150,000 Tree Operation

[Amber Gold]

Came across Lapierre Maple Farm when I was searching the web for Lapierre Equipment. Here's the website http://www.domorewithmaple.com/aboutlapierre.html

Is this legitimate? Is this a single maple farm with 150,000 tapped trees? Is this typical over the border? That just seems mind boggling to me. I've got 300 taps and I thought I was doing pretty good. I also thought Bascom's was huge at 25-27,000 taps. They have a pretty impressive pic with the 4 large evaporators. Somewhere I came across one of their tubing pics and their mainline is a 6" or 8" pipe. That's a lot of sap.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[3% Solution]

Hey AG,
If I remember right Bascom's was, I think, 63,000 or 67,000 taps this past year.
Now that's some sap right there Mr.!!!

Dave

[fred]

i believe there are two others bigger than that.and last bruce told me they were at 45,000

[peacemaker]

so on the note of largest producer who is the largest pruducer using only buckets ... and then maybe largest pruducer not using a ro ...... and maybe third largest buckets without a ro

[tuckermtn]

I seem to remember a forester from Landvest mentioning to me that they set up a lease on a huge operation up in northern Maine....something like 300,000 taps? might have been 30,000...but could of just been BS...

[Parker]

I know when I was a wipper snapper I worked on a 2500 tap BUCKET opperation,,we gatherd with horses to boot,,5x16 wood fired grimm, that was in Fairfield, V.T.,,,,,we went and visited the Horrigans (HARD CORE WORKERS) up the road,,,I bielive at the time they had 10,000 buckets,,,,and gathered with horses,,,2, 6X16 rigs,,they had some real nice teams,,and many hands, That was many moons ago,,82-84?

[DaveB]

I don't have it in front of me, but in the last New England Farming Journal issue there was an article about Bascom's. In that article it said that they were the largest operation in New England. I think they had 57,000 taps like Maple Hill SH said. I saw their chart of taps when I was there in May. I wonder who is larger outside of New England? Bruce was quoted as saying he thought there was a lot of potential in New York.

The article also said that producers in Quebec are planning on adding 1 million taps. That is an incredible capacity to be able to add that many taps. They have some huge operations up there....

Dave

[peacemaker]

2 years ago mereck was 16,000 there so lucky there its a gorgous place and they have a fella who likes to give them money for equipment ...but i wouidnt say thats super sappys backyard would u great foamy ?

[mfchef54]

I worked with a guy in saugerties ny one season who had 3000 on buckets. The bush was developed by his great grand father. He has since pasted away. said he did tubing one year but didn't like it.

[3% Solution]

Hey Gov,
Thanks for taking care of the mis info there! :)
I knew there was a 7 in there!!
Still lots of sap!!!!
Are you going to the meeting on Saturday or Sunday, depending when it happens?

Dave

[220 maple]

On youtube there is a 9 min. video showing Hargroves in New Brunswick that has 105000 taps. My Amish friend and equipment dealer mentioned a couple years back that someone in Maine was going to put in a 250000 tap operation, and they would be the biggest in the world. I never heard anymore about that so it probably didn't happen. Anyone with high speed internet should watch all the videos posted on Youtube. Unbelievable and educational at the same time. My questions about these big camps? How many people do you need to employ to get 150000 holes drilled. I know I can not get all my trees opened in one day, more like a week, but that because my trees grew on the side of a very steep mountain. I have heard things mentioned how they get 150000 taps open and running like start tapping a month before the season then when they have a thaw they get sap? I'm sure they don't have time to join Mapletraders and explain how this happens? Maybe someone has worked at one of these big camps in the past. Inquirying minds want to know?????

[Jeff E]

Isn't that the way life is, A few years ago when I went to 150 taps everyone around here thought I was a big time operator. Then I went down the road 10 miles and theres a guy doing 1200 taps. WOW! it blew my mind.
Then I went down the road 30 miles and there is a guy with 5000+ taps, and another guy with an RO (What the H#** is that thing?!) who can process 1200 gallons an hour. Again, it blew my 35 gph mind.

Then last year I look at Bascoms web site and drag my wife and kids in and gawk for 20 minutes....

Now I hear 250K taps?!!!!

