Leased tap etiquette: How much finished syrup per tap?

[PerryFamily]

Was wondering what others do when the landowner wants syrup for leasing their taps?

I was hoping the landowner was going to throw me a number but has left it up to me. I want to be fair or if anything more than fair.

Tap count on his property currently is 250 +/-.

He also just gave me the ok to tap another big chunk of his land ( 500 taps +/-) as well as add vacuum!!









:

[unc23win]

I think I would put a dollar amount on it yourself and then give him the syrup for that. Say .50 a tap so 250 would be $125 then either give him bulk price $30 a gallon or retail $45 maybe. I realize some get more retail but you gotta be a little genrous I think. I would lean towards the bulk price especially if you can have vacuum you won't miss the syrup as much. You could always say well I normally would pay x amount per tap so you can have that however you want all cash or all surup or split. On vacuum you will for sure get more syrup than the landowner would probably want. Just my thoughts.

[PerryW]

For good running field trees w/ easy access I give a gallon of syrup for every 50 taps.

For poorer running woods trees, I give a gallon for every 80 taps.

[maple flats]

I make no distinction on good or poor trees. On my leases I paid .75 per tap in 2012, this year it increases by the amount of inflation that SS declares. That is how my leases are written. Then they get as much of the payment as the want in syrup and the rest is paid by check. For the syrup, I calculate it based on mu current gallon price regardless of the size containers they choose, but that only is for jugs. To date no one has asked for glass over the years. In both leases I have tubing, wet/dry lines and vacuum. My leases are for 10 years. I also helped the landowners get agricultural assessment, which saves them a lot in property taxes as a bonus. That actually saves them more than what my lease payment adds up to.

[SeanD]

Good question. I struggled with it myself. In the end I went with a quart per 25 taps after reading a bunch of input here. No one opts for the money, but if they did, I suppose that would be $0.80/tap retail.

Sean

[PerryFamily]

SeanD- if I went with $.80 per tap that is $200.
I was thinking 3 gallons of syrup and a thank you card with a gift certificate for dinner at long horn?

I really just want to keep him happy.

[tuckermtn]

I average 10% of the syrup their trees produced for the season. This is what I do for the sweet roadside bucket trees. For my largest sugarbush (425 taps) the landowner want 1.5 gal of syrup and a cord of wood.