New Here - Help with Licensing/Standards/Registration in VT?

Hello!

So thankful to come across this site! My husband grew up sugaring with his father and last year, on our own property, he collected using 100 buckets. Collected 800 gallons of sap and boiled at his father's sugarhouse, roughly 20 gallons. Well, we made the jump and invested in equipment this year - Boiler, RO, in the process of setting up pipeline on 500+ taps. We're excited!

With all that being said, we're trying to do this the right way. We live in Vermont and I've attempted to research what we need to do to be operating within state rules and regulations, with little luck. Is there a size that once you exceed, you need to be registered/licensed? Paperwork to file? Fees? We plan to sell at retail through larger friends/family networks in MA/NH/VT with hopefully some online sales and perhaps some bulk sales locally.

Any words of wisdom would be extremely helpful!

Kerri & Andrew Gandin
GMB Maple Products

Welcome to the site and hobby, business, addiction. We are located just south of you. We have been a family operation since the early '40s with my Great Grandfather on his farm. My Grandfather built the sugar house we currently use in the '70s. Our land is in land use and has been for many years. Two years ago we were likely making enough so retail we could sell the syrup and make over $1000. This is a threshold to be eligible for a farm. Last year we hit that mark with selling wholesale to Bascoms. I would like to know a little more as well. I am looking to expand only enough to cover property taxes and costs of the operation for the most part, maybe to help with some equipment upgrades. In the research I have done I believe you need to register with the FDA...check on this site for other references to the topic. You can visit the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association for other tips.

What size evaporator and ro did you end up with.

Good Luck,

Mike