What's Your Occupation

[3% Solution]

Hi everyone,
Thought this could be an interesting thread. :)
We can see the diversification within the ranks of our sugar makers!
At one time it be mostly farmers that made syrup, to help with their income.

Let me start;
I am a retired firefighter, 22 years on the job.
I work part-time at the NH Fire Academy as a Program Coordinator.
I do small carpentry jobs.

Dave

[Amber Gold]

Civil Engineer working in Manchester, NH
Volunteer firefighter for Barrington, NH

[briduhunt]

I am a City Building/Code Enfourcement Officer full time and own my own Home Inspection Company.

Brian

[Fred Henderson]

I retired after 37 years with the state of NY. worked as a welder/pipefitter. Retired from US Army also,combact engineer there.

[maplekid]

waste management consultant. or a fancey way to say i shovel crap

[PATheron]

High voltage lineman/substation construction and maintenance worker 19 years. Tuberunner & BIGSAP getter 1 year. Theron

[Brad W Wi]

Retired municipal employee, 33 years on the job there.

[Dennis H.]

14 years, wow has it been that long, at the US Postal Service as an Electronic Tech working on and repairing mail sorting equipment.

[kirkhedding]

Firefighter for the City of Ann Arbor
Woodworker

[Jim Brown]

Manager of Safety and Security at a large underground government complex
24 years in law enforcement


Jim

[Mike]

Going on my 32nd year at IBM.

[maple flats]

Sold my company And retired furnace sales and repair, selling outdoor wood burners, Taylor brand. Now I drive school bus, have a u pick blueberry farm, manage some rental apartments I own, do some custom sawing with my sawmill and make maple syrup.

[Brian Ryther]

Ski Bum, summer welder, turned to industrial construction superentendent. I build the factories that make the everyday things we use. eg. cement, limestone slurry, milk, newspapers, cheese, hydro electric turbines, breweries, etc..

[Russell Lampron]

Auto service technician, 31 years total, the last 21 working on Volvos. Building up my sugaring operation so that I can make syrup and ride my Harley when I retire.

[royalmaple]

Toy distributor, carpenter, small time logging, excavation, and public accountant/ municipal auditor to boot(former life).
I haven't heard back on the adult film career yet.

[Gary R]

Electronic service technician, few years residential plumbing , heating , electric. 14 yrs. medical equipment manufacture service technician.

No farmers yet? bummer. Oh yea, there still working, while we're screwing off on the trader:)

[mountainvan]

Farmer/ Fulltime maple producer.

[softmaple]

Hi Definition videographer/editor. make television commercials and promotion/industrial videos . learn alittle about everyones career and promote what they do.

[SeanD]

Elementary school teacher / cat herder

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

farm implement mechanic 15 yrs-- public school transportation supervisor 12 yrs-- 15 yrs self employed as construction mechanic

now full time retired ,maple syruping, blacksmithing and fishing and loving every bit of it.


RICH

[Homestead Maple]

Head up the public works operation for a very small town (population, 305). We take care of the water system, roads, vehicle maintenance, buildings and grounds, cemetery, and anything else that's asked of us. 31 years so far.........

[chainsaw]

Retired Logger and land invester. Now working on making a life long dream come true of owning my own sugar bush with all the bells and whisles. Well so far, one of the pieces of timberland I invested in has 50 acres of 90% sugar maple with most of it in the tapping range. Presently I'm cutting the brush and thinning the overstory by removing other species and lesser quality sugar maples. What a big job for little old me. I"m diceing up all that I cut to return to earth not wanting any root damage from equipement and moving wood tree scaring. Also means no extra cutting for skid roads. The bush will be 50 acres of class act when I get done. Probably 3500 taps. After that access road construction, Sugar house built where all the sap will run right in with all the stuff to go along with sugaring. I think each step forward will be almost as much fun as boiling sap. By the way, thank you all for the knowledge base we have here. I've been reading you guys for quite some time now and feel as though I know you. THANKS

[gmcooper]

Run family construction business and farm. Really want to get back to farming full time again.
Mark

[White Barn Farm]

Carpenter for the last 24 years,13 years on my own. Christmas trees and wreaths and maple syrup when the seasons are in.

[jrthe3]

3rd shift grauge forman for a very large trucking company part time farm hand for my dad don't pay real well ok don't pay at all and part time frieght relocating engneer a.k.a truck driver

[fred]

Full Time Farmer , Ya Gary R Its 10:30 Just Getting In -cattle ,hay ,maple Syrup

[Big maple]

Commercial / Industrial Electrical contractor, General contractor(residential)

[MaplePancakeMan]

Wholesale Beer Distributor

[maplehound]

been meat cutter for over 25 years. Now laid off and will be starting collage next week. Going to Kent State Univerity, Salem branch. Will be studying Computers. Bvr is paying for my classes and books, while Workers comp will pay me living maintence for the next 2 years.
Also in progress of adopting our first Son. He should be placed with us in Sept. or October. I hope he likes making syrup. By the way he is now 16.

