Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[WestfordSugarworks]

Anyone else excited as I am for more sugaring this week?! A few days to fix odds and ends and get some rest and then more sap for another week and a half at least!!

[DoubleBrookMaple]

Agreed...
Good time to fix/improve things. I am getting ready as if it was another season coming, and doing things that I would have done at end of season for next year that will now be done. I reconfigured my vacuum line manifold, and wound up with my vacuum pump/releaser box in my basement shop for some modifications.
It looks like I will be collecting buckets in the snow! 2-3 inches last night, and 3-5 tomorrow. Unlike so many, I do love the winter, although it was nice collecting without tromping on 3 feet of snow. My last 10 gallons of dark was said to have "a little off flavor", and it will be interesting to see what it comes to this time. I don't care, I want to make syrup until even I cannot stand the flavor. I do this because I love it, and it will be over soon enough.

[GeneralStark]

Another Open House weekend in the books!! Great attendance and sales yesterday (new record) but not so much today. We didn't really have high expectations for today and actually didn't intend to be open at all, but we were around working on projects so we did entertain some visitors and sold a few things.

I was having so much fun giving tours yesterday and chatting with people that I never bothered to actually light the evaporator to boil water. People didn't really seem to miss the boiling anyway. Lots of questions about the weird weather and how that affected production this year and fortunately we could tell them that we did fine. A little down from last year but still ended up at about .4/tap. I may have to dip into my "strategic reserve" to keep up with this year's sales but that is ok.

The Open House forced me to get a bunch of cleaning done so now I just have to do a little more work on the evaporator, pull the taps and rinse tubing, clean out the releaser and do the final RO put to bed.

Good luck to all you guys still going!

[spud]

If you are interested in getting a lot of production out of your orchard should look into putting in a tall spindle system. (I know a bit about this since my father-in-law is one of the ones who has been researching it for years at Cornell - http://fruitgrowersnews.com/article/...or-the-future/ )

The spindle system is a little to costly for me to set up. The cost was $11,000 in 2007 but now is more like $15,000 per acre. Because I have no real market lined up for my apples yet I think it would be better to plant just a traditional orchard. As it is if I don't sell my apples I may have to offer deer hunting on my property. Home to the 800 pound white tail deer.

Spud

[spud]

seems as though a lot of people don't like to make dark or commercial, someone has to supply the makers of ice cream ,donuts, cereals, maple foods etc. I wouldn't be surprised if more than half of the consumption would be B or commercial grade considering how often most people eat pancakes. I think most people see maple as big money maker(and it can be quite profitable if your able minded and bodied and aren't LAZY) and don't think the commercial is worth the time, at only 300 less a barrel its not that bad if your set up smart and not into the bank for this and that(things take time to acquire) similar as to working for yourself or owning a small business, buy new fancy tools all the time it eats at your profits, hire too many jokers it eats your profits. its imperative to do things cost effective so producing commercial is still profitable.

I agree with you 100%. I understand a smaller producer may not want to waste time on making low grade syrup. For a larger producer it is a must. If you're selling 500 barrels to a packer they will buy your low grade syrup. If they don't then they don't get the good stuff. Couple years ago the packers said they were only going to pay $1.50 LB so some ended their season. The guy I sell my sap to continued make the junk and then got $2.00 a LB for it. Low grade syrup can be blended and it can be used for many different things. You almost never see quality light syrup sold in the stores. If sugaring is you're business and not just a hobby then it would be foolish to not keep boiling right to the end. If you can get the junk through the filter press then keep on boiling.

Spud

[spud]

Spud- I like the way you think. Your thoughts are spot on!! Your kids will look back on this some day and it will fill there heart,no worries. I'm at the point where I'm trying to kick my dreams into gear so I don't look back and think I wish I had done such and such.. My dreams are a little crazy to, cows and maple.not many people of my age are dreaming of milking cows and making maple syrup. But then again most are not willing to work that hard anymore.

I milked cows for years and love dairy farming. If my back was better I would be milking a small herd of Jersey's and making cheese. Go for it bairdswift. You only live once and dairy farming is a great life. Keep it simple and you will make money.

Spud

[GeneralStark]

It's not just about wasting time....for many of us it is about making a quality product we can stand behind. When you sell it direct to the customer, they know who to come find if it isn't what they expected. If you just put syrup in barrels you may not think as much about the final consumer of the syrup and what they think of it, you may just see the paycheck you are going to get. Hence the desire to fill as many barrels as possible regardless of the quality or flavor.

Just because a producer is "small" doesn't mean they don't rely on the income. And just because packers are buying off syrup doesn't mean it should be made. There are lots of barrels of crap syrup sitting in warehouses that will likely never be used.

[spud]

It's not just about wasting time....for many of us it is about making a quality product we can stand behind. When you sell it direct to the customer, they know who to come find if it isn't what they expected. If you just put syrup in barrels you may not think as much about the final consumer of the syrup and what they think of it, you may just see the paycheck you are going to get. Hence the desire to fill as many barrels as possible regardless of the quality or flavor.

Just because a producer is "small" doesn't mean they don't rely on the income. And just because packers are buying off syrup doesn't mean it should be made. There are lots of barrels of crap syrup sitting in warehouses that will likely never be used.

General.

We take as much pride in our product as you do. I currently picked up a customer in California that owns a bakery. They are asking for the lowest grade syrup I have as long as it goes through the filter. What their saying is the lighter syrup takes away from the flavor of their goods. A friend of mine who worked for a large packer in Vermont said they were shipping 275 gallon totes to Japan of the lowest grade. He was not sure as to what they were using it for but they were paying almost the same price for the junk.

If a packer has a market for low grade syrup then low grade syrup ( Should be made ). The packers understand that the large sugaring operations cannot afford to stop production once the high grade syrup stops being made. Over the years the packers have found markets for the low grade syrup and have made good money by doing so. This also has helped the large operations make a bit more money. It's not for the General to say when the season should end for all sugar maker's. Is there low grade syrup sitting in warehouses somewhere? There may be but I can assure you it will in time be blended or sold as is for a much higher price then you might think. No packer is buying low grade syrup only to then throw it away. To suggest such a thing is silly. You're customers want high quality syrup and that's what you provide them with. But there is other customers around the country and world that are asking for low grade because it fits their needs. Please also remember that low grade syrup is also of the highest quality. Just because it has an off taste does not mean it's no good. The guts of a crab or lobster are thrown away by most people but large company's use this to make crab cakes and lobster cake. The waste from a pig is used to make sausage. Should we do away with crab and lobster cakes and also pork sausage? Should low grade syrup not be used for flavoring? I can assure you General that if you were a large producer you would have no problem making 30-50 barrels of low grade syrup as long as the packer bought it.

Spud

[rhwells2003]

If you are interested in getting a lot of production out of your orchard should look into putting in a tall spindle system. (I know a bit about this since my father-in-law is one of the ones who has been researching it for years at Cornell - http://fruitgrowersnews.com/article/...or-the-future/ )

Very interesting read. Kind of goes against all the old ways of apple tree growth and maintenance we've all heard for years. The cone shape for better light exposure to all fruit bearing limbs makes sense compared to the short rounder tree shape we've all seen for years.

[WestfordSugarworks]

If anyone is interested in birch sap or has a birch bush, check out my related post under 'Tapping Vermont 2016'. Otherwise, good luck to those who are still collecting and may we sugar for many weeks to come!