at what point is sugaring profitable?

[woodsmith]

here's my burning question....presuming we sold all the syrup we produce, at what level (how many taps, etc) would sugaring be profitable? I currently do this for a hobby only, but would like to explore expanding and possibly making a few bucks. thanks

[backyardsugarer]

Depends on your overhead and how much you spend on equipment. You can make money if you make 10 gallons of syrup using scrap wood from the yard and boiling on a flat pan. I worked with a guy that made 300 gallons or more a year but he never made any $ because he did not know how to run a business, market syrup or contain costs. I guess you could start to make some decent money at 100 gallons or so which would have a retail value of about $6,000. Minus your expenses and you could make a few thousand per year. The key is owning the trees or having a reasonable long term lease.

Chris

[Riverdale]

I'd say it depends on how much your time is worth to you and how fast you can get your raw sap to the final product. Made 140 gal. last year, sold the majority of it. If I figured out how many hours were spent in the woods and saphouse by my grandfather, dad and myself, and divided that into our net income, discouraging numbers would result!
If it's in your blood though, it doesn't matter!

[PerryW]

My size operation (see below) makes 120 gallons or about $5400 per year in retail gross receipts.

My initial investment 20 years ago was about $10,000, which has long since been paid off.

My expenses run about $1500 per year (not including labor). That's just under $4000 profit.

[michelle32]

I would say time is the biggest factor. But if you love what you are doing time is not a factor. With are set up if we make say 100 gallons this year and still have time after each boil. Next year double the size of tap count. We will be making a small amount of money. I beleave if you can control the amount you spend to what you make with maybe a small loan from your own pocket ( tobe paid back as a loan). That with in 4 years of start up. You may be able to make a profit MAYBE. Again your time is not included in this. This is with my size operation. If you go bigger maybe less time not sure. Keith

[KenWP]

I really am trying to get even. I could probbably make a little bit with more effort and promotion but that would require more then I planned to put in it. I run on a sort of tight budget right now and of course just getting started you have to buy or make everything and make mistakes along the way. My biggest problem is the stupid language and finding people that will actually help you get a problem fixed.

[Dave Y]

I know everyone says your time is worth something and no doubt it is. We are being paid for the time we spend in our day jobs. I look at it this way any profit i make is my pay for the time I spent. I love doing this so it is not a job. I have spent the last seven years building this business with no start up capital. Just the eagerness to make syrup. I currently have spent upwards of $75,000 in the last seven years with all of my maple proceeds going back into my business. I will have 3400 taps this year. I have bought a brand new evaporator, a vacuum pump,sap extractor, Built onto my sugar house, added electric to my bush and bought 3tanks. all this year plus added 400 more tubing taps. My plan is to get to 10,000 taps. then I can make a living makin syrup and my retirement check will be my profit. And you guys think Theron is the only one with a plan

[Revi]

We have 300 taps on our own land and everything is paid off. We still didn't make a profit last year because of vandalism. I think without that we might have made a small profit. We do it mostly for fun. It pays for itself anyway.

We haven't had any out of pocket expenses for a couple of years.

We bought a bigger evaporator with logging proceeds and got about 5 years of firewood.

There are a lot of benefits besides those that are monetary.

It's a small farm that works for us, since we get wood to heat our houses, maple syrup and recreation.

Some day it may even make money too.

[Jim Brown]

A forth gen syrup maker always told me "there's no money in maple syrup" But he drives a new truck,has a very nice home,new evaporator,new JD tractor w/ high lift.And all the other things needed to make quality syrup!
Go figure!!

JIM

[wcproctor]

The best way to make MONEY is to put a extra trash barrel in the sugar house so when all you friends come over they don't throw away the (beer) cans you can return them. I make a lot of $ with mine I have thrust friends