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Thread: Purchasing woods

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    315

    Default Purchasing woods

    What would someone pay for 200 acres, 6000 taps all to one collection point. Easy power and lots of roadside access. There are no buildings on the property. Is there a max dollar per tap you look for before you say pass? On 6000 taps, what purchase price makes sense before it's not profitable? Thanks.
    Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
    2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
    2022- 3900? taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Peoria, IL
    Posts
    634

    Default

    Im sure location will play some part in price. Im watching this thread with interest as I hope to have a part time maple farm in the future.
    Camp Wokanda
    Peoria Park District

    2023 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, sap storage shack w/ 1100 gallon tank - 123 gallons
    2022 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, homemade vac filter & water jacket canner - 104 gallons
    2021 - 215 on 3/16 shurflo, added 2nd membrane to RO - 78 gallons
    2020 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, upgraded hp pump on RO - 66 gallons
    2019 - 150 on 3/16 shurflo, Deer Run 125 dolly RO - 73 gallons
    2018 - 120 on 3/16 shurflo, 2x6 raised flue w/hood, homemade arch w/ AUF & AOF - 34.5 gallons

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    That is an average of 30 taps per acre. If the maples are close to evenly dispersed that will cost more to tube than typical. If almost half of the 200 acres has the bulk of the maples, without being only maples it will be better.
    Having all the sap flow to the sugarhouse is a huge plus.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    Before you buy, develope a good plan on how to sell the syrup. If it is heavy in bulk syrup it is far harder to make a profit, if you can retail most or almost all, in syrup and value added products you can do far better. Just be realistic, will you mostly retail or not?
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Essex VT
    Posts
    402

    Default

    From what I have seen in real estate sales involving timberland that has sugar woods potential, the sale prices are generally between $1,900. and $2,200. per acre unless you are looking at 500 acres or more. There is always the odd sale where someone is able to make a great deal and might purchase sugar woods for $1,000. per acre, but those sales are few and far between.

    Joe
    2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
    2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
    2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
    2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
    2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
    2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
    2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
    3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Stanbridge Station, QC
    Posts
    30

    Default

    I like to look at it by price per tap. It seems that if you're paying more that 25-30$ per tap for raw land, the numbers won't add up at the end. If your 6000 taps are on a 100-acre stand and the other 100 acres are mixed or softwoods, you're buying into "unproductive" land for a sugarer. Price would have to be quite low, or the timber real nice in the non-sugar woods.

    If your 6000 taps are spread out on the 200 acres, I'd look for something else.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    NE PA (Pocono's)
    Posts
    1,426

    Default

    I agree with Maple Flats...30 taps per acre seems a little low density wise. I am assuming you are looking in VT but just for comparison that type of parcel in PA would go for probably $4000-5000 an acre. Recognize tree composition is different in VT vs PA in figuring timber value
    CDL 2x8
    Around 4000 taps
    Polaris ATVs, Ski Doo snowmobiles to get around
    Atlas Copco pumps
    Lapierre two post RO




    http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Sugar%20shack/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    315

    Default

    Thanks for your replies. I haven't walked the woods to know density. There is 40 acres of open land that I would plant Christmas trees on (I currently have 80,000 Christmas trees) Thanks for replies, this is helpful.
    Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
    2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
    2022- 3900? taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,041

    Default

    The bush we work in has 5400 taps on 70 acres and I don’t consider it overcrowded. There’s a few gaps here and there but generally an even distribution over the 70 acres.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Chatham NH
    Posts
    1,308

    Default

    Where in Vermont are you looking? ,if it's in the North East kingdom I would have LandVest do A Timber cruise, they have an office in Colebrook NH, and one of their Foresters has A sugar woods in Bloomfield or Limington vt, they can tell you what the value is of the Standing Timber and how Many Taps you have, 30 Taps to an Acre is not a 2000.00 dollar Per Acre woods, if it's a young stand because it was cut in the last 10 years I think somewhere in the 1000.00 to 1200 per acre range would be reasonable.

    I would not personally look at buying that much real estate without a Timber Cruise. Yes it might cost 3-500 dollars but could save you from making a 100,000.00 dollar mistake.
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

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