largest sugarbush's

[cjmiller272]

Im curious to know the largest sugarbushs in the u.s. and individual states of 2013. Actual bush/company name and tap count of that producer. Personally im interested in wisconsin producers

[GeneralStark]

A quick search turns up this thread: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?17779-Most-Taps/page4&highlight=largest

That said there are many producers that are "under the radar" so an exact list is kind of tough to find.

[spud]

The book we all got in the mail a few months ago listed the top 10-20 producers in the country. Although the numbers listed include all the sap these guy's buy so they really don't have as many taps as they are saying. What they should say is they boil sap from x amount of taps.

Spud

[red maples]

In the new almanac put out by the maple news this year they have a list of I think the 20 biggest.

1 green mountain mainlines VT 98K taps
2 Patternson Farm PA 83K
3 Erabliere MLR Giroux ME 80K
4 Branon's westview maples VT 80K
5 bascoms's NH 76K
6 Maine maple products ME 75,900
7 Rheaume & Bernard Rodrigue ME 75K
8 Wagners Suger hill WI 75K
9 Benoit & Alcide Giroux ME 73K
10 Green mountain maple sugar refining co 70K
and 11 thru 20 go down from there to mostly in VT and ME with a tie for #20 with PArker family maple in NY and Goodrich's in VT at 45K taps each.

[Thad Blaisdell]

The guy in the Rutland area that is going to have 180k by next year will be the biggest I know of.

[southfork]

Maybe post it in the Wisconsin forum if you are looking for Wisconsin producers. Maple Hollow in Merrill is about 14,000 taps.

[jmayerl]

Wagners in tillida and crivitz is the only big one I know of. I think they tap or buy from about 60k taps

[PerryFamily]

I heard (3rd hand at least) that the guy in the Rutland are that was going to try to be the largest operation lost his funding.

A buddy of mines boss has a camp that bordered that setup.

Could be no truth to it too, anyone else know anything?

[GeneralStark]

There are larger producers in Quebec and New Brunswick. A friend of mine designs steam systems for large producers and he has worked for a couple operations with close to 150k.

[jmayerl]

I meant in wisconsin

[Big John]

The guy in mendon his name is patrick. He is from canada and owns VandL stone works. They are trying to decide if they will draw sap this year or not there is 35k ready to go. No power,vacuum,tanks. And getting a local producer to boil it. He just got his big funding secured last week. He is a little slow on paying his bills. But I guess that is how big buisness works?? I talked to him about three weeks ago, he assured me they will be boiling next season and they will have at least 100K.

[Big John]

sippls is in wisconson they boil from 60K

[PerryFamily]

Any idea if the operation in Rutvegas is privatley funded? Meaning no US government funding such as grants or ag loans or what not?
If it owned by a Canadian and receiving federal or state assistance for funding, I would have a problem with that. Take care of your own. Just curious.

[AdirondackSap]

I thought Chris Lanfear had the largest operation in Rutland county 30k taps? In clarendon springs

[Randy Brutkoski]

for right now chris is still the largest in rutland county. I have seen the woods in mendon where this big operation is going and the tubing that is up looks nice so far. I doubt if any of it will get tapped this year. no saddles or drops put in yet. no vac. no pump house, really nothing. no branch lines connected to mains by the looks neither.

[PerryFamily]

While at the CDL store in rutland, Chris' mother said he was doing the install for the guy in mendon.

Nice store by the way, very nice and helpfull.

[Randy Brutkoski]

Chris is one of the many guys in that woods. Everything is on hold right now and has been.

[DaveB]

In Connecticut, I believe there are a couple of producers with 4 or 5,000 taps and those are the largest in this state.

[cjmiller272]

60k taps? That cant be one sugarbush. Thats what im curious about. Basically most taps feeding straight into one sugarhouse.

[Mark]

60k taps? That cant be one sugarbush. Thats what im curious about. Basically most taps feeding straight into one sugarhouse.

"Boiling from" is a lot easier than doing it all on your own. My son and I have 22,000 taps that all run into the sugarhouse and it is about the max we can do. Last year we tapped almost all of it between the two of us. A couple days my sister and her boyfriend came out to tap and do a some leak checking so that helped out a little.

[spud]

I agree with Mark 100%. I am not nearly as impressed with a 80,000 tap operation that employs maybe 15-20 people during the sugaring season. Two men running a 22,000 tap operation is very impressive. Thad runs 11,000 alone. There are a few others on Trader that have 8000+ taps and they work alone. Underhill Vermont has about 80,000 tap operation that all runs to the sugarhouse is what I have been told. It's up the road from PMRC

Spud

[cjmiller272]

Now thats impressive. 22000 without employees. I couldnt imagine that mainline coming in.

[sjdoyon]

The sugarbush is located about four miles north of Island Pond on route 114. Hearing they have around 100,000 taps done for next spring. There's a large RO building on the side of the road. They will be trucking concentrate down to their plant. Company plans are to add another 200,000 taps next year and supposedly get to 500,000. Enclosed article commented on 21 jobs. They are advertising for 18 workers just to work in the woods next spring.


ISLAND POND, Vt. - Island Pond is poised to become one of the state's larger maple producers.

After years of false starts, a new buyer is in line to take over the former Ethan Allen Factory. Sweet Tree, a Connecticut-based venture, is going through the Act 250 permitting process to turn the factory into a maple products production center.

Town officials say they bought the plant for about $700,000 as well as 3,200 acres in the area to tap. The move expands Island Pond's maple profile. Last year, Canadian maple producer Bernards moved into a town-owned building and is leasing local sugar bushes.

"We welcome it. It's an appropriate industry for the town. It fits in with what we do. We got lots of trees. This is the kind of thing we like to see," Brighton Town Administrator Joel Cope said.

Officials say the new maple production facility could provide upward of 21 jobs.

[nhmaple48]

Anybody want to bet that the bulk price won't be $2.00 to $2.50 in two years?????

[Mark]

Anybody want to bet that the bulk price won't be $2.00 to $2.50 in two years?????
It is $2.25 now.

[jrmaple]

I believe the largest producer in CT right now is Lamothes, they have almost 5,000, I think they are just shy of 5k, then there are not really any producers too close to that, several 1,000 to 2,000 tap producers and a handful of 3,000 tap, nothing close to the producers in PA, VT, NH, ME or NY. Hopefully someday I'll make it be the largest in CT… But that being said, CT has one of the highest retail rates for syrup per gallon.

[Schiefe4]

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/0605mpl.pdf

You can also do ad hoc reports thought the USDA to see other specific stats such as number of farms with various tap ranges.

[Mark]

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/0605mpl.pdf

You can also do ad hoc reports thought the USDA to see other specific stats such as number of farms with various tap ranges.
How would you figure out how many producers in Michigan are over 20,000 taps?

[Schiefe4]

http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/

Above is the site for ad hoc reports.

There are 4 producers with 10,000+ taps (2012) and 430,000 taps total in Michigan (2014).

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Only problem with NASS statistics is they depend on self reporting and many producers do not report.

[220 maple]

If Sweet Tree can get a half a gallon of syrup for the 500,000 taps? Should help to relieve the world wide shortage of maple syrup! Lol 250,000 gallons of maple syrup. My new favorite saying, "Does the falling bulk price make a sound if everyone in out in the woods adding taps?"

Mark 220 Maple