Does Your operation turn a profit in a typical year?

[Sengelaub Farms]

I thought this might be an interesting poll

[SPILEDRIVER]

mine dos...but i built it all from scratch and i barter for wood and trees to tap....truth be told id be shocked if i had more than 500$ invested in the entire setup......then again i dont make alot each year @20 to 30 gals...with the most being 100.....but its all paid for

[Russell Lampron]

This my hobby and the money that I get from selling the syrup goes right back into it. I have paid for my evaporator, Vacuum pump and RO without borrowing any money. I also built my sugar house and bought all of my tanks tubing and equipment that way too. I am always upgrading and improving things so there is always a place to spend the money. The latest improvement was building my Bubblemaster 1.0 air injection system. That was close to $600 and it was paid for with syrup sales money.

[Sengelaub Farms]

Mine would most years if I would stop giving syrup away.. LOL Probably not going to happen. By the time I give it to Family and friends who help out I'm only selling 2/3 of it.

[PerryW]

I invested $10,000 24 years ago to get my operation started. Since then, a guy my size spends about $1000 on expenses (mostly jugs and vehicle expenses) and can make $5000-$6000 of product a year for working part-time two months of the year. You do the math.:)

[Sengelaub Farms]

I was doing really good at turning a profit 10 years ago. Tapping a woods on one of Our other farms. Hanging used plastic pails and boiling on homemade equipment. Bought jugs and filters and that was it. Then this 10 acres of woods came up for sale right next to my home farm. Nice and hilly with a low spot right in view of my house. Bought it, Ran 400' of water and electric, Built a new Sugar Shack, ( Out of mainly recycled materials ) And bought a used evap. Now I'm pretty much back to just buying jugs and filters.

[shane hickey]

I paid all my stuff off the tirst year now make 100 + k a year but i have in expenses around 20 to 25000 i think it dependd on how many taps you have.

[tuckermtn]

yes its profitable, a heck of a lot of fun, and it tastes wicked good.

[Michael Greer]

I have sugared with another guy for four years, and have covered my expenses for new gear each year. I'm building a really nice sugarhouse of my own this year, and it will probably take 4 or 5 years to catch up with that investment. It's valuable stuff, and a well designed process cuts down on the labor, and allows for expansion.

[ennismaple]

It is profitable but at our size it has to be a business and the purpose of a business is to make money. I don't want to know what I make hourly but it does allow us to buy some toys.

[Asthepotthickens]

only 65 more years at this and I can retire

[pa farmer]

Last year when I filed my income taxes and did my buisness expenses the IRS sent me a sympathy card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jmsmithy]

I paid all my stuff off the tirst year now make 100 + k a year but i have in expenses around 20 to 25000 i think it dependd on how many taps you have.

Hey Shane

If you don't mind sharing, how many taps do you have? I saw pix on your website and see you have buckets and tubing...how many of each? Do you find there is a specific sap/syrup per tap that you get?

[maple flats]

I turn a small profit but that is all rolled into expansion. When I finish expanding and just have maintenance expenses it will show a profit. Buying new or larger equipment slows profits until that item is fully depreciated and still does not need replacing. That will yield nice profits then, but the tax man will knock harder.