Harrison Thorp 10:18 a.m.
Monday, February 19, 2018 10:24 am

Bob Leary feeds a crackling firebox with finely split ash during a 2016 sugarin' at his Farmington farm. (Rochester Voice file photo).

Ask Farmington sugarin' farmer Bob Leary in February how this year's maple syrup season's looks and he'll tell you what he tells anyone who asks this time of year.

"I'll answer you in mid-April."

But with the recent warming daytime temps, area maple sugar farms like Leary's Forty to One in Farmington know timing is everything and are either getting ready to begin tapping in the next few days or or already started earlier this weekend.

Leary's operation is one of the biggest in the area, with some 750 taps in all.

Over in Rochester, Matt Scruton of Ten Rod Farm said they'd already started putting in some of their 100 or so taps this weekend.

"The sap is flowing good," he said today.

Scruton, who is also a state rep for District 12 of Strafford County, said his operation at the farm concentrates on making maple sugar confections like maple sugar candy, maple coated nuts and the popular maple leaf candy, but that he also sells syrup that comes from his relatives farm up in Lebanon, N.H.

For the sap to flow at its best the sugar maples need to have it be above freezing by day and below freezing by night, Scruton explained so this is perfect weather right now.

Of course temperatures soaring up to near 70 degrees on Wednesday is not necessarily a good thing, but Christine Meader of Meader's Maple Sugar House on Meaderboro Road in Rochester said one day like that won't hurt.

Meader said their farm would have about 300 buckets out when the tapping is complete.

New Hampshire Maple Sugar Day is March 24 and all the farms are expected to be open.

Scruton said they'll also be open for tours and advice for would-be maple sugar enthusiasts on March 17, too.