Maple Flow Meter. More Vacuum, More sap, more Syrup

The InvenTeam at the Hannaford Career Center has been hard at work, testing and refining the details and capabilities of the Maple sap flow meter. our time has been completely filled trying to solve engineering setbacks, such as a food-safe durable housing unit for the meter. this housing will be made solely stainless steel to ensure food safety and to be in line with an already existing industry-standard. As for the weir itself, the team has been working together to work out some of the kinks that come with measuring the flow of liquid, especially sap. finding a metal that was conductive and food safety was an obstacle we ran into early on, but eventually overcame with Arduino pins, the same kind used in the circuit. everyone on the team has been working together in a great manner while learning how to adapt their specific roles. 

Our project was recently featured in the Addison County Independent, a local newspaper based out of the county where our school is located. They did an article on the maple meter when it was in its early stages last sugaring season, and recently did a follow up with us after we received our grant.   Along with the Independent, I met with the Randolph Herald, Another local paper from central VT. They got wind of our project, and our grant, our story was later featured on the front page. Due to the publicity our meter has gotten within the state, we were asked to meet with the VT Secretary of State Anson Tebbets. He came to the career center and met with the team. This meeting was featured on public television.

Although the team has had setbacks and kinks we have had to workthrough, we have been able to see progress while working through our timeline. The fact that we have gained recognition has been a good motivator as well. people in our state are regogozing what a development like this can mean for the not only the maple industry in VT but across the country.