[Haynes Forest Products]

15 yrs dental tech,10 yrs tree service mech,owner,welder,carpenter,plumber,elec,tile,spri nklers,landscaper,part time syrup maker jack of all trades master of none. never filled out a job application and have never been unemployed...........58 years old with a 4,8 and 21 year old so retierment is out of the question

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Own and operate a farm...600 plus acres with 65 tillable. This means I try to make a buck in all kinds of ways, I think most are legal. I milked cows for 36 years, sold them June 1. I own and operate a portable sawmill. I cut saw logs, mostly hardwood. Sell firewood, do custom farm work, sell hay and make syrup. Still haven't figured out what I want to do when I grow up!
Doug

[Cardigan99]

I'm working from home for a large health care company doing resource planning for their call centers (forecaster of call volumes, staffing levels etc.) I basically spend eight hours a day working in a spread sheet.

[Maplewalnut]

Work for pharmaceutical company in Regulatory Affairs dealing with FDA

[Dill]

I'm an insurance agent, we specialize in farms but do everything.
Also do some farming with my folks. Mostly hay and custom farming, but with the lousy summer we are way behind.

[maplecrest]

building maintance for local school. 45 beef cow- calf herd, sell hay round and square bales.work on restoring this two hundred year old farm, and work on "maple" in one way or another every day.

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

I am a consultant, project manager, and sugarmaker wanna-be.. I do work for banks, and other commercial operations that hire me..

Andy

[firetech]

I work for the Governor in the State of Michigan. I'm an electrician by trade I have a State master's lics, an elect contractors lisc, and a NICET certified fire alarm tech. In my present life I test, maintain, program fire alarm systems and supervies 6 technicians in State own buildings. We are moving up to 400 tappes from 220 on roadside trees for 09 and a new sugar house this winter.Reducing the number of sheep and increasing my pasture poultry operation. Researching a wood fired brick oven bakery at home and sorghum syrup production. I'm looking to work myself right into retirement.

[ennismaple]

I'm a civil engineer working in the land development industry. On weekends I work the land, Monday to Friday I help pave it and put up subdivisions and big box stores!

[mapleack]

I work for a Land Surveying Company, and have a bunch of titles at the moment, Surveyors assistant (hold the pole and chop brush), GIS Specialist (make maps), Erosion Control Specialist (make erosion control plans). I've been at all of this for the last five years since I graduated from college with a BA in Geography. Currently busy as heck doing all of the above for the natural gas boom here in Pennsylvania.

[cheesegenie]

Cheesemaker at a living 1866 museum called Upper Canada Village. Been there
ten years.

[Maple Restoration]

I am a sales rep for the local news paper mon-fri. and work the land on our 85.5 acre back yard, but the real full time job is keeping up with my 3 teenagers. DAD's #1 CAB CO.

[peacemaker]

make and sell sex toys ...
and work with the "GREAT FOAMY " remolding houses ...

[3% Solution]

Hey folks,
This is pretty interesting, keep it going!!
I'm going to compile a synopsis after awhile and see what we have.

Dave

[Parker]

I am a logger and firewood producer, but, have been known to buy-sell maple stuff, fabricate, wrench, scrap,,,,,,,,whatever it takes.....including try to make syrup,,,,,,

[hookhill]

Part time computer support, part time firewood, sugaring, logging, sawmill, some chickens and a few beef cows. The computer work pays for the family health care, the other stuff pays for the bad habits!

[DaveB]

I work as an Application Analyst for a regional hospital when I'm not trying to grow a maple sugaring business. That's what I'd really like to do full-time. I've been in the computer business for 20 years (had a Website since 1994).

[Dalestead]

Full time farmer, 190 cows 900+ acre"s of land. Firewood, loging selling hay and also producing syrup. In my spare time I am a vol. fireman and also help our local high school with their maple operation.

[Pete33Vt]

I currently work in the families asphalt business and have been for quite a few years. Starting my own ag. and forestry tire repair business. Plus anything else I can do to make a buck. Including making maple syrup and setting up sugar bushes.

[Al]

Retired from the Navy, stayed at home 9 years. work as an project manager for contracted security for a pharmacutical firm here. Maple is still in my top hobby. Well really it my only one. Were else can you cut wood, make roads. stay up late, keep adding on to a building, really freak out when you see a nice sugar bush and finish up with product to be proud of.

[tyrod2]

Retired truck driver for Greene County in Ohio for 30 years. I Love making maple syrup and playing my steel guitar.

[Seguin Sugarbush]

Logger,farmer,beekeeper,forest tech.,A.I. tech.,oh yes,sugarmaker and dad of three,4to 8.Oh yes,husband to the lady that keeps all of these habits going,she is a vet .

[RileySugarbush]

I've been an mechanical engineer at the same firm for 30+ years. Last year started a small skate board design and manufacturing company with my wife and two kids. Scrap from the boards helps feed the arch!

[Jeff E]

18 years working for the State of Wisc, Transportation. Started in Survey work, roadway design. Currently a supervisor of long range planning, roadway data and access areas.

