WMUR TV Program on sugaring

[PerryW]

Saw a program on NH Channel 9 on some Southern NH sugarmakers who have set up a new operation and plan on being the biggest maple producers in the state in a couple years.

Looked like a good setup with vacuum pumps and releasers chugging away, but it looked pretty funny when the cameraman panned to a 4 inch maple tree with a tap in it.

I hope they are not basing their expected production on saplings.

[Bucket Head]

The guys that tap sapplings are the ones that give the rest of us a bad name. Thats the sort of thing folks remember when someone asks to tap their trees and are told "no".

Steve

[markct]

maybe im wrong but i know i have some trees i plan to thin and turn into firewood and i have been tapping them, why not, its gona be cut down so who cares about its health? and especialy starting a new operation i can see this being done to trees planned for thinning

[NH Maplemaker]

markct,nothing wrong with that!! I know so called experts that do the same thing!! Jim L.

[Bucket Head]

No, nothing wrong with that. If they are not seen by anyone, even better!

But when people who don't know whats going on see that, all they think is "tree killer!"

Generally, the maple related TV shows are a good thing. However, there is always a scene or two that shines an unflattering light on sugaring. Drilling a sapling is one of those instances.

Steve

[Bill'sSugarShack]

[QUOTE=PerryW;99885]Saw a program on NH Channel 9 on some Southern NH sugarmakers who have set up a new operation and plan on being the biggest maple producers in the state in a couple years.

If I heard it right they wanted to be at 20,000 taps in 5 yrs. And that would make them the biggest in NH???

Last i knew, Bascom's was at 50,000 taps...........

[Amber Gold]

Here's a link to the article and video. I'm next door in Barrington and this is the first I've heard of an orchard this large in this area...maybe there are others....hmmmm.

http://www.wmur.com/news/22623261/detail.html

It states they hope to be "one" of the largest producers in the state...slight difference.

[Amber Gold]

This is their website.

http://5poursaps.com/

From what I can tell from their photobucket site, they have a large vacuum pump, guessing 30-50 CFM range, a 6000 tap releaser, another gravity line dumping into a 400 gal stock tank, a 2.5x8+/- oil fired evaporator. I did not see a RO, but I saw a lot of plumbing which may be for an RO room. The sugar house wasn't as big as I was thinking for 20,000 taps...same with the evap..

They have a A20'ish LR pump where they're using standard antifreeze and running it through baseboard to dissipitate the heat. I wonder if that's going to keep things cool enough. I'm having a hard time with mine staying below 60F and I have a car radiator with fan.

[caseyssugarshack93]

just looked at there photo bucket, they deffinly have a r/o machine, you can see the high preessure pump, im almost 100% positive its a springtech, from the looks of that evaporator they must have a pretty big r/o to keep up,

[red maples]

hey have to have an RO no way they could have that many taps running through a 2.5x8. unless all the trees are as small as the ones that they show in the video. Another maple company like "just maple" from tilton, nh the guy used to be a salesman lost his job turned hobby into full time job I see his stuff everywhere even the apple orchard in hampton falls. and of course one of the 5 saps is a salesman:rolleyes:

OH well folks still like the little guy right!!!:)

[5poorsaps]

Yes, we did the ultimate sin.....we tapped a sapling! Fortunately as a couple of individuals commented, those are trees that are going to be coming down in about two months when we do our heavy thinning. We are removing around 20-30% of the trees throughout the sugarbush. The sap content will be low on the small trees but....some sugar is better than none, especially on a tree on death row. There are a lot of oak, and tons of 3"-5" saplings. We are possibly going to be transplanting a lot of the maples to better locations with use of a spade attachment for our skidsteer, and moving some larger ones with the backhoe or excavator if possible. Unfortunately the photographer focused on a small sapling and we apologize for any rebutles or comments that you may hear from others that are negative. On a good note though we have had phone calls with people offering us their land on a lease program for 8-10 years. One property is 400 acres, another 110, another 80....so I dont think it caused any "BAD" vibes through the locals. On another note, we have a 600GPH expandable Springtech Elite Ro, 2 Vac systems from Royal Maples (another mapletrader'r) One of which is 100CFM the other 75CFM. We are going to be getting the steam away for our 30"X8' small brothers evaporator, and we are building another sugar shack this summer in Milford NH, and possibly another in Hill NH next fall or the following Spring.....it all depends on how many trees we can get. We hope to be "ONE" of the largest in NH in five years, but know that there is a lot of work ahead of us. We hope to be as successful and as helpful to others as some of the larger pioneering companies that are out there such as Bascoms and learn from all of the long time tappers. I would like to thank you all for all that you have already taught us from mapletrader.com. We appreciate all your help and would gladly take any pointers and help offered. Thanks doug@5poursaps.com:)

[Amber Gold]

You guys are pretty serious. Sounds like you have plenty of opportunities there to grow. Are you in Deerfield or Loudon? Is it 20k taps at your current location or between all of them?

Nice job on the newscast.

Good luck.

[red maples]

yeah serious...man I spent over 10K this year for the start up. I can't imaging what you guys spent this year...RO, Evap, suagrhouse, Vac, tanks, the works... know there are 5 of you but you guys are like you said "Go Big or Go Home" I am happy with my 300 taps..."for now":)

[Mark-NH]

Good luck to 5 pour saps. You guys have taken the leap that many of us have dreamed about for years. Here's to you guys making it and showing others it can be done.

