Our Neighborhood Operation Got a Little Press

[Andy VT]

https://www.essexreporter.com/news/essex-junction-family-produces-maple-syrup-from-trees-throughout-their-neighborhood/article_d6d4614c-b86d-11ed-b5de-e3bcc7baa96d.html

[DrTimPerkins]

Nice story.

[BAP]

Nice story Andy.

[Andy VT]

Thanks for the comments! By the way, I forgot to mention: don't miss the Julia Child (actually Good Morning America) video embedded in the article. It is of the sugar farm I worked at as a kid. Video is 1979. My involvement was 1983 and 1984 I believe. It was 1800 buckets, bulldozer (T-340 with 6-way dozer) and sled, and off-grid sugarhouse at the time.

[EriobNY]

I do a similar thing in my neighborhood and I've been trying to work out what is a fair trade? in the past only one neighbor, now more interesting. Thoughts welcome!

[Andy VT]

We give each tree owner 4 ounces of syrup per tap. For the most part they haven't asked for anything; they were just excited that someone wanted to tap their trees. But I wanted to give them something and that's what I've settled on. It's pretty high-end for tap rent but I figure if someone has a quarter-acre residential lot with one or two maple trees, those are pretty precious trees compared to trees in the woods. They produce more too.

That said, some folks don't want any syrup at all. Some others want as much as they can get but refuse to take any for free. Which is cool too. Seems to all balance out. But the funny part is we end up buying some syrup because the demand for ours in the neighborhood (and of course we give some to friends and family) is too high to have much left over for ourselves.

[beninboston]

I do a similar thing in my neighborhood and I've been trying to work out what is a fair trade? in the past only one neighbor, now more interesting. Thoughts welcome!

I'm in a neighborhood in southern Maine that is made up mostly of 1/4 and 1/3 acre lots. I myself don't have a single maple but over the last 8 or so years I've built up to a total of 120 taps (all red, Norway and silver maples). As a rule I distribute 1/3 of my total output to the tree owners. Its probably overly generous given the massive time, energy and equipment investment but it gives me access I otherwise wouldn't have and everyone I work with is very thankful to get a quart or two anually. I give more to those who have more trees, or those who's trees produce the most sap, highest sugar content, etc. I'm not super disciplined but I do keep a list of who got what year to year to make sure its relatively consistent. Its a great way to bring a neighborhood together, everyone loves the process and looks forward to seeing the buckets hanging in the spring. Good luck!

[Vtmbz]

Meeting you and Emma this weekend reminds me that growing the next generation of traditional sugarmakers is important work.
Emma surely has the “disease”, and thats very encouraging.

[Andy VT]

Yes indeed, that's a lot of what I'm loving about it!
Though I often wonder how traditional I am when I fire up the minivan to go collect, and run to get my propane tanks refilled, haha!