Spent 7 years building communication towers during the cell/digital phone build out. Fun stuff but to much travel....

[jrthe3]

Al you forgot play with fire

[tuckermtn]

self employed - forestry mowing (see photobucket in signature), logging, carpenter, husband and dad of two daughters 6 and 9 yrs old... pretty standard fare around here...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Work as a Material Damage(automobiles) adjustor for last 12 years and in spare time, spend time with family(Janelle 30, Braden 6, Brooke 2) and in spring I try to make a little syrup and in the fall, I love to chase big bucks with a stick and string!

[DOlson]

Self employed excavation contractor for the last 20 years, Logged before that.

[sapman]

Water well pump "technician" (installer, servicer), do water conditioning, for 21 years as partner in brother-in-law's family well drilling business, which has been around for about 100 years.

Tim

[220 maple]

Printer for the past 28 years, for 27 of those years was a web press operator, Web Press was two stories tall and over 130 feet long, presently operating a 5 unit sheetfed press that prints covers and dust jackets for books.

Mark 220 Maple

[Revi]

I am a teacher and an artist. Maple is an obsession. Another is figuring out ways to live on less fossil fuels and talking about peak oil. My latest project is a solar/electric car. Check it out at www.sunnev.com. Ours is the green one.
I was just up figuring out how to put another 50 taps into the tubing system today. It's ideal for that kind of activity now that the bugs have calmed down some.

[super sappy]

I am a father to two wonderful kids 15 and 10 and a Self employed restoration carpenter. Known to dabble in wood working, field stone work and slate roofing. I also spend alot of time doing free estimates.

[GGervais]

I am a Land Surveyor working for an Engineering firm & when i get a chance I work on the family dairy farms.

[Fairfield Sugarmaker]

Self Employed-Designing septic systems, subdivisions and land surveying with my 2 partners.

[peacemaker]

i work for your dog

[Riverdale]

Delaware County SWCD Program Technician for the NYC Watershed Program
Work after work: Herefords/hogs/chickens/hay/syrup/firewood/fixing stuff in no particular order..

[danno]

Lawyer. But summers are for sailing and fishing, winter for skiing and snowmobiling and spring, ofcourse, is sugarin'

[OCVTmaple]

College student at UVM studying forestry with a minor in agriculture.
I also work construction during breaks. also a full time fly fisher

[HHM-07]

Retired from printing field last job pressroom manager for plastic cards div. 43 years in the field

Dick Hale

[tessiersfarm]

Construction and Small Family Farm, Only Takes 22 hrs per day during maple season. Kind of nice really.

[oldemaple]

Retired registered pharmacist now enjoying my second vocation--sugaring and farming.

[MFarmall]

Machinist since '84, farmed with my dad before that, help out the neighbor that rents the farm now. Also my uncle says I am also a good jack of all trades, master of none.
Building a 24"x67" evaporator with 24"x33" drop flue pan and air blower for the fire. Only tapped 10 trees this year but an going to try and get 60-75 tapped next year (maybe more). Use an M Farmall with loader for most of the wood moving plus a Cockshutt 40, that I put an International V-8 truck engine in, that use with tank on 3 point carrier to haul water and now sap.

[The Sappy Steamer]

Furnace operator at ALLVAC Steel. Making specialty steel for aerospace,land based generators, gas/oil exploration, and medical industries for 22yrs.

[Sugarmaker]

Currently I work as a Progam Manager. Helping get parts from the idea stage to production. Currently working in a Engineering group that make shock and vibrations isolators for helicopter rotor heads. Been with that company for 31 years and have been in the elastomeric business (rubber) for 35 years at various jobs including product drafting and tool engineering and Process engineer.
Maple is an addiction and the bees are a hobby!

Chris

[Bill'sSugarShack]

For past 13 yrs been groundskeeper for a company's "Guest House" n the 150 acres it's on.

Have degree in dairy farm mgt...also been greenskeepere
on golf coarses..head snow maker for ski resort.

[GregMVT]

Controller for an enviornmental/liberal arts college so I can afford to raise 4-5 feeder pigs each year and keep our 40 egglayers in the manner they've become used to, and anything we can grow on our 13 acres. This was the first year the old orchard on our property produced any apples, pigs love them, and we invited the farm crew from the college to come over to pick them so they could try out their new cider press.

Greg

[jemsklein]

Well I am currently in grade 12 but when I am done school I will be apprenticing for a electrician in Manitoba

[JohnM]

Self employed-Home Maintenance Business. Refugee from Corporate America.

[newman_maple]

I teach 8th grade math (11 years to go!), have 2 boys and a girl at home who are beginning to help with the sugaring. I am the Commander of my American Legion post, love gardening, fishing, and everything outdoors.

[TapME]

40 years doing the same thing, almost time for a change. cabinetmaker

[jtbucket]

I work at u.p.s. in Rutland, VT for 12 years. I live in Hubbardton,VT with my wife shannon and two kids Ashleigh annd colby.