The run of sap may be over, but now you get to taste the fruit of Ed Staats' labor in the form of maple syrup. The return of warmer temperatures this week marks the end of the season for other maple syrup producers. Staats estimates that they produced approximately 750 gallons of maple syrup from more than 30,000 gallons of sap. Even though the area never had a really deep freeze, the consistently cold temperatures made it easy for him and his crew to pull sap out of his 2,500 trees with his vacuum system. His hard work was rewarded at last weekend's Phelps Maple Syrup Festival contest. His entry won the Amber Color and Rich Taste category and took second overall. He was happy with both the award and the end of the sap season.

Staats says now that he will not have to worry about checking sap lines and cooking maple syrup as much, he can redirect his attention to his dairy operation. Wisconsin produced approximately 440,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2022, which was good for fourth in the country behind Vermont, New York, and Maine. 

Photo courtesy of Country View Farm Maple Syrup