In Feb of 1984 I tapped my first maple tree, which ended up being 6 buckets. The sap was boiled in the house (which with all the steam, ended up getting me kicked out of the house). A friend loaned me a counter top stove and I moved my operation in a little building that was used as a camp.

The first 2 weeks in March produced a hard freeze with no sap. On March 6, my 14^th birthday, my parents took me out of school and we went to Nelson Widrick’s, he was a dealer for the Grimm evaporator company, and I got my first hydrometer cup and hydrometer.

It was talked that my operation should expand!!!! My parents helped me purchase my first evaporator, a 2x6 Leader.

Warren Hubbard a friend of the family called the Leader company of St Albans Vermont and ordered my evaporator, in 2 weeks it was done and I was able to skip school and go to Vermont to get it!!!

Some used buckets were bought, and I tapped 89 trees. Clifford Zehr loaned me a gathering tank, and I was in business!!! A small lean-to was built on a small garden shed and I had my 1^st sugarhouse. I made 50 gallons that year.

That summer the sugarhouse was built. I had the 2x6 for 3 years then expanded to a 4x14 Leader evaporator, and the sugarhouse was added on to. I still have the 4x14 but have added an airtight arch to increase the boiling capacity.

For several years some plastic tubing was used along with the buckets. But after the ice storm of 1998 I quit using tubing and went all to buckets. The summer of 1987 I bought my 1^st team of horses, Daisy and Dolly. And have used horses ever since, although on some occasions we will use the bulldozer too.

My team consist of Blondie and Dixie now. (Dixie is Daisy’s daughter born in 1988)

Presently I tap about 1200 all with buckets.

Frank