Me and my 'big ideas' just washed into the ocean of reality.
Like shooting hoops and having Labron swing in for a little one on one!

[PATheron]

Down here Richard Patterson, Sugarmaster on the trader, is the biggest producer in our state. I think Ive heard them say a good man can tap 1000 a day. Hes got 70,000 taps.

[Clan Delaney]

The article also said that producers in Quebec are planning on adding 1 million taps. That is an incredible capacity to be able to add that many taps. They have some huge operations up there....

Dave

They have to. They've got a maple leaf right there on their flag. With talk like that, you'd better be able to walk the walk! :)

[TapME]

Up beside moosehead lake the Canadian association for maple syrup put in a little operation over the last two years, talk around here from a family in Dixfield is that they had 150,000 taps. They also said it was weird because they use a semi to collect sap. This is second hand.

[3% Solution]

That is not "BIG SAP"
That is MEGA-HUGE MUNGUS Sap"
Holy crap a semi, hell I ain't boiled that much in my whole life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
****!!!!!!
Yeah and in the off season that semi is not doubt doubling up as a sewage hauler!!!!!
Hey why not they're just going to boil the crap and p*^@ out of it anyway!!!

Dave

[peacemaker]

where in eagle bridge white creek did u hunt ever see pompanuck farms or hunt back in the notch ... i tap on the white creek road near the crick pools ...and i know where the sappy lives all to well maybe u could send a stone with a wrist rocket lol

[TapME]

Its not the Halls MHS. The Canadian asso. owns the whole setup to help with the syrup #'s (bulk in storage). They take syrup back to the home land. Again heard it from the the Halls, who last year added more taps and a RO. This may make me call Rodney this weekend to find out haw many taps he has and who the producer is.

[peacemaker]

yup it all does pompanuck is at the top of chestnut hill and theres stae land all around it u probally hunted in there

[peacemaker]

i think so chestnut hill runs up and over that mtn and if u where coming from shaftsbury side up on the left is a community they build with strawbale and cordwood and have a 48 foot diameter coed wood house ...if u look in my photos u can see it i tapped there for two years until we decided to pull out of there ...but there is a state line that runs up along side pomp and yeah it is some big woods in there

[220 maple]

PATheron,
Patterson said a good man can tap 1000 a day. So in one week he could open 7000 taps 14k in two 21k in three 28k in a month 56k in two months 14 k for the next two weeks and shazam 70000 tap producing big sap. Take 70 good men and you could open right after a good freeze. Maybe two gallon of sap per taphole, 140000 gallon of sap say divided by 45 just for fun. 3110 gallons of liquid gold. Times 11 equals 34210 lbs. Times 2.50 a pound equals 85525 dollars. My Amish friend and equipment dealer said there is a lot of money in maple syrup it just hard to get it out. He I feel is correct because of all the hard work involved. Those big guy are turning a lot of money but they are spending a truck load also!!!

[gmcooper]

That 150,000 tap operation might be mine your talking about. Well almost, I need another 149,000 more taps.

I have heard there are one or two up north that have been getting bigger but have been very quiet about it.
Several years back I thought Maine Maple Products was at 40,000 taps. At least that was what was said at a maple producers meeting.

Mark

[ennismaple]

They have to. They've got a maple leaf right there on their flag. With talk like that, you'd better be able to walk the walk! :)

Some of us even have it tattoed on our chest! (Yours truly included)

[HHM-07]

Hey Tap-me

It must have been quite a trick getting around in the woods with that semi.

[TapME]

HHM-07, They are right off the golden road which has semi traffic and logging traffic all year long, you also have to sign in and out.
Still waiting on the word from my informant about the operation, I still may be wrong with the tap count.

[TapME]

received a call today with the updated info. In 2007 this company set 94,000 taps. 2008 with all the snow they set 97,000 taps and this year they are planing for more. The company is Maine Maple.
So I was off by a third.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I went to Swanton today for supplies at LaPierre. I was told that the big bush in Quebec had 140,000 taps this Spring and they have purchased another bush close by with 60,000 more. Expecting to tap 205,000 next Spring. Governor, no way you can eat enough soup to compete with those guys.

