Regulations in NH?licensing?

[Mr. Red Maple]

Do any of you know if a small Maple syrup producer needs a license in New Hampshire. I gross under 10k if that matters. I just want to make sure I'm legal. Can you still sell it?

[maplerookie]

Do any of you know if a small Maple syrup producer needs a license in New Hampshire. I gross under 10k if that matters. I just want to make sure I'm legal. Can you still sell it? I wont tell anyone Mr. Red Maple. The government is always wanting to regulate or put a tax on things.. I believe licensing is a form of taxation.:mad:

[Mr. Red Maple]

i am just afraid when i am selling my syrup the government might find out and shut me down.

[western mainer]

Go to this web sight and e-mail or call they will set you on the right path. http://www.nhmapleproducers.com/
Brian

[maplerookie]

i am just afraid when i am selling my syrup the government might find out and shut me down.Well I can understand that. go get yourself legal then. I would do the same in the end.

[Mr. Red Maple]

How do I get myself legal. In my 5 years I have never talked about or thought about licensing do I even need one ?

[maplerookie]

How do I get myself legal. In my 5 years I have never talked about or thought about licensing do I even need one ? I would check with your local cooperative extension. see if you need to get a license. the guy or gal that makes syrup for home consumption i would assume doesnt have to..kinda like growing a garden. anyway I am sure the extension would have the info you need, or could get it for you. Good luck. You might also check with some other producers in your area. dont know any? look for a stack and a coupola on a shack or barn. I am sure there are quite a few in your area. also talk to your local maple supplier. they have a lot information and I am sure would be willing to share.

[maplerookie]

How do I get myself legal. In my 5 years I have never talked about or thought about licensing do I even need one ? http://www.agriculture.nh.gov/divisions/regulatory-services/farm-commodity-regulation.htm well go to this web site looks like registration is voluntary

[Mr. Red Maple]

Thanks for all the great answers!!!

[maplerookie]

Thanks for all the great answers!!! Yep.. A pleasure to help out . My brother used to live in N.H. Rollinsford Now he lives in washington state. from one coast to another. jeesh!

[PerryW]

I been making and selling syrup in NH for 25 years and never got any license.

[maplerookie]

I been making and selling syrup in NH for 25 years and never got any license. there problem solved. bout time somebody from NH chimed in.

[Russell Lampron]

I have been making and selling syrup in NH since 2001 and when I asked about licencing I was told that syrup is like a farm crop and as long as you only package and sell your own syrup you don't need a licence.

[Marc Duclos]

Like Perry said. Live free or die. Election have consequences. Ho are you trying to please. To thy own self be true.
I been making and selling syrup in NH for 25 years and never got any license.

[Marc Duclos]

There are places that hole people are afraid of there Government. Once there are enough of you we are next. get a book and find out about your freedom and how to keep it.
Well I can understand that. go get yourself legal then. I would do the same in the end.

[tuckermtn]

you need to follow the state's labeling guidelines and density/grading guidelines if you are selling syrup in NH. Give Vicky Smith at the NH. dept of markets and food. she will do a courtesy visit to your sugarhouse and tell you all you need to know. You may also want to consider registering your business with the Sec. of state and forming a LLC.

http://agriculture.nh.gov/publications-forms/documents/maple-syrup-labeling-guidelines.pdf

[maplerookie]

There are places that hole people are afraid of there Government. Once there are enough of you we are next. get a book and find out about your freedom and how to keep it. Well in answer to that . I don't need a book to realize what my freedoms are. However if a farm product is regulated by my state i would be darn sure to stand by the regulations. That way we all have the freedom to produce and sell our wonderful product. If we didn't have regulations and guidelines, there would be producers out there that might produce a poor product and then make a bad name for all of us. Anyhow this is not the forum to discuss our freedoms It is about the great stuff we make...Maple syrup and all other things maple.

[AdirondackSap]

liscence is just another form of taxation. When are we going to vote these big govt people out. They keep coming out with all these rules and regulations thats its almost impossible to follow every single law. Not to mention being able to afford all the rules they come out with no wonder everyone is sellijng there farms.

[handtapper]

I said this in another post. The free market works best. The only regulation that is fair and works is the consumer. When someone makes laws there are always winners ( the established haves) and losers (the small guys and consumers)

[happy thoughts]

I said this in another post. The free market works best. The only regulation that is fair and works is the consumer. When someone makes laws there are always winners ( the established haves) and losers (the small guys and consumers)

But what about cases where the consumer may be deceived by false or misleading labeling or advertising? For instance, U.S. vs 300 Cases of Mapleine, brought by a new federal agency that grew into our FDA. Mapleine is an imitation maple flavoring that was judged to be deceptive in it's packaging in the early 1900's soon after the Food and Drug Act was passed in the US. Labeling and purity laws grew out of that. Also laws strictly enforced in Vermont re the use of the term Maple on labels and in advertising. These not only protect the consumer but you as a producer of the real thing. Regulations are always a two edged sword but sometimes there are only winners. :).

And that is not to mention issues of food safety which also benefit everyone. There are good reasons to ban certain practices in the food industry such as agents once used for tap hole sanitation and which a consumer would not suspect or could detect on their own. I would rather see bad practices regulated and enforced out of existence long before the bodies pile up. We have seen often enough poor regulation in Chinese imports like cough syrup and pet food that have caused many deaths and much suffering. I'm not about to trade their lax system for our own yet or willing to use consumers like canaries in a coal mine. I do realize and accept that your own mileage may vary and respect your thoughts on the matter. :)

[Mr. Red Maple]

I agree, we do need regulations to keep the product good for the consumer I was just wondering if I need to be inspected or sign up for something.

[handtapper]

From what ive read the cases in question were shipping cases of individual bottles that were to be sold at retail individually. The individual bottles were labeled clearly " mapleine a vegetable product producing a flavor similar to maple". The defendant company crescent foods explained clearly the cases were shipping containers and consumers would never see them only the well labeled bottles but the judge ruled in favor of the big government boys.

[AdirondackSap]

The established already have the power and money. They are the ones who create the new laws and regulations. They make it so they are at the top and no mattter what you do you cant reach them. they set the prices you will never make it to them at the rate infaltion is going. They come out with new rules and regu8latin so what and if the profit you made they are making you spend it on some new rediculous rule or regulation so really you can never get ahead or even reach them.

[handtapper]

I got the definitive awnser from Chris at maple guys. You need a grading sticker and label with your info on it. That's it.