100 Gallons of Syrup

[farmerEd]

Hi guys...quick question (hopefully). I make a small amount of syrup each year on my leader 1/2 pint...my record is 16.5 gallons in one season (now thats a lot of time boiling...). This year maybe only 4-5 gallons.

Anyway, I own a big piece of land, lots of maples, mostly untapped.

I'd like to sell enough syrup each year to generate enough money to pay my property taxes. I figure I would need to sell about 100 gallons of syrup each year(retail) to do that. Thought would be that the taxes will continue to rise, as will the property taxes. Hopefully syrup will rise faster, but I'll settle for the same pace...

What would be your best guess on how many taps, size evaporator, and cost of other equipment you would need to make 100 gallons of syrup each year. Wood/labor is free and doesn't factor in to my equation...

Thoughts?

[nmerritt]

If you have large producers around you, I would set the woods up big, lots of taps and sell the sap for a year to not only pay for your taxes but a bigger hobby rig. I know people who make between 5-40 thousand just selling sap.
Or tap big and save some for your hobby and sell the syrup.
Nick

[Mike]

Ed, Look at it this way......You get around a quart of syrup per tap....More with vacuum.....Id say a 2x8 or 3x8...Even a 3x10 would work....A Pre heater hood would help also.....Id say 500 to 600 taps...Extra taps are nice if you dont get many big runs.......Might as well max the size rig you want plus it save boiling time......Or you could stay small and tap all you can and sell the extra sap or lease part of your bush out......Hope this helps some...Mike

[PerrinFarm2]

We make 200-300 Gallons a year with about 700 taps. That said we usually have a pretty long season so i don't know what the difference in the season would be between MA and northern VT. Keep In mind how you are going to sell your syrup.

[Fred Henderson]

We make 200-300 Gallons a year with about 700 taps. That said we usually have a pretty long season so i don't know what the difference in the season would be between MA and northern VT. Keep In mind how you are going to sell your syrup.


I noticed that you have 700 taps on buckets, how much help does it require to dump that many each time it runs?

[tuckermtn]

we made 102 gal last year- long season, 2.5 X 8 without a preheater, 350 +/- taps, with minimal vacuum...

yes- keep in mind how you are going to sell your syrup- retail or wholesale, candy vs syrup, etc...we probably averaged $35-8 per gallon last season- could certainly do better...

-tuckermtn

[PerrinFarm2]

It takes 4 - 6 people an honest day to collect all buckets. Of course we may stay all night to boil everything during a good run. We are lucky enough to be able to minimize work during Sugarin season. I'm in construction so i typically just take march and april to sugar. Others are retired, or have flexible work scheduals.

[maplehound]

I have about 700 taps out and 2 years ago I made 140 gallons. I do hope for more this year though I don't count on it. Just remember that the more you make the more it cost to make it. And it takes several years to pay those investment back. I have been trying for several years to show a profit. So I don't think that 100 gallons will acctually pay for your taxes.