[peacemaker]

they dont count there in canada we noly worry about us yanks

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

i knew someone would lay out the news that team sap finally has some competition from the north. Seems lately there is teams starting up on all points of the compass lately.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Tell you what/ I could take anyone for a ride and you would just cry like you wanted your mommy as it would make anyone look like small peanuts. Anyone that lives or goes in the Manchester, VT area and looks out at the mountain sides of maple over there has just got to be drooling cuz' i know what i see looking off the highway towards Mt. Equinox and to the right is where i'd estimate there is 500,000 taps there/I've been to a guys house just out of manchester to get a snowmobile and he has a sugarhouse at the base of where i'm talking about and he only has about 1,000 taps/don't know how much woods they own= His name is Eric can't think of the last name. They had a picture of him and his SH in the maple news a few years back.

Now if you drive south on the highway/Bypass (Not on 7a which is the old road to bennington from manchester) Going south to bennington looking left into the Green Mountain National forest/with out a doubt in my mind there is probably an easy 3 milliion taps along the way and some of those mountains look from the bottom all the way to the top solid maples. You can see the all maple trees right from down by the highway all the way as far as you can see and sometimes it's a mile to the top of the mtns or better.

I know that the SOS could confirm that if he knows what a maple tree looks like??

[peacemaker]

i can confirm that i drool drool the eric fello only does 1000 there u mean the one on the other side of the road before the equinox nursery its roof saw and a green roof behind a big white house ....thin its a b&b

[peacemaker]

and do u know the ennis sugar house on the sunderland side before the town garages

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

That eric is at a big white house gotta think for a minute and it's the house on the downhill just before it flattens out and comes to fields or right in that area somewhere? Him and Pa he'd call his father does the sugaring there. Maybe his father is in Maple heaven for all i know now/that was like 6 years ago. Drove by there lots of times when i was in Manchester going to a friends parents house in shaftsbury.

I do remember a couple of SH along the way to bennington. can't really say i spacifically do remember the one by the sheds in Sund.

[peacemaker]

i think they do 5000 now the ennis one in sunderland thats the back road

[peacemaker]

stop its over my muck boots

[peacemaker]

i think i have been but was awhile ago before i was bitten

[super sappy]

That equinox ridge has alot of soft maple.(EAST SIDE) Not that thats a bad thing also beaten pretty bad in the last few years by bugs. There is a pull off between the Ormsby inn B&B motel and basketville where you can get a good look and basically touch yourself and think about the tap potential. On the other side West in Sandgate VT -Kent hollow- Camden Valley NY it is wall to wall hard maple Id say a safe bet is 700,000 taps. No f-ing joke. tough country thou -ss

[peacemaker]

coyote bikinis and touching yourself ... i begining to wonder super

[super sappy]

You should have seen my deer gut wig -SS out

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It's Dec, a little less talk and a lot more action. Aprox 2 months till tapping time!

[peacemaker]

i better take that job at mcdonalds

[super sappy]

Seen the ridge you are talking about .I think near newfane Vt (maybe wrong .) I was over there with the family a couple of years ago when gas was cheap and remember pulling over to look at all the maples . They were not into it and they made the appt for the head shrinker when we got home. They just dont understand my maple mental illness -SS -out->

[peacemaker]

there getting there bet now they would nt think the same

[peacemaker]

ss u have any goods to bring to the new sugar house we are building has a pole and couches and a fog machine to make it look like we are boiling

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

You might have been on RT.7 which is the "bypass" from Manchester to bennington and it actually runs from like rutland on down to the Mass border.Where were talking is on the left hand side of the road going south on 7 in the Green Mountain National forest/Some of that land may not be NF land?? Yes there is from the road to the top of the mountain and 10+ miles long of maples up the Kazoo.

Makes you want ya mommy don't it??. Might be 5+ million taps in there with out batting an eye for all i know? You'd need about 700 aliens to tap all out then to make sure you got some runs of sap.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

This is not down hog back way that is 9 that runs E to W.

We're talking N to S on 7= yes # seven.

There is a lot of big sugar woods in southern VT that 1/2 of the home boys don't even know about/cuz there still at home up north by the border with their mommy.

