USDA survey

[DaveB]

The post below about large operations got me thinking about the statistics that the USDA reports on the maple crop each year. They report the total number of taps and syrup produced throughout New England. I'm wondering how many producers here report their numbers?

I suspect that the annual production is under reported here in New England. I think there are a lot of small producers who don't report, but if you added them up collectively, we probably make a lot of syrup. I started reporting years ago even though I was only making a few gallons a year because I figured that every little bit helps (especially here in CT!!). My understanding is that the numbers are used to determine Ag funding and grants given to states so I would encourage everyone to participate in the survey no matter how little that you make!

Dave

[mfchef54]

how do we get the survey?

[DaveB]

I guess it would have helped if I posted some links, huh?

Well, the New England Statistics branch can be found at

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England/index.asp

At the bottom of the page it says "For questions, comments and concerns, please email nass-nh@nass.usda.gov or call (603) 224-9639." I think you could contact them there and they would let you know. I'm not sure how I got on their list, but each spring a get a questionaire that I fill out.

The final report is issued in June:

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/0605mpl.pdf

It lists statistics for New England and the other maple producing states and Canada.

[Amber Gold]

Great stats. Thanks for the post. I'll make sure I send them my info after next season.

What's a galts? For istance NH produced 60 galts. Never heard of that unit before.

[markcasper]

I have changed my tune and will not be reporting any longer. After all of the goverment corruption, lying, cheating, stealing and what have you, what good does it do? I have never collected a dollar from them, why report my production? One other thing....when we report all of our production, it only justifies the packers to keep the price lower. I say let them speculate how much is or isn't out there. Never fillled out a ag census either....its not constitutional to do that, even though I got several in the mail and many phone calls, they finally gave up.

[maple flats]

I report all of them. They can not by law share the info with the IRS. These reports help justify research programs etc to help our business. I report to NY Ag & Mkts, USD of AG, and also for my blueberry production every year.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

i am with markcasper dont give nothing, the gov. ends up useing it againist you

RICH

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Valley View Sugarhouse]

lol I got that survey, I think its still in my files.. hmmm which one now??

[jrthe3]

you say that they can't tell the IRS that is B.S. i had a usda inspetor stop at my sugar house during the 06 season then in 07 after filling my taxes i got autdited the first think they asked was how come i did not claim my income form the syrup they had a paper from the usda with all the ? the inspactor asked me i when down stairs got the shoe box full of slips for all the stuff i got for the sugar house i asked the irs guy if he wanted to do this cause they would end up owning me money

[DaveB]

i had a usda inspetor stop at my sugar house during the 06 season

When did the USDA start sending inspectors out to inspect sugarhouses? I've never heard of that before....I'm not aware of any federal reg that allows the usda to inspect a sugarhouse.

It's a free (or was) a free country and you can choose to participate or not. I'm not a fan of big government, but I do know that providing the number of taps and how my syrup someone makes does help when it comes to research funding. It also helps others see how much impact our industry has.

I just hope that some lawmaker doesn't say 'hey, why should we do research about the Asian Long Horn Beetle when it has such a small impact'. If more producers reported, I feel that lawmakers would see that are industry is larger than first thought and invest more into this thing.

Besides, they only ask how much you made, not what you do with it. If someone asks, you use it all or you feed bees with it. No income, no worries about taxes! ;)

Dave

[Dave Y]

Jrth3, Are you sure it was'nt a pa.dept of ag inspector ? not USDA.

[220 maple]

With such a large foot print made by syrup producers are we going to be able to get a Goverment bail out. Hen and Ben should throw a couple Billion our way, We'll show them how to stimulate the ecomony. (Hen - Henry Paulson Sec. of Treasury, Ben- Ben Bernaki Fed Chairman) If it wasn't true it would be funny. Free money available at you local bank. Lol

[DaveB]

With such a large foot print made by syrup producers are we going to be able to get a Goverment bail out.

Good point...maybe if they knew how large our industry is we too could get subsidies just like other Ag producers! Another reason to let them know what we produce.

Dave

[Haynes Forest Products]

I kept getting letters from the AG dept in Wisc. and didnt pay much attention and when they called me and asked why I didnt fill out the forms I said IM NOT A FARMER and the lady said YES YOU ARE you have a current license with the dept of health for MAPLE PRODUCTION so IM A FARMER so I sent it in big deal if they want to come audit me then Ill declare the cost of the land upkeep taxes all production costs equipment cost travel cost Ill pay the kids and wife min. wage and then they will see the error in thair ways and leave me alone.

