How much syrup did you produce in 2008?

[Clan Delaney]

I started this poll on a suggestion from DaveB in this thread (http://mapletrader.com/community/showpost.php?p=54636&postcount=20). I figure I'll leave it open for a few months to get a good read. It's voluntary and anonymous. If you feel like posting your actual production numbers, please do. The poll is limited... you can't input your production numbers, but I hope I was able to spread out the options in a way that will come close to it.

[Clan Delaney]

I'll start. I made 9.5 gallons last year. I only thought I'd manage 5. I have very big dreams for this year.

[MaplePancakeMan]

68.5 gallons for me Same amount of taps the year prior only gave me 36

[cncaboose]

60 gallons from 200 buckets in 2008 down from 63 gallons from 180 buckets in 2007.

[3% Solution]

We made 37.5 gallons off 130 taps.

[Jim Brown]

150 gallons in 2008

[JohnM]

18 gallons in 2008. Yummmm

[Haynes Forest Products]

about 160 gallons on 1250 taps in 10 days. I spilled more in 08 than I made in 88 my first year.

[tuckermtn]

105 gals on 335 taps in '08

[Brian Ryther]

380Gal

1280 Taps

400 vac
600 gravity
200 buckets, Traditional
80 tube buckets taps

[mapleman3]

100 gallons off 174 buckets and 100taps on vac that ran for only 1.5 weeks before it sucked up sap and I shut er down ....so a super year!!!

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

65 gals on 200 taps

RICH

[Parker]

405 from 1680 taps,,,down from 447 the year befor and we we trying alot harder last year,,,weather was just wrong,,,will make 600 at least this year. PERIOD!!!!

[partsrus1974]

130 gallons for 2008 700 taps.Going for 1200 taps this year:)

[maple flats]

186.6 gal on 500 taps, gravity tubing.

[Clan Delaney]

I thought this was interesting...


380Gal

1280 Taps

400 vac
600 gravity
200 buckets, Traditional
80 tube buckets taps


about 160 gallons on 1250 taps in 10 days. I spilled more in 08 than I made in 88 my first year.

...only a 30 tap difference, but a 220 gallon difference in syrup! By logical deduction that could only mean that Brian has 30 taps out there somewhere that are putting out PURE GOLD!!

[oldemaple]

90 gallons

[sapman]

320 gallons on 700 taps, mostly buckets. Super year in our area!

Tim

[Clan Delaney]

Notice the relationship Clan, north = less south = more we in the nofth east vt through Maine in a strait line east fom Whit River Jct had a hard year.. (= the snow we had) everyone south and west had a bumper year..

No kidding. Did not know that.

There's only one solution. We need to put more money into developing nuclear powered weather satellites that will create optimal conditions for sugaring!

Just kidding. They don't have to be nuclear.

[Russell Lampron]

105 gallons from 500 taps. Had to dump the contents of the evaporator mid season because of an accident with RO soap. Would have made 5 to 10 gallons more.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

97.5 gallons from 500 taps all gravity

[Brian Ryther]

Clan,
I was still short 100 gal from where I want to be. The goal is for 1/2 gal per tap. My totals only showed me that I had alot of work to do this pre-season. Weather permitting I will be there there next year.

[jrthe3]

105 gal on 450 taps

[Sugarmaker]

We made about 140 gallons in 08. Great year on about 460 taps on gravity.
Chris

[DaveB]

We made 72 gallons from 275 taps, all on gravity (and 6 buckets).

Thanks for the Poll Clan!

[Jeff E]

86 gallons on 350 taps, buckets and bags. We made about half of the syrup in a 5 day run at the end of the season, during and following a late spring snow storm. What fun it would be to have 4+ of those events in a season.

I am hoping vacuum makes storms out of flurries, from the trees perspective!

[treefinder]

160 gals in 08 980 taps

[the old guy]

63 Gallons On 200 Taps.


The Old Guy

[Maple Restoration]

35 gallons all on north east side don't know what we will do if we ever have a good season. The main thing is where still having fun!

[PA mapler]

66 gallons for 2008

[caseyssugarshack93]

About 60 gallons of 1200 tap really really bad year it was too warm around here and without vac none got anything this year were with vac though ;p

[PATheron]

820 gallons as close as we could tell. 1250 real nice taps and 320 cull trees. The neighbors said that last year was the best around here in years so we probly got pretty lucky. Theron

[danno]

820 gallons as close as we could tell. 1250 real nice taps and 320 cull trees. The neighbors said that last year was the best around here in years so we probly got pretty lucky. Theron

Bet ya' that 29" of vacuum did not hurt you any either:)

[danno]

Just over 100 gallons on about 400 taps - based upon my location and how those around me did last year, I should have done better. Maybe I don't quite have 400?

All taps are on tubing except for 4 buckets I have on two nice sugar maples I have in the yard. Was amazed at how little sap I had on the north facing buckets last year.

