Trying to Find Small Sugar Bush In NH

[Steppy]

I used to have a small farm in Deerfield NH (1978) and was running only about 50-75 taps. I was just about to go to Enosburg Falls, Vt to buy a new 2x4 ft drop flue evaporator from Leader for the '78" Spring run, when I got a job offer in Washington, DC and never got the evaporator :cry:

I live in Lexington Park, MD now and am trying to find property in NH with sugar maples on it (that's a hard fast requirement) as well as an unrestricted southern exposure (no mountains or hills blocking the low Winter sun to the south) so I can build a passive solar home to help cut down on my heating costs. I want to have a small sugaring operation for family, 100-150 taps.

I'm looking for land in the following towns:
Wolfeboro
Alton
Barnstead
Farmington
Middleton
Milton
New Durham
Brookfield
Wakefield
Ossipee
Freedom
Effingham

I'm ready to buy now, but am having a hard time finding a realtor who knows what a sugar maple looks like. I'd appreciate any leads or suggestions. Thanks. This is a great site by the way. I can't wait to get back to sugarin' :D

I had put an ad in the Wanted section, and then discovered that was for used equipment. :( My apologies.

[Revi]

I'm a realtor, but only in Maine. I am focusing on "green" realty. Have your realtor type in land and the names of the towns, or a map area in the MLS. In the MLS put in the amount of acreage you want, say 5 to 30 acres. See what comes up, then sort out the places that don't say wooded, rolling, etc. You should be down to 20 or 30 places for sale. Then start to check them out. That's the fun part. If you get an address and you can usually check them out yourself. Find the real estate sign and trek around. Walk to the back of the property, because there are sometimes surprises, like a 20 acre bog. It's good to wear blaze orange this time of the year.

We sorted through at least 50 woodlots until we found ours. It has the perfect slope down to the road, and we were able to put our sugarhouse in the lowest spot. All the tubing runs down to it. Check it out below.

[Steppy]

Thanks Revi.. I've done all that except for the finding the property part and walking around it since I live 500 miles south of NH. I've been relying on realtors to get information on properties I've found on the MLS as to whether there are acer saccharums on it and if the properties have an unresticted southern exposure. I'm working with a realtor now who is trying to line up some potential properties worth me flying up there to look at.

I just thought inquiring in here would be a great place to find some good leads since the folks in here have a far better idea what I'm looking for than most realtors unless they do some sugarin' themselves.

[Revi]

Just putting my 2 and 1/2 cents in. It's fun looking around for a place. You may have to settle for a place with smallish maples, or buy an existing house and land, because woodlots are hard to find with any wood left on them around here anyway. I was just walking some cut over woodlots here in Maine yesterday. It will be at least 20 years before there is anything tappable on the place I saw yesterday. The slope was good, however. Who knows? If somebody young bought the land, it would be a good investment. 20 years from now I'll be 67, so I'll let somebody else take that parcel on. Good luck with your search!