at what point is sugaring profitable?

[red maples]

depends on what you have not just number of taps. You could have 2000 taps and a 2x6 granted you have an RO, a steamaway, blower, is it gravity, buckets, tubing, vacuum, high vacuum don't forget tanks and storage of sap/syrup. and what type of business do you want to have. what are your risks? Don't forget insurance, product liability, farm insurance, and umbrella insurance.

Bottom line is if you have the money to begin with it will get better over time but it may take several years to get back your investment.

this year for me the investment is around $10,000. and next year HOPEFULLY only $2000.00. what will I make this year? I am hoping I can sell $4000.00 worth of syrup but who knows and I still need stuff for the following year too. the good thing for me is I borowed money from myself not the bank. So I don't have to worry about interest and a loan. I am just going to pay our account back as much as I can probably like 1/2.

There are alot of variables. and definitly more money to spend if you go by the book!!!!

[MaplePancakeMan]

The thing about maple syrup is that at the very least even if you sell some of it a maple syrup hobby somewhat pays for it self a little. Which is more then one can say about most hobbies.


I never pay for wood and 5 years later my evaporator is paid off, i don't have a lot of taps but i do my best.

Now with the sugar house that was just built... thats another story if i live long enough to pay that off i'll be happy haha.(but that adds value to the property so its kinda a wash) Someone down the road will inherit something that they could make a little bit of side money pretty easily but it will have taken my hard work to do so.

[Beans Maple]

Okay, here's my wisdom on making money sugaring....follow these steps....
First, marry a woman who already has a high paying job that covers health insurance and utilities. Make sure she has really rich parents and convince them that it is your intention to have many children and that you want to be a stay at home dad so you can spend as much time as possible with your family. Once they have fallen in love with you, you should have no problems getting them to pay for many of your upcoming expenses. Find a remote piece of property that has thousands of maples all on a gently sloped southern exposure. Once "mom and dad" buy the land for you then you can get them to make just one last investment....a whole new sugaring set up. Big evaporator, R.O., Steamaway, vacuum pumps, sugarhouse, all stainless tanks, and a few pumps. Take some of your wifes money and buy the pipeline set-up. Then....don't have kids, eliminate your social life, keep your wife working lots of hours, and have a kegerator with cheap beer installed in the sugarhouse. From this point on if you can manage enough ambition to collect and boil sap with the system someone else bought, you should be profitable.

Of course you should know that I followed none of these steps. I married a beautiful poor woman and are raising 3 kids. Paying for everything as we go on a shoe string and the in laws probably hate me. I think I made about a buck fifty last year on 600 gallons. That's why I know the above method must work. I do drink cheap beer though.

[Acer]

"At what point is sugaring become profitable?"

When your receipts surpasses your expenses

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

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

Probably because he is writing off everything listed above as maple syrup expense other than house, so all is profit is paying for all the cost of his new toys. LOL!

I can't say much, I bought a new tractor and it was for maple syrup only as my dad moved and took his, so yes, I would be making a profit if I weren't depreciating tractor, evaporator and other the many items out over 10 years. Guess I could echo him, no money in syrup for me either but hope to show a profit for this coming year with another 100 taps on board.

[red maples]

some of that yes!!!! my parents are lower middle class bordering red neck ah definitly red neck.,her parents are lower middle bordering red reck well her father definitly is. and you worked you worked your butt off through school and work at the same time. and you knew your wife before she had the high paying job and supported her through med school and paid for some of it. Well the result stay at home dad 2 kids paid for everything our selves though. But I do lots to save money and am a red neck at heart!!! The bad part is have to cook and clean but I don't don't really care for cheap beer. but I will drink bud light or old milwalkee, some time even a pabst blue ribbon, but meisterbrau is where I have to draw the line.

Okay, here's my wisdom on making money sugaring....follow these steps....
First, marry a woman who already has a high paying job that covers health insurance and utilities. Make sure she has really rich parents and convince them that it is your intention to have many children and that you want to be a stay at home dad so you can spend as much time as possible with your family. Once they have fallen in love with you, you should have no problems getting them to pay for many of your upcoming expenses. Find a remote piece of property that has thousands of maples all on a gently sloped southern exposure. Once "mom and dad" buy the land for you then you can get them to make just one last investment....a whole new sugaring set up. Big evaporator, R.O., Steamaway, vacuum pumps, sugarhouse, all stainless tanks, and a few pumps. Take some of your wifes money and buy the pipeline set-up. Then....don't have kids, eliminate your social life, keep your wife working lots of hours, and have a kegerator with cheap beer installed in the sugarhouse. From this point on if you can manage enough ambition to collect and boil sap with the system someone else bought, you should be profitable.

Of course you should know that I followed none of these steps. I married a beautiful poor woman and are raising 3 kids. Paying for everything as we go on a shoe string and the in laws probably hate me. I think I made about a buck fifty last year on 600 gallons. That's why I know the above method must work. I do drink cheap beer though.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I own the land and would own it if i didnt do maple.so now I do maple on it and the land becomes an expence YIKES I look at it this way If you have a big fancy bass boat and after having fun fishing for 5 years and one day you catch a BOAT LOAD of fish and sell them DID YOU MAKE MONEY? Now you start making maple on your property and start selling it and then some wise *** says but are you paying for the property your using.

whatever I sell and help cover costs is money I would have lost anyway.

[Big_Eddy]

I tap 100 trees, make 90 litres of syrup and make a profit every year.

I buy 200 500ml bottles at about $3/bottle including caps, and I usually put another $100 into upgrades or misc repair expenses. Total annual costs $700.

My time is free. My wood is free. I need to use one to get the other. My helpers are free (I have to feed them every day anyway)

At the end of the season I sell about 40 litres of syrup, at $10/bottle or $20 a litre. Total receipts $800

Annual profit ~$100
Plus I get 100+ hours of enjoyment, and end up with 30 litres of syrup for the family, and 20 litres to give away as hostess gifts etc.

Could I live on that? Not a chance. Would I give it up? Not a chance.

[red maples]

you said it. I think was "backyard sugarin" by rick mann and he said something along the lines of. there is no pressure, no pre orders to fill no people waiting for syrup, just the enjoyment being out side with nature and having fun.

My wife has an art thing on the side while she was setting her stuff up for shows and stuff she complained about the money and I said are you having fun and she said yeah. So now I am spending money on the maple stuff and complaining about spending money and she said are you having fun I said yeah she said ok then!!!!

[Woodland Acres]

You need to remember is your equipment is going to hold its value,such as the 500 gallon tank i got for 200$ , buckets 1.25 each worth about 3 now .If you run it as a business there is always tax write offs.Invest slowly as you start to expand ,because as we all know mother nature can make or break you .