[peacemaker]

home boys and mommys ... north wait .. thought south was the home boys and mommys

[peacemaker]

thought we where MEN

MEN in TIGHTS tight TIGHTS

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

I'm talking Northern VT as near the canadian border. They all think the sugarbush's are up there/I don't think so=Most have never been south/As in southern VT then in my opinion.

[peacemaker]

there is alot of trees down this way for sure

[peacemaker]

how many does mance tap ...and do u know johnny williamson

[peacemaker]

johnny taps between 2500 and 3000 he is on state line rd in shaftsbury and mance is also in shaftsbury but near the blinking light off 7

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

That blinking light near the main store/gas station in town?? That is the gold mine in town for sure.

[peacemaker]

u cant see the mance operation from the road at all .... mace is also TAM garbage thomas a mance

[peacemaker]

i am suprised u dont know johnny though he won awards for his sugar house design and does surgham and honey and now bio diesel ...even went to montpilier to testify for hemp seed as the best source of bio

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

I haven't see a SH by the road in shaftsbury. I was talking=do you turn by the store to go to this guys SH you was talking about?? Think i seen one out that way as we painted at this guys house that was like a safari museum= critters mounted all over the house=Jerry iqual Spelling on last name is wrong buy he has lots of african game animals=think he has shot them all and a lot of them are in the top 10 in the record books even in the top 50 or so..

[peacemaker]

jerry iqaul yup i know that name cant place where ...

[peacemaker]

johnnys is if u come intos north bennington and head towards cambridge the road splits around the north bennington varriety store u stay right and it takes u towarsd white creek past brownells and theres a huge tank on a trailer next to a vertical log cabin ...that side hill is all tapped ...then u go a bit further on the left is state line road thats where the farm is and the sugar house sits up in the field behind the house

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

He actually lives in NY city/guess he is an electrical contractor and has his original home still in Shaftsbury. My buddies knew him since they were a kid. Friends father was offered by jerry to go an an all expense paid trip for an elephant or something like that and he declined=Doesn't like planes and you'd couldn't get him on one for his life. Trip was going to be like $14,000 that jerry was going to foot and Donald declined.

[super sappy]

Know the place well .Like I hauled a few thousand fieldstones there from sonny Cross "s farm on the border . Jerry has some serious coin. Man I was in good shape when that job was done . 2 1/2 year workout plan lugging field stone. Must have just missed you. we finished the walls before Vt timberframes completed the Trophy room. -ss

[dano2840]

im going to find some place with 15 0r 20 thousand trees and move there, after i get out of collage then think of starting my dairy farm after ive got that all set up and have 500k every year from sugaring

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

There you go/gotta have a plan and try to stick to it.

[peacemaker]

i know that name was familiar lol

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Sappy- Have you been in there and seen all the critters mounted and the rugs and stuff??

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

SOS- See that i have stepped on the same holy ground that the great sappy has. I've probably ran into sappy at a job site over in that neck of the woods and never knew it?

[super sappy]

I was there about a year after completion. He had me build him a bunch of bluebird houses. He was headed back to Africa for the south wall. I ushally worked nights and weekends on the fieldstone walls .(moonlighting) I hauled most of that stone that surrounds that property. Jerry would get pissed at me for being too picky. he just wanted them tossed up jakey- bum style. There is now a full size red covered bridge sitting in the middle of that east hayfield. I think he parks his motor home inside it. I remember some guys painting the garages. Long time ago sort of fuzzy-SS out

[peacemaker]

they dont call him holy moses for nothing

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

sappy/Moses- that was about 8 maybe 9 years ago.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Sappy- Not sure if i should call you by your last name Moses like SOS has/ But that is some awsome work on those stone walls around there. I'd recommend you in a second. Looks like it took a mountain side of material to complete it.

[peacemaker]

they are impressive arent they ... i am looking at trees back that way if i can get them i have my 500 or more

[peacemaker]

hey gov does jerry have trees to tap over there ?

[super sappy]

You can call me Ray or you can call me Jay'''' I dont care what you call me I have a differant nick name every town that I go to. Just dont call after 8:00 pm thats bed time. Thanks for the compliment on the walls. -Holy moses

[peacemaker]

just dont call me late for steak dinner