BUFFALO, NY - It's mid-March and Maple Weekend starts in a few days - but cold weather is holding up the sap!
It's "just not flowing," says Eric Randall, Owner of Randall Maple Farm in Alexander.
Randall has been in the business for almost a quarter century, and says the consistent cold temperatures during the day aren't allowing sap to run. "At 30 degrees I run a vacuum pump around the clock. We'll get a little bit but not enough to be able to boil," Randall said.
He says the sap hasn't been flowing since the early season warm up last month, when thankfully, they were able to get enough sap for making some maple syrup.
"We have syrup, most people have made about half a crop so far. We tapped in January. If you didn't tap early you're not getting syrup," Randall explained.
He also says Maple Weekend goes on regardless, and farmers will get the rest of the syrup made when mother nature cooperates. "We'll get the crop when it's thawing during the day and freezing at night."
Maple Weekend runs the weekend of March 17th and 18th, and also March 24th and 25th from 10am to 4pm each day at maple producers across New York State.