Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[M&M Maple Grove]

Haha noone makes 300,000 gallons of syrup without flooding 'a' market. May not in my driveway but it takes a chunk. Haha you must watch the video when 'stuck in vt' went up and showed their operation.

Shaw's and all other grocery stores selling their syrup on shelf so...... everyone has a funny way of justifying their actions.

I have property, friends and family up in the Jay area so plenty of birds to keep me posted, just not in the maple Industry. From what I was told, the guild was formed over a few beers between a few businessmen in New Jersey that never tapped a tree. I grew up in Long Island, New York so take it for me, nothing good comes out of Jersey… And please, don’t tell me the Sopranos. Forgetaboutit.

Seeing their product on grocery store shelves is expected and acceptable. Seeing their syrup on the shelf of a small town market is not. Hasn’t happened yet for me(yet) but I would have no qualms of pointing it out to the owner that he’s taking up shelf space for a