Selling cheap does not drive market down

[blissville maples]

Flatlander said it all......those with loans can and will suffer, me I've been building my operation for years not overnight no loan and I can sell for 20$ a gallon and live high on the hog!!

[blissville maples]

Does anybody know if maple syrup is sold retail at local grocery stores in the south west usa... I have family in Florida and they don't hear much about it down there I just have to wonder how much of the country even has access to retail maple syrup besides ordering online people impulse buy more than shop

[BAP]

They are running out of refrigerated storage.....they were 80% capacity, four weeks ago I'm sure they are closer to 90+ now.....they can only handle so much, again that's what I was told, the darker haired guy, can't remember his name been grading syrup there for years so I don't think it was storytime

That's not their only storage.

[blissville maples]

What the refrigerator storage? Well other than their other receiving room and room between there and their refrigerator room where barrels go 4 high and they keep their own crop, I don't know.....do they store off site in another area of NH?? I don't think they would store them out in the parking lot--- lol again that's what I was told so, I don't know how you can get any better information they don't seem like liars, I've been going for quite a few years now.

[Parker]

Wow...blissville,,,,you are going to produce syrup, store it, bottel it, market it, and deliever it for $20 a gallon and make a profit? What does your electricity, fuel, repair on equipment, taxes on buildings, tap rent or land taxes ect ect cost? How much did you spend on your equipment? Is your time worth anything? With 2400? Taps say you hit 1200 gallons (being from vt and all) x$20 a gallon minus your expenses......thats making money????hunh...weird....with containers,,if you really figure out your expenses your really making like what...$2 or $3 an hour...if that,,,,,,i really dont think you are making anything......

As far as getting syrup into new markets,,now you are talking,,the question is the best way to do that,,,thats a way better idea than screwing your neighbor out of an account..(GG).why would you want to sell your product for less than you know its worth when with a littel extrawork and brainpower you can sell it for more than most folks are getting around here??? When you screw your fellow producer over (and laugh about it) you are screwing yourself over at the same time.(that might be a tough concept to wrap your brain around)....

Way more money in creating markets.....but to each their own

[amaranth farm]

As far as getting syrup into new markets,,now you are talking,,the question is the best way to do that...?

Years ago that would have fallen to the traveling salesman. Now we seem to be so enamored with electrons that that approach is passe. Probably no single average producer could afford to retain a firm to push their product afar, many might have relations that have relocated for education or employment. I am trying to expand my market, through using a long term friend in the South West to bang on doors, in this case restaurants, with samples and literature. This is only half the battle. The other is the cost to ship. I have compounded the issue by packaging solely in glass. However, glass is my niche and I can utilize it in marketing as well.

Without derailing the thread, I market that to my perception, packaging in plastic effects flavour after a short time. I then make a case where glass will not. How many single malt's are packaged in plastic? It differentiates me, and it sells.

Most new markets, in my mind, are going to be had by sacrifice to the point of breaking even. Shipping 12 litres plus samples UPS is not an economy of scale. However, if over this year and next I can build a relationship with Farm to Table type eateries to the point where I can be assured that 50 to 100 gallons can be expected in orders, I should be able to ship a pallet once a year and get a lower per unit shipping cost. Regardless, I think part of the key to opening markets is having a story to differentiate oneself from the next producer.

For the industry as a whole, that could be as simple as pointing out the domination of foreign product in a domestic market; but judging by the number of foreign makes on the road registered with veteran's vanity plates, that might be asking for too much....

[Parker]

Awsome reply. Createingand holding new markets is going to be key!!

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Does anybody know if maple syrup is sold retail at local grocery stores in the south west usa... I have family in Florida and they don't hear much about it down there I just have to wonder how much of the country even has access to retail maple syrup besides ordering online people impulse buy more than shop

yes Safeway grocery stores, walmarts obviously carry Maple syrup. Its like 18 for pint?. Ill let you know in a couple weeks for exact prices.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

As far as getting syrup into new markets,,now you are talking,,the question is the best way to do that...?

Years ago that would have fallen to the traveling salesman. Now we seem to be so enamored with electrons that that approach is passe. Probably no single average producer could afford to retain a firm to push their product afar, many might have relations that have relocated for education or employment. I am trying to expand my market, through using a long term friend in the South West to bang on doors, in this case restaurants, with samples and literature. This is only half the battle. The other is the cost to ship. I have compounded the issue by packaging solely in glass. However, glass is my niche and I can utilize it in marketing as well.

Without derailing the thread, I market that to my perception, packaging in plastic effects flavour after a short time. I then make a case where glass will not. How many single malt's are packaged in plastic? It differentiates me, and it sells.

Most new markets, in my mind, are going to be had by sacrifice to the point of breaking even. Shipping 12 litres plus samples UPS is not an economy of scale. However, if over this year and next I can build a relationship with Farm to Table type eateries to the point where I can be assured that 50 to 100 gallons can be expected in orders, I should be able to ship a pallet once a year and get a lower per unit shipping cost. Regardless, I think part of the key to opening markets is having a story to differentiate oneself from the next producer.

For the industry as a whole, that could be as simple as pointing out the domination of foreign product in a domestic market; but judging by the number of foreign makes on the road registered with veteran's vanity plates, that might be asking for too much....

to ship a 40 gal barrel to Washington state was close to 500.00 for a ice cream store to make maple flavored ice cream. Barrel of syrup 1232.00, shipping 500.00, 200.00 barrel retainer fee.

[blissville maples]

Wow...blissville,,,,you are going to produce syrup, store it, bottel it, market it, and deliever it for $20 a gallon and make a profit? What does your electricity, fuel, repair on equipment, taxes on buildings, tap rent or land taxes ect ect cost? How much did you spend on your equipment? Is your time worth anything? With 2400? Taps say you hit 1200 gallons (being from vt and all) x$20 a gallon minus your expenses......thats making money????hunh...weird....with containers,,if you really figure out your expenses your really making like what...$2 or $3 an hour...if that,,,,,,i really dont think you are making anything......

As far as getting syrup into new markets,,now you are talking,,the question is the best way to do that,,,thats a way better idea than screwing your neighbor out of an account..(GG).why would you want to sell your product for less than you know its worth when with a littel extrawork and brainpower you can sell it for more than most folks are getting around here??? When you screw your fellow producer over (and laugh about it) you are screwing yourself over at the same time.(that might be a tough concept to wrap your brain around)....

Way more money in creating markets.....but to each their own

I don't run a bottling facility, but yes I produce, bottle or barrel some, sell, do some marketing here and there.....do I market across country no, and never said that. 20 is bulk I get 40 a gallon for about 150 gallons all else is sold at 21 to Bascom.... repair what?? Taxes?? The house is the biggest tax hit, la d maybe 1000 a year if that, electric bill to run RO and 2 pumps -700$...... You people seem to forget that it's not a full-time job from the time you tap till the time you finish there was two weeks off in March and other than tapping and swapping tabs how many hours a day do you actually work sugaring you probably spend more time dubbing off In a day of Sugaring than working.... There's usually only a two to three week period Where it's Balls to the walls. To make 900 gallons I swapped Taps and tapped for six seven days I untappd 4 days 2 days of cleaning I really enjoy Maple sugaring so I'm not paying myself$75 an hour to do something I enjoy I look at it as a nearly $20,000 bonus minus roughly 4000 in costs, leaving me at least$15,000 4 8 weeks worth of work minus the two weeks of freeze up that's over $2,000 a week.