[5poorsaps]

Here's to hoping we all have an awesome year this year. We aren't expecting to have too many gallons this year being that it is a new sugar bush and that it hasn't been thinned out yet. I'll be happy with 1000 gallons and anything over that is a blessing. The sugar content is going to be low due to not having large crowns yet, but with a lot of thinning and clearing of dying or dead trees we should be in good shape for the 2012 season. Till then we will just keep adding on as many trees as possible and will be eternally greatful to the people that created the RO. We aren't going to reach our goal of 3000 trees for this year but we'll do our best to get there. We will double this next year to around 6000 and then around 10000 the following year if all goes well. It's been a great learning curve and other than a few stupid mistakes we have faired well. We have made around 35 gallons of the lightest light amber (fancy) I have ever seen and the pan has another 10 in it waiting for the next boil. We may be new but if there is any way we can help anyone out with the little that we have learned please feel free to pick our brains. We understand how it all works but learn a little something new each day.....that's what makes this so much fun! :D

[caseyssugarshack93]

5poorsaps, do you guys ave a argreement with the land owners to thinn out the bushs or only where you guys thin on your own land? im wondering because id like to thin a few places.hope everthing works out for you guys, you guys are deffinly going all out and can add alot of taps with all the land offerings


NATE

[5poorsaps]

Casey.....We have agreements with the landowners that allows us to thin their proporties. It works well for them and us. We help knock down the potential for forest fires by removing lower brush, it opens it up to allow air flow,and we make money off of the cord wood and pay them a set fee for every cord that we remove. You have to make sure you explain it to the landowners and that you meet their goals for the land also. One of them started a tree farm and is getting some tax benefits. This summer we are trying to set up a portable band mill on one of the proporties also. Should be fun.

[5poorsaps]

How did everyone make out with the wind storm? We lost about 30 trees and it took out a ton of lines.... so much for getting a jump on things.

[5poorsaps]

3/2/09 Just got power back. Lost 26+ trees to wind damage, 24+ in Deerfield,and a few in Milford, had to rehang 40% of all 3/4" mains. Finally got it all back up and running! It's all part of the nature of the beast. You never know what nature is going to throw at you.

[Amber Gold]

Glad to hear it. 40% is pretty rough. At least it wasn't worse.

I made out pretty good. Lost two oaks, one of which fell on 3 tapped maples. Not sure how much they'll get hurt when it comes the rest of the way down...currently hung up in the crowns.

You've got about 3000 taps...guessing in a few areas. Are you trucking sap from Milford to Loudon?? That's quite the haul.

Good luck

[maple sapper]

5poorsaps or anyothers with imput.This goes alittle off topic. What kind of $ is paid out on a 8-10 year lease deal for use of land for maple sugaring? Is it per tree? or per acre? And how open are these people when you tell them what your doing and want to do with the property? Just want to prepare myself for future expansion and get a mindset ready to anwser questions from land owners. Thanks

[maple flats]

I pay $.50/tap, some in maple the rest in cash. Maple gets pd during the season, cash gets paid within 1 mo. of production end. The ratio depends on what the landowner wants. I ask them how they want it.

[Parker]

Where are you sugaring in Hill? I am in that hood,,,,Andover-boscowen-Hill,,,What is your name?

[5poorsaps]

We presently have vacuum systems in Milford, and Deerfield. The one in Milford is small this year only around 380 taps on vacuum and 142 on gravity. Also 100 taps in Tilton on gravity at one of the "saps" house. The remaining 2200+ taps are in Deerfield all on vacuum. It's a little bit of a haul but a couple of the guys come up to the shack each day and drag it up with them. Presently the market is paying around .50 cents per tap for leased property.

[Parker]

Where are you tapping in Hill and what is your name?

[5poorsaps]

Not tapping in Hill yet only Tilton. This spring we are concentrating on 120 acres in Deerfield, then 80 acres in Milford, then if we can get the landowner to agree 100 acres just west of Milford. Hopefully by late Summer we will have the Hill property contract all set up and signed by the landowner. We'll hold are breathe till then. My name is Doug Bruce Sap#1 of 5poursaps

[Parker]

Hi- I am Parker and I am a mapleholic......stop by and say Hi sometime my sugarhouse is next to the Daniel Webster Birthplace,,,on the Franklin-Salisbury line on North road off of Rte.127,,,follow the sines

[5poorsaps]

Love to! Hopefully I will be able to take a break sometime this upcoming week and let one of the other "saps" run the shack for a while. What's your schedule for boils?

[5poorsaps]

Took a look at your picture......thats one LONGGGGGG sugar shack

[5poorsaps]

Had a rough couple of weeks with the wind storm and all. We got everything up and running then the 7.5 HP vac pump motor fried after just 20 hrs of running, It had a bad winding. Couldn't beat the service though, 18 hours later they overnighted us a new motor no questions asked, tested it and we had it fired up in less than a day. Tuthill is one awesome Company! Of course then the filter press gave us a problem...but we think we got that cleared up (no punn intended). Now if mother nature will continue to cooperate. The only other thing we noticed this week is a big swing in color of the syrup....hopefully it will lighten up for a while, still low sugar content, and tons of MUDDD outside and on the floors. Looking forward to getting this first year of new equipment and learning curve behind us....it's a lot of work... but a lot of fun! Thank goodness for wives that understand addictions!