When "Paying" for Maple Sap, What % of the Syrup Should You Give to Your Supplier?

[bussell]

Hey Guys,

I've found a guy just 4 minutes away who has a ton of sugar maples. If we share the output, I'm wondering how much I should give him.

I will be doing all of the boiling using my own equipment (aside, possibly from a small section of tubing that is already hung from some of the trees). I'll also be picking up the sap from him.

Is there a rule of thumb for a percentage that I should share? He's a nice guy, but if I'm doing all of the work I'd like to keep most of the syrup for myself.

[maple flats]

You have too many variables for a rule of thumb. If I own and run the tubing, haul the sap, process etc, I paid $50/tap last year. This year I plan on going to $75/tap. A big climb for sure.
Everything the other guy does earns him a larger %.
If you just buy the sap outright, cornell's Make Farrell has devolpoed a tool to calculate what you pay. It is based, on sugar %, the portion you want to pay, and the grade of syrup you get from that sap. TRy ccc.cornellmaple.info and try to find the sap cost calculator. It looks like common persentages are in the 40-50-60% for you to keep as the processor of the syrup. If you try to pay too little the sap seller will not be a continuing supplier of sap. There is also a tool in there to calculate what you make/hr based on your input variables and the % you pay for sap. If you have the ability to concentrate and boil a lot per hour, you are better off paying more per hour because you can make your equipment work that much longer at high rates per hour, and the sap supplier make a good profit which encourages them to expand. If you have a very small operation it is too hard to get a serious sap seller interested, because you can not pay enough.

[whalems]

You did mean $.50 a tap and not $50/tap Correct?

[maple flats]

Yes, poor typing skills. $.50/tap is an old standard of sorts, but has not been adjusted for inflation in many years. My $.75/tap is likely somewhat high. Part of why I pay more is because I really like those woods and I want the landowner to keep wanting me to tap that particular bush.

[whalems]

When you start paying $50/tap DO I HAVE SOME TREE'S FOR YOU!!!:lol::lol:

[Thad Blaisdell]

how many is a ton?

[bussell]

I should have been clearer: I intend to pay him in syrup.

[jcb]

When I pay in syrup I use the retail price the same as cash.

So if I rent 100 taps at .50 per tap I give them $50.00 worth of syrup at retail price.

[markcasper]

I offer them 50% of the syrup their sap produces, and/or I will pay them their 50% @ the going rate for bulk syrup. I do not figure it at the retail price because the additional is what I get for doing the additional work, (bottling, labeling,.....etc.) I supply most of the equipment needed to get the sap to my place, but they have to use their own tractor/ pickup and pay their road fuel.

One guy has bags, the other tubing. The guy with tubing owns that, but I furnished him with a vacuum pump and releaser. The guy with bags uses my bag holders, spiles, and gathering tank, he buys the bags every year though. I had alot of the equipment before these 2 were around, so it is getting put to good use and at the same time encourages them to keep tapping.

[PATheron]

Mark- I like your theory of giving out the stuff for them to use instead of letting it sit around. This is what I do and I think it seems pretty fair. Im helping my buddy tap his place and hes doing really all the work Im just showing him stuff and helping on the more technical things and what we figure is fair is for every 100 gallons of 2 Percent he gets a gallon of syrup as per the grade I made that day that he delivered it. He can have the syrup or Ill pay him the bulk money when I ship my syrup. That way I get a gallon, my evap gets a half gallon and he gets a gallon. I think its going to pay pretty good for him really becouse he doesnt really have the time to boil and he doesnt have to buy any equipment. Were going to have 1200 taps ready on him this year on a ring pump and within the next year or two I think he'll at least double that so itll be good for me and him. If the sugar goes up or down a lot well adjust accordingly. It seems like a pretty square deal. If I get some money ahead Id like to buy a bunch of buckets and hand them out to buy sap. If other people are willing to do it Id like the sap and Id be willing to go the extra mile for them. Theron

[maple flats]

Markcasper, stop and think, if you pay the $.50/tap in syrup at bulk price you are giving them more syrup. Lets say for arguments sake the bulk price in $3/#. That is about $33/gal. If you owe them $50 for rent you pay about 1.5 gal. If you pay them at retail, you pay them about 1 gal. Which sounds better now?
I pay my rents at landowners choice. Ever since I started renting, they took as much surup (at retail price) as they wanted and then I pay the balance by check. The only difference I do on the retail price is that I use the gal price but I pack some in 1/2 gal and the rest in qts but use the gal rate. They usually take about half of the syrup in 1/2's and the rest in qts, but again, I ask them how they want it. I always pay the syrup part as the season progresses and the bal by check is in early May at the latest, since I go sell some of my bulk at that time, most B and all C.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Every situation is different. One of my bushes I have 145 taps and I pay them 9 quarts as it is split up between heirs and try to make sure main heirs get some. Another bush has about 240 taps and I give them 6 to 7 quarts. Another bush has about 240 and about 85 is on one side of the fence and they get 6 quarts and other 150+ is on other side of fence and they get 6 quarts. One with 85 taps has the road access to all the taps. None of them have ever ask for syrup, but they are happy with what I give them and it works good for everyone. I retail syrup at $ 13 @. Might sound high so some, but without trees, I can't make any syrup as I don't own any trees as there is none on my sugarhouse property.