[markcasper]

As far as affecting funding for research........that may be true to some extent, but if you look closely....alot of the research and the technology that we use today did not come from a governement funded entity. More government is not the answer, it never has been.

As far as Asian Long-horned beetle. Here we are again.....its because of the government policies that allowed thousands upon thousands of American manufacturing jobs to be lost to China and abroad and then ship the crap back to this service-oriented society. And the beetle came with. With all of the nano technology avaliable, someone should have been able to put two and two together about shipping chinese infested pallets abroad.

It makes me upset to hear that we better report our production to get $$$$ funding so that the ALB can be fought. When all along it was the government that should have seen to it that all packing materials were treated, thus killing the bug before they arrived here. On a second note about funding...we are done, the government has been hijacked by the elite and is going for broke, milking every last bit of wealth out of this country.

The maple industry is a drop in the bucket to the timber and tourism industries...so you can bet the eradication efforts won't matter much just solely based on syrup production.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[DaveB]

As far as affecting funding for research........that may be true to some extent, but if you look closely....alot of the research and the technology that we use today did not come from a government funded entity. More government is not the answer, it never has been.

As far as Asian Long-horned beetle. Here we are again.....its because of the government policies that allowed thousands upon thousands of American manufacturing jobs to be lost to China and abroad...

I completely agree that the best ideas, inventions and just about everything we have comes from non-government research. Whether we like it or not, the government is going to spend a ton of money on research (much of it stupidity) and as long as they are going to spend that money, I think it makes sense to tell them (guide them toward) maple research. In order for them to spend a dime on marketing, research and other stupid things that the government spends money on, they are going to want to know how big maple actually is. I say we are probably produce twice that which is reported.

As for government policies causing the ALB to come here, I'd like to see one law that told manufacturers that they HAD to move to China and not stay in the good ole USA. It's everyone that buys crap from Walmart and other purveyors of crap from China that caused companies to move there. Everyone wants lower and lower prices and pure capitalism drove companies there. I guess some want a government to control companies and tell them where they have to do business even if it means for them to go out of business.

For those that don't trust the government (We the people), don't add your totals to what the maple industry does. I just think it makes sense to be counted as long as someone is going to do the counting and maybe get our fair share of the pie.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It would be interesting to see how much syrup is produced in WV if it all was reported. I don't know of anyone that reports it in WV and in my opinion, the less the gov knows, the better off we all are in the long run.

Unforunately, this next administration has spending plans that are astronomical or should I say, they are going to increase the size of government way beyond what it is now, so we may all be forced to fill out a survey and reported everything we do if we sell 1 jug of syrup.

They have been screaming war in Iraq and all the wasted money, but this last Ag bill that passed was more than all the total money we have spent in Iraq and you can bet the maple industry isn't going to get any of it even though we are considered Ag. The sad part is all of the CRP money. I know a guy that has about 600 acres in Ilinois and he was getting paid aprox 60k each year not to plant crops in some of his fields. We were talking a couple of months ago and he was telling me when he used to farm before he quit, he would get checks in the mail from the Gov all the time and he said sometimes as much as 10,000 to 30,000 dollars and no explanation or anything he had ever applied for, just free money and it happened quite often.

CRP(crop replacement program or letting your fields just grow up with whatever decided to grow in them)

[DaveB]

Here's a thought: Maybe we could do an anonymous survey here on Maple Trader? At least we would know what we collectively make here.

Does anyone know how that might work?

[Clan Delaney]

Here's a thought: Maybe we could do an anonymous survey here on Maple Trader? At least we would know what we collectively make here.

Does anyone know how that might work?

We could do a poll, that would be anonymous. Problem is, people participating wouldn't be able to indicate exactly how much they made, only select from a list. That might be a pretty big list.

Such as:
in gallons, for the 2008 season, I produced:
1-10
10-50
50-100
100-200

and so on...

maybe have smaller breakdowns on the low end for the hobbyists. Hmmm. I'll be right back.

[Clan Delaney]

Okay, poll's up! (http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=4940) I'm only allowed 10 options, so I tried to make the best of it.

[jrthe3]

dave y you mite be right he mite have been but all the ? he asked me where the same as irs guy had

[Dave Y]

jrthe3, some of them are just nosey. Next time he come make sure he show you his ID.

[jrthe3]

next time he mite see my rugger