[PATheron]

Danno- The most vac I can run is 26 or 27 and then the pump sounds like it doesnt like it. Itll go that high but I just set it where it seems to like to run. I really think a lot of how it runs is really dependent on how your particular spot does. Sometimes places around here in the same general area will do a lot more than a place near by. Maybe its a lot on the expsosure and stuff like that. Theron

[Sugarmaker]

Clan,
I like looking at the stats on syrup production.
Maybe start a survey on the number of taps? I would guess that the majority of syrup makers now days have less than 100?? I may be all wrong?

I will start if you do the work in setting it up!! We had 450 taps in 2008.

Chris

[3% Solution]

Hey Chris and Clan,
Can we do this?
Do a chart that will compare the # of taps to the # of gallons made.
Can you do that?
Thanks!!

Dave

[Clan Delaney]

Hey Chris and Clan,
Can we do this?
Do a chart that will compare the # of taps to the # of gallons made.
Can you do that?
Thanks!!

Dave

I'm still trying to figure out how to use these poll results here to guesstimate average total production. I think I need to learn statistics. Until then, I took the middle number for each range and multiplied it by the number of people who'd checked it, and came up with 16,885 gallons, give or take. That's for 79 people responding.

Give me some time to see what's available for free out on the internets for confidential surveys. In oder for what you're asking for to be done right, people need to be able to anonymously submit specific tap and production info. I've found a few options, but they only allow for 100 people to submit per month. The poll we've got here already has 80 something respondents. I want something big enough to handle everyone. What I have found looks pretty cool, though... compiles all your info into neat charts and everything.

[3% Solution]

Alright Clan, you da man!!!

[Clan Delaney]

Found something that should work, but it be gettin' late. I'll peck away some more tomorrow. In the meantime, what info would we like to gather? I heard gallons produced and taps set. Anything else? How about "are you expanding your operation for the 2009 season?". I like that one. Or, "years in the addiction?" Get 'em out here so I've got something to work with.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Clan,
Nice work, these surveys are kind of fun and interesting. Since we at the "trader" are a self selected group, our responses bear no true research value. Our ideas and responses may however, lead to some interesting true research concerning our industry that might be beneficial to us and other maple producers down the line. Ideas for surveys: Tubing vs. buckets, % that buy sap and how much sap is bought vs what is produced by trees under your control, a geographical look at producer size (ie are larger or smaller producers grouped together or intermixed), do you produce for the retail market or the wholesale market or a combination, a geographical look at when the season starts and finishes, a year to year look at when the season starts and finishes. where do you get your maple info (on here, at dealers, other producers, UVM, what grandpa did, etc).
I'm sure there are lots of other ideas that you/we could play with. More than enough for several surveys.
Doug

[Riverdale]

130 gallons on approx 550 taps....500 gravity 50 buckets

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

35 gallons all on north east side don't know what we will do if we ever have a good season. The main thing is where still having fun!

Suprised that you are having bad years with north slope trees. The best bush of my 3 are north sloping trees. I got close to a quart per tap from them last year in about 10 days before the sap shut down. I waited until last to tap this bush with about 2 weeks left in the season and I got close to 50% of my sap and syrup from the entire season in 6 days with majority of it coming in 3 days. The first south bush I tapped has about 225 taps, the other south bush tapped 2 weeks later has 115 taps and the north bush tapped 2 weeks later has aprox 165 taps. Works out good for me spacing it out like this. The biggest south bush is ok. I think I got aprox 1800 gallon from it last year which is probably as good or better than it has ever done off of 225 taps. Sap starts slow and it helps work out the bugs this way but if I hit it right when I tap the north bush, it is "lookout below".

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon.

Maple Restoration is in Ontario. Everyone that far north had a bad season last year. The line from where it was either a banner year or a bad one was about 20 miles south of where I am located in Loudon NH which is quite a few miles south of Ontario Canada.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Russ,

I understood it to mean he has had several bad years in a row as he didn't know if he was ever going to have a good year and thought he was referring to his treeing being north slope.

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon,

If I remember right last year was his first year with the Small Brothers 2x6 that he restored. I don't know if he did much sugaring before that. I just assumed that he had a bad year last year.

[evansglenn]

Well the first year I made syrup, I only hung about 8 buckets. Just to see what it was all about. I think I made a Gallon or so of Syrup. Last year I hung 25 bukets, and did about 6 gallons. Still just feeling the waters a bit. It went good, so this year I will still have my 25 buckets in the yard, but out back I got a Pipeline of 300. So we'll see how things go. I know it was a bit of a jump, but by spring, I think I will be ready. So far, I haven't sold a drop of syrup, but after giving most of it away, I got a few good buyers lined up. Wish me luck...

[WI Sugarpop]

20 gal on 60 taps