#48 260,000 Taps at South Ridge Maple | Canadian Maple Syrup | Sugarhouse Visit

Zak and Karen Hargrove give Phil and I a tour of their 260,000 tap operation in New Brunswick. They have enough tubing in their woods to stretch across the United States! The Hargrove's are professional engineers in the nuclear power industry. Everything is well designed and engineered for automation. There is something very familiar about the monitoring system Zak and his family developed to keep track of vacuum levels. The technology we use in our woods looks very similar to Zak's design.
We were lucky enough to use some airline credits from 2020 to fly into Bangor, ME and drive 3 hours north to visit one of the largest maple operations in the world. We traverse the longest covered bridge in the world - Taste some amazing Organic Canadian Maple Syrup - And learn a thing or two about crossing the border to Canada!
A big thank you to Karen and Zak Hargrove for their hospitality! We met Zak through this KZbin channel and I'm glad we were about to meet up. We are looking forward to another visit and some unique content only available at South Ridge Maple. You can visit their website and support their family owned business here: southridgemapl...
Support the channel here:
www.bissellmap...

[@markwilliamsen872]

This has to be your best video yet Nate . I had no idea they made a wood pellet evaporator. Great camera work my friend.

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Mark the cutting board winner! Thanks for the support, man. The Hargrove's make the video. Zak reached out several months ago after he watched me in a couple YT videos. We actually have a lot in common. The Hargroves did all of the work and plowed ground for many years - usually people only see the harvest. This family and some dedicated individuals plowed ground. I just ask questions I'm genuinely curious about. Because the character is and determination is what we all relate to.

[@bencote2219]

Agreed Mark!!

[@markwilliamsen872]

@@BissellMapleFarm The cutting board was added to our collection in the sugarhouse . Your Dad does nice work . Thanks again.

[@larrypalmer2415]

Pulling my taps tomorrow..........first year making syrup.........so much fun.....!!!! Made a gallon!!!

[@ryanbrowne4374]

What a trip! Thanks for the video. Pretty incredible that they spend 25% of the year tapping. Unreal amount of infrastructure.

[@Chris-oe4gq]

Three guys in a candy store. Great Video thanks for sharing

[@bencote2219]

My farming family from northern Maine turned into engineers (me and my dad). When I heard them both say “don’t quit your day job”, it sent shivers down the back of my neck! As an engineer I just get paid to tinker. Farmers have to tinker as part of the job. Now here I am wanting to farm for fun! Funny how it comes full circle.

[@BissellMapleFarm]

If you want to take the island, you need to burn the ships.

[@terrybrown9206]

Good amount of R 0 equipment

[@НаталияЛитвинова-б2ш]

Rock and country -bandgo-musick👍👍👍🤝.Maple Syrup 👍👍👍to!!!I l❤🍁Syrup with pankeik!!! RESPECT!!!

[@joshdrake5146]

Mind boggling!

[@BissellMapleFarm]

I know, right?!?!!

[@bencote2219]

They have more syrup in their sample jar room than I made all season this year 😂

[@BissellMapleFarm]

That's pretty freakin funny.

[@dunnfamilymaple]

very cool

[@raywelch2219]

Gonna have to order some of that cranberry syrup. Just thinking of it has me intrigued.

[@BissellMapleFarm]

It is really good. I was shocked. And I'm pretty particular.

[@bencote2219]

Gods country! That’s where I am from and where maple production started back in the day. Imagine living out there in the 1700s trying to make maple syrup let alone survive the winter?

[@BissellMapleFarm]

It felt like the 1700's! Ha!

[@bencote2219]

“Comparison is the thief of joy” -my wife the accountant 😂

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Ben, were you a little excited the episode this morning was in your backyard?

[@bencote2219]

@@BissellMapleFarm it was a great episode! I had comments as I watched so I just went full send. I was commenting live like it was mystery science theater 3000 😂

[@bencote2219]

Seems like any mapler looking at the guy in the next “bracket” with both envy and horror. There is amazement at all the infrastructure then disgust imagining the hours and debt to achieve it all!

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Maple envy... it happens to the best of us...

[@terrybrown9206]

That 7ft by 18 ft evaporater is probably worth 125,000 dollars

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Heck, it probably appreciates every year.

[@charlesblanton1008]

Have only been to Canada once. It was early '90's so no passport, just walked across (at Niagara). Walked into station, they were interrogating some guy from Nigeria or something. My girlfriend (now wife) and I showed them our driver's licenses, they glanced at them, smiled, "have a nice day". lol. Now, They wouldn't let me in under any circumstance now due to unwillingness to participate in a questionable "vaccine" trial. To be honest, they couldn't pay me to enter at this point.

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Have you ever had Blanton's bourbon?

[@hemifiedsixtyfour2813]

Haha. You have to fill out ALL the proper paperwork to go into Kanada, meanwhile the southern border is WIDE OPEN...

[@BissellMapleFarm]

We need paperwork about our paperwork....

[@terrybrown9206]

They can probably make 8,000 gallons of syrup in 5 or 6 hours

[@BissellMapleFarm]

They make a bunch. Tractor trailer loads. It's impressive.

[@bencote2219]

Are beard nets going to be mandated now in your operation? 😂 🧔‍♂️

[@redlinefishing]

It’s not a dream. It’s a business. Unlike you small producers that come from states that don’t have big fulltime sugaring operations

[@BissellMapleFarm]

Yup. We are small potatoes 🥔

[@bencote2219]

Every mapler needs a smart woman to keep us from going bankrupt. My wife (and I when I understand what’s going on) and I are trying to make the jump from a 200 tap backyard barrel evaporator setup to a legit sugar house, RO, and evaporator. Looking at $40k all in! I think maple women need their own channel on how to share tax and finance secrets 😂

[@BissellMapleFarm]

My wife is the reason our business exists. Shes strong, man. I married the right woman thats for sure.

[@markwilliamsen872]

Best of luck Ben on the new sugarhouse and equipment purchase . We are still backyard sugarmakers with a 60 tap woods in southern NY boiling on a flat pan in a sugarhouse behind the house . Its a hobby for us but i can see how you get the urge to get bigger i think thats where your going with your operation . Thanks for the shout out Ben. I think Nate is doing a great job with his channel the road trips are awesome.

[@finallyfriday.]

5 1/2 minutes to get started? I got in a nap waiting. Yawn. All I got is this is a maple factory. No connection to most folks.

[@BissellMapleFarm]

I love this!! I'm really getting somewhere! Thank you for your encouragement!