Feb 2022 Update: Maple Syrup Part 02 
Delicious Maple Syrup
We’ve collected sap for a couple weeks now and have done two separate boils. The results are in:
The first jar was boiled down from around 4-5 gallons of raw sap. The color is a lot lighter than our second jar, which was boiled down from around 3 gallons of sap. I’ve read the difference in color is normal, as the syrup tends to darken and become more ‘maple-y’ as the season continues.They are also a bit cloudier than a commercial syrup, which can apparently be resolved with additional filtering (I only filtered once, twice would’ve been better). Both taste great though! They are really sweet, just like the ‘real’ thing from the store. I’m looking forward to eating these in my oatmeal and yogurt for a while.
We’re probably about done for our first tapping season, unless our temps go back down. The two trees we have tapped haven’t been flowing at all the last couple warm spring days. Still, I’m really pleased with this project. Probably the best farm LARP I’ve done so far, I will likely tap more trees next year.
March: The Mulchening
In addition to tapping our trees, the last week of warm weather has allowed me to get out and do some work on our raised bed area. We still need to actually um… finish the raised beds… but! the area is starting to come together from an aesthetic standpoint. I sourced some really cheap tobacco sticks to start on a rustic fence which I am actually really happy with. I think it will look really cottage-y and cute with some wildflowers and whatnot around it:
I’ve also been re-mulching the ground with woodchips to prevent weeds as the season continues. This has been fairly effective so far; I’ve only had to pull a little bit of growth up here and there. Even better-- digging down a bit in the areas where the raised beds will go, and you can see some nice dark brown dirt starting to form as the wood chips decompose. Exciting (if you’re a compost nerd!)
Also pictured: My transplanted blueberries which will hopefully grow into a small hedge by the entrance.