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SUGAR SHACK: MILD DAYS AND COOL NIGHTS. PERFECT WEATHER TO TAP THE MAPLE TREES.

March 08, 2010

THE SUGAR BUSH WILL BE A SWEET PLACE TO VISIT DURING MARCH BREAK NEXT WEEK.

BUT AS NEWSWATCH'S MORGANNE CAMPBELL REPORTS, SOME MAPLE SUGAR PRODUCERS WORRY THE SPRING-LIKE WEATHER COULD TAP OUT THE TREES EARLIER THAN USUAL.

PKG

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN....

TIME TO TAP THE TREES, UNLOAD THE SAP, BOIL THE SWEET LIQUID AND TURN IT INTO THIS-- MAPLE SYRUP

SARAH GIBBONS IS ONE OF THE OWNERS AT GIBBONS FAMILY FARMS- A SUGAR BUSH IN FRANKVILLE.

SHE SAYS 2010 IS OFF TO A SWEET START!

SARAH GIBBONS:

"ITS BEEN ON OF THOSE YEARS WHERE THE WEATHER HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY IDEAL. "

MORGANNE CAMPBELL:

" ON FEBRUARY 27TH THE FOLKS HERE AT GIBBONS FAMILY FARMS STARTED TAPPING THEIR TREES JUST AS I AM TODAY, IT'S THE EARLIEST THAT THEY'VE DONE SO SINCE 2004--THEY'VE BEEN WORKING 14 HOURS A DAY STRAIGHT AND THEY HOPE THAT MOTHER NATURE WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS THEM WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL IDEAL MAPLE SYRUP MAKING WEATHER "

SARAH GIBBIONS:

"THIS YEAR IT'S BEEN WHAT WE WANT RUNNING IN THE DAY COLD AT NIGHT--AND WE'VE BEEN BOILING USUALLY BY MID MARCH THE LAST FEW YEARS SO IT'S BEEN QUITE THE EARLY START THIS YEAR FOR SURE. "

GIBBON'S SAYS THAT IN ORDER FOR THE SAP TO START FLOWING THE EVENING TEMPERATURE NEEDS TO DROP BELOW ZERO AND ENTER THE PLUS SIDE DURING THE DAY.

THE FAMILY BUSINESS RELIES ON MOTHER NATURE TO LEND A HELPING HAND.

SARAH GIBBONS:

" IT MAKES OR BREAKS YOU AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT THE SAP'S NOT GOING TO RUN AND IF WE DON'T HAVE SAP WE DON'T HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL MAPLE SYRUP."

ONE OF YEARS WHEN MOTHER NATURE LET THE FAMILY DOWN WAS DURING THE 1998 ICE STORM.

GIBBONS SAYS SOME OF THE TREES ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM THE STORM THAT HIT SOUTH EASTERN ONTARIO AND QUEBEC MORE THEN A DECADE AGO.

SARAH GIBBONS :

" SINCE THE ICE STORM A GOOD TEN YEARS LATER WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF --RE GROWTH SOME OF THE TREES HAVE AGED QUITE A BIT ESPECIALLY THE BUSH WE HAVE ABOUT A KILOMETRE AWAY FROM HERE BUT OUR BUSH ABOUT A KILOMETRE NORTH OF HERE IS DOING WELL IT;S A YOUNGER BUSH SO IT WAS ABLE TO HEAL RECOVER AND WE'RE STILL ABLE TO USE IT TODAY. "

FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS THE GIBBONS FAMILY WILL CONTINUE TO CROSS THEIR FINGERS IN HOPES THAT THIS MAPLE SYRUP MAKING WEATHER WILL STAY WITH US.

SARAH GIBBONS:

"WEATHER MAN DO YOUR JOB AND KEEP THE WEATHER DOWN BELOW ZERO AT NIGHT AND JUST GIVE US LIKE PLUS FIVE PLUS SIX IN THE DAY AND WE'LL KEEP THANKING YOU EVERYDAY."

MORGANNE CAMPBELL CKWS NEWSWATCH FRANKVILLE

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