All are sources of nutrient, as is decay, for the biome's diversity.   These creatures and countless others, below and above ground, comprise a mobile carbon cycle.  Their rapidly adaptive complimentary activities comprise multiple layers of processed carbon, slowing its return to atmosphere as biomass expands.  A question of perspective informs whether one considers these changes, including the ice storm, as part of, or separate from, a forest's "rotation cycle" of carbon flux due to natural or human causes.   From a longer-term and biodiverse perspective, carbon-sequestering towards a stronger carbon-neutral sight-line remains evident.

           As carbon farmers (that's you and us!) biodiversity and soil health are our measures of quality work.

       This winter and spring weather included the combined effects of a moderate to strong El Nino and a pattern called a Negative Arctic Oscillation (NAO).   In El Nino years, when the Pacific ocean warms, higher temperatures and increased precipitation are usually seen in the Northeast.   However, this was largely blocked by greater than average high pressure regions in the Arctic, often blooming near Greenland, which defines an NAO.  ( See this superb government link Climate Prediction Center For a glossary and maps.)   As cold air spills towards the South jammed up high/low pressure systems kink the jet stream.   Paradoxically, as the Arctic warms under high pressure, New England, and often Europe and/or Mongolia cool.  The high energies in such fluctuant systems portend unstable weather events as the Jet Stream kinks and snaps and cold/warm fronts clash:  too warm then too cold, too dry then too warm with plenty of heavy precipitation and strong wind events.   Influences on our local weather from around the globe are called “teleconnections”.   High energy events which increasingly invert traditional temperature and moisture patterns are understood by many to be examples of a changing climate.

        Because maple is a lengthy late winter/spring harvest whose forest crop responds to weather fluctuations, we anticipated even more trouble than we got.   Seeing some of this pattern in play during the winter we made some changes and boosted available vacuum to our trees which offers a modest increase in yield.   We also invested in a new technology, taps for the trees with small ball valves in them.  This check-valve was designed by researchers at UVM Proctor Maple Research Station to block microbes from contact with the tap hole which may increase harvest volume. (The same microbes that ferment the sap outside the tree also serve the tree to scab over a wound.)   Additionally, our high elevation added a solid snow pack of 3-4 feet just as the harvest began on March 1.   We further added a lot of hustle on snowshoes to keep lines tight and vacuum in the 30 mile piping system strong, at 24” of mercury which can improve yields.

        While our region saw a serious decline in harvest yields for a majority of harvesters (many reporting 50-80% down) BSG-Farm's results saw a solid harvest in quantity with excellent tastes.   Volume was down just 6.5% from last year. With our small security syrup carryover from 2009 in stainless kegs we have plenty of delicious stock for 2010.   The forest sap's sugar content started low and dropped fast, as many harvesters reported regionally.   This is a puzzle when it happens, particularly as leaf cover was strong and healthy last summer.   Even though last summer had many overcast days, leaves are known to thrive in indirect sunlight as they do not have to defend themselves from excessive, damaging radiation.   Sap flow rates were exceptionally high, about 30% more sap was processed (70,000+ gallons) than last year! The average gallons of sap per gallon of syrup was 50-70 to 1!   Being careful with our equipment we were again able to hold oil consumption to .6 gallons per gallon production with solar power being the predominant energy used in processing.   (Over the past year BSG-Farm credited an annual production of 9,300kw into the grid as a utility co-generator.)

        El Nino twice punched through when the NAO degraded to our north, once mid-March and then at the beginning of April.  The harvest ended April 2 ^nd with this second powerful warm-up.   During these two warm periods we produced some exceptional Black Amber, most of it much darker in color than last year with intense balanced flavors.   Darks contain chocolate-y, cinnamon and sometime fruity qualities, many Mediums tend to darker in color but with their characteristic warm buttery/caramel flavors, and over half the crop is an extremely fine “Hyper-light” drawn and processed during the cold early snow pack.  These different batches have heavenly delicate tastes of white chocolate, vanilla, and, in some kegs, hazelnut.   Each year we usually process a few kegs that ferment in a manner we decide are not palatable for customers.  That did not happen this year.   We have enjoyed tasting and coding each barrel out of 79 as the harvest brought them forward.

BSG-Maple & Carbon Farm April, 2010