>> ONE MAJOR POSITIVE ABOUT WINTER, ESPECIALLY HERE IN NEW
ENGLAND, IS THAT IT STAYS LIGHTER LATER EVERY DAY FROM THE
WINTER SOLSTICE IN DECEMBER RIGHT TO THE SUMMER SOLSTICE IN
JUNE.
ANOTHER POSITIVE?
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT TIME FRAME IS THE
MAPLE HARVESTING SEASON, AND FOR THE OVER 300 MAPLE SYRUP
PRODUCERS HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
BUT WHAT DO THEY DO DURING THE OTHER 10 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR?
IT MIGHT BE MORE THAN YOU THINK, AS CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN
SULLIVAN FOUND OUT IN THIS NEXT STORY ON PRESEASON MAPLE
GROWERS.
>> LOOKING OUT OVER ROUTE 9 IN WILLIAMSBURG MASSACHUSETTS
THERE'S A PLASTIC TUBE WITH CRISSCROSSING PATTERNS FROM TREE
TO TREE IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE A BETTER PART OF A MILE ON THIS
STRETCH OF HIGHWAY.
NO, IT'S NOT ELABORATE CONTRAPTION TO DETER TREE THEFT
IT'S A SUPER HIGHWAY OF SORTS FOR TREE SAP AND HERE IN THE
HILLTOWN OF HILLSBURG OR HANCOCK, MASSACHUSETTS ALL
ROUTES OF TRAVEL LEAD TO ONE DESTINATION, THE SUGAR HOUSE BUT
MY SUPER HIGHWAY EXPLANATION REALLY DOESN'T DO JUSTICE OF THE
FULL EX APPLITY OF WHAT THESE TOOLS ARE DOING.
>> THE SAP WILL ACTUALLY COME OUT OF THE THESE LINES WHICH GO
TO THE TREES, THE 5/16TH TO THE SMALL ONES GO TO THESE 1-INCH
LINES AND AS IT COMES INTO THIS INTERSECTION HERE, AS THE SAP
FALLS THE AIR GOES TO THE TOP LINES AND RISE THE GASES.
>> AS FAR AS ACTIVITY IN THESE PIPES IS CONCERNED IN THE MONTH
OF JANUARY, THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING AND THERE WON'T BE
UNTIL LATE FEBRUARY.
IF THERE WERE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, IT WOULDN'T EVEN BE
TIME FOR PITCHERS OR CATCHERS TO REPORT BUT WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE
THESE TUBES OVER THESE FEW WEEKS IN LATE WINTER TO EARLY SPRING
IS ONE PART OF THIS OPERATION.
>> IT IS A 7-DAY A WEEK JOB.
WE NEVER STOP WORKING.
WE'RE EITHER WORKING THE FOREST OR WE ARE TAKING CARE OF STORM
DAMAGE.
THE PIPELINE SYSTEM ALL HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
IT ISN'T MAGIC.
THERE'S ALWAYS WORK TO DO OUT THERE TO MAINTAIN THINGS.
>> AT 110 ACRES AND 150 TAPS HIS FARM IS SMALL MAPLE GROWERS.
NOT THAT HE'S COMPLAINING.
>> THE BIGGER IT GETS, THE LESS QUALITY CONTROL THERE IS ON THE
PRODUCT.
THERE IS OPERATIONS THAT ARE WELL OVER 100,000 TAPS, OKAY?
SO I FEEL WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE A BETTER PRODUCT TO THE CUSTOMER
'AUSE WE'RE HANDS ON.
>> THE SIZE OF THE AN OPERATION CAN DICTATE WHEN THEY DECIDE TO
START TAPPING TREES.
THE DAY WE HEADED OUT TO THE FARM IN HANCOCK, THEY ALREADY
HAD CREWS OUT IN THE WOODS MEASURING AND TAPPING.
SMALLER OPERATIONS WITH ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO 100 TAPS CAN WAIT
UNTIL A FEW DAYS OUT BEFORE MAPLE SEASON TO GET STARTED,
USUALLY AROUND LATE FEBRUARY WHEN THE DAYS ARE WARM AND THE
NIGHTS ARE COLD.
BUT HERE IN THIS VALLEY FARM, THEY'VE GOT 18,000 AND THAT
MEANS THEY PLAN TO TAP 500 TO 1,000 AHEAD OF THE SAP RUN THEY
NEED TO START EARLY JANUARY.
18,000 MIGHT SOUND LIKE A PRETTY BIG NUMBER AND IT IS FOR A FARM
HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS BUT IT'S EVEN BIGGER CONSIDERING THIS ALL
STARTED AS JUST AN IDEA FROM A FARM EMPLOYEE BACK IN 1992.
>> WE'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE SO WE STARTED WITH A FLAT PAN AND A
WOOD STOVE IN THE GARAGE AND I THINK WE BURNED PROBABLY IN OUR
QUART OF WOOD TO MAKE 3 OR 4 QUARTZ OF SYRUP.
>> THESE ARE JUST TWO OF OVER 300 MAPLE PRODUCERS IN THE STATE
SO MUCHOFF SEASON IS SPENT MARKETING, PACKING AND SHIPPING
THEIR PRODUCT.
I WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE SURPRISED JUST HOW FAR SOME
ORDERS FROM TRAVELING.
>> FOR MAIL ORDERS WE GO ALL OVER.
AS EAST COAST, WEST COAST AND EVEN OVERSEAS FOR OUR MARKETS
FOR THE RESTAURANTS.
WE'LL GO AS FAR AS NEW YORK CITY.
WE HAVE A COUPLE PLACES IN CONNECTICUT BUT OUR HOME
DELIVERY ROUTE IS THROUGH BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
>> IN THE END, MAPLE PRODUCERS ARE MAKING SOMETHING THAT'S
CLASSIFIED AS A LUXURY ITEM WITH THE HOPES THAT THE CUSTOMERS
WILL SEE IT AS MORE OF A NECESSITY, AND IT ALL STARTS
WITH SOME HARD THANKLESS WORK, WHETHER IT'S THE DEEP WOODS IN
THE BERKSHIRES THE NORTH SIDE ALONG A MOUNTAIN IN WILLIAMSBURG
OR ANY OTHER PLACE WHERE THERE'S A MAPLE TREE WITH A TAP IN IT.
>> IT HAS TO BE FROM THE HEART AND WHEN SOMEONE COMES AND
COMPLICATES YOU ON YOUR PRODUCT, IT'S WHAT MAKES YOU KEEP DOING
IT.
IT'S WHAT MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT. ♪