April 2000
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A Good Maple Syrup Season EndsBy David BrisonTwo maple syrup producers in the area had their first good season since the ice storm of '98.
Doug and Wenda Wheeler say that their production this year was about
90% of what it typically was before the ice storm, compared to 50% in
'98 and 60% in '99. "The weather cooperated this year. It was a long
season. We started Feb 29 and finished on March 28. It seemed to be a
good year for light syrup," said Doug. The Wheelers set 9500 taps in
their large Snow Road sugar bush.
Darlene and George Conboy are the 5th generation of Conboys to tap the
bush on their Sharbot Lake farm. They also reported a good season, but
unlike the Wheelers, they didn't have an abundance of light syrup. "I
don't know why - most people did," said George.
Both couples reported that major portions of their bush did not survive the ice storm. "Mature trees with northeast exposure seemed to be most heavily hit. The quality of the soil and root conditions were also important factors in survival. In general the young trees seem to have made a comeback", reported George.
The Wheelers and the Conboys have compensated for the ice storm damage by tapping new areas.
Their families are heavily involved in the work. The Conboys' four children pitch in, as do the Wheelers' four. Trevor Conboy (University of Ottawa) and Jennifer Wheeler (Queens) both missed this season because they were away at university.
