Tap rent

[325abn]

Whats the going rate per tap?

[Russell Lampron]

The basic rule of thumb is a gallon of syrup for 100 taps and lesser amounts for fewer taps. If you are talking money it is $.25 per tap to as much as $2.00 per tap. The main thing is to treat all of your land owners the same.

Russ

[mountainvan]

I've given 10% of the syrup produced in that year to the land owners. If it's a bad year, they get less syrup, and vice versa in a good year. I like trading syrup for tapping, I've found money complicates things( money grows on trees, maple syrup takes a lot of hard work to make.), and the land owners have pride in getting something from their trees. I agree with Russell to treat them all the same, treat them with respect and friendship and most likely they"ll let you tap their trees till they die.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Syrup for taps is the best way if you can. It also saves you from selling the syrup to pay them, just give them syrup.

Treat them good, one bush I have I give 10 quarts of syrup and I have about 115 taps. I know that is kinda high, but it is worth it for me and these trees produce really good.

[Fred Henderson]

I also give syrup for sap and I will can it up in as many sizes as they want.If they want a gallon in pints that is the way they get it.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I only can syrup in quarts and pints and only give away quarts as that is the cheapest. It has always been that way, so no body asks for anything else.

[MaplePancakeMan]

people around here are snoody, they don't take anything, money or syrup when it comes to me asking to tap some trees. However, when i'm done producing they come and buy my syrup.... what gives??? Next year however i will have much more. There was one guy( an older gentleman) who always sat in his apt. window... i never knew him but i'm nice and i waved every day for the last 3 years or so. I stopped recently and gave him a bottle of syrup and we talked and i told him all about it. Turns out he used to do it, he also owns 50 acres of prime hillside almost 75% maples and the slope faces south. He gave me permission to tap it all! i'm stoked. Not ready for it this year but i'll prep it for nextyear, might have to go with tubing and a vac.

[brookledge]

Pancake Man
I guess this is the last year on that 2X6
Keith

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

nah...just do something different with the RO, either expand it(if possible) or get a whole different bigger one all together. Remember an RO increases boiling capacity by at least 400%.

[MaplePancakeMan]

this is true, something will have to give either the evaporator or the RO machine. we will see as time comes.

[mountainvan]

Sounds like you're going to give Russell farm some compitetion!! 50 acres could be thousands of taps. Good luck. If you'd like some ideas on expanding come on over, I started like you and now do sugaring fulltime.

[Sugarmaker]

I also agree with the gallon per 100 taps, and give the same amount of syrup to my tree owners each year. I think it is hard to explain to folks what a good and bad year is if they are not syrup producers. So I tap the trees put in the labor and they get so much per tap. I can in 1/2 pints to gallons but usually give 1/2 gallons as the largest container.

Regards,
Chris

[Johnny Cuervo]

I have two neighbors that let me tap their trees. Last year I took a picture of each of their houses and made a label with their house and name on them, I gave them each 6-10, 8 oz bottles. They loved them, one called the other day to tell me she brought some to California to give to friends.

John

[vermontkyle]

A Local guy was leasing his sugarbush and wanted $1.25 per tap. All buckets-1600 of the-he would even provide them. Seemed a little expensive to me but I don't know.

[Fred Henderson]

The tree would have to be very healthy and all on a south sloping hill. But still a buck 25 is highway robbery.

[maple flats]

Johnny, I passed your house the other day during the daytime. Sometime I'll have to stop when you are in. I was in a hurry after picking up 3 @ 4cu ft bags of vermiculite from Milikowski's on Joy Rd to insulate my new arch for the raised flue rig. As always I seem to be last minute. One year I will not have so many changes and will be ready on time.
Dave

[Johnny Cuervo]

Anytime Dave. I might give you a call Sun, or Mon I have to go to a funeral in Earlville and not sure if I'm going to take Rt 5 or 20. If I get close I'll call.

Good luck
John

[andrew martin]

THere is a horse farm a few miles from our home in which the entire driveway (1/3 mile long) is lined entirely with sugars on both sides. THey are all healthy mature trees (2 taps per tree possibly on most). I called the owner, in Montgomery, AL and I told him I would pay 30 cents per tap. He did not seem all that interested, and he asked me to call again this week. These trees are easy access, which would certainly reduce my collection time. I may go a little higher on price, but not too much. At least he is willing to consider it.

PS. Our church had a dessert auction for a youth fund raiser this past SUnday, and we donated two quarts of medium amber. After intense bidding, the first quart sold for $35.00. We did not stay long enough to see what the second quart sold for.

Andrew

[Jim Brown]

Gentlemen ; we leased 100 acres and will pay the landowner .25 per tap(payable on april first of each year) in cash or the equielvent in syrup which ever he prefers. He wants syrup. If we put the bush on vac the price goes to .50 per tap.We have a 7 year signed lease. with a 7 year op.
1.25 is WAY TO MUCH!

[Dave Y]

Andrew,
Go back to your horse farmer and tell him you will trade him syrup for taps.
If he is a horse rancher his got more money than God. The small amount that tap rent goes for is nothing to him. But syrup made from his trees is somthing, and it is somthing he doesn't know how or have the time to do!

[royalmaple]

I think you get more milage and a smile from offering syrup. Most people at least up this way know that syrup is like gold, and they also have some sort of an idea what it takes to make it. So usually when I approach someone to tap their trees they are not even considering getting anything, but rather heck, we aren't going to so go ahead. Then I tell them I give syrup for the privilage of tapping their trees, they pretty much crap. I do the gal/100 rule of thumb.

Kinda look at it like this, say on that 1/3 mile you have 100 taps, just for a guess. Ok at .30 which I am not saying isn't fair, is 30 bucks. Yippeee, what is that guy going to do with 30 bucks. Give him a gallon of syrup and holy moly your kidding a whole gallon, wow thanks. By the way I own some land down the street just like this go ahead and tap them if you like. Now you are getting somewhere. Plus some of these people like to tell family this syrup came from their land etc, gives them a neat feeling as well.

I think the paying for taps really only comes into play when you are talking larger scale when someone is really going to feel the payment.

Just my .02

[tapper]

I have 200 taps on 2 adjoining neighbors. I give them syrup and they both insist on paying me for it! I stick to my guns and make them take it. I sure wouldnt feel right tapping their trees and then having them pay me for the syrup.

[andrew martin]

I agree, the other two leases I have all get paid in syrup (1 gallon per 100 taps) and there is something nostalgic and a little bit of pride to say that the syrup was made from their trees. It's almost like a badge of honor so to speak. We gave our pastor 2 gallons this year for letting us tap his property, and the unfortunate thing is that syrup gives him bad cases of rear end gas, so he won't touch the stuff. We package it in pint conatiners and gives it away for CHristmas presents. I guess word is getting out about our little operation because I had another guy call me today, he has 225 acres and wants me to look at it and see how many taps I can get out of it. He just wants some syrup, and if it is good access I will be happy to oblige him. Hmmmm, what am I to do? SO many trees, so little time.

Anyway, this guy in Montgomery wants information about maple syrup production , so I will send him some web sites. The big concern here is that these maples were planted for ornamental purposes, and to kill them would be a grave sin. I would be willing to use 5/16" spouts instead of 7/16" spouts and maybe even give a day's worth of my labor hanging doors or trim carpentry or repairing fences.

I will keep you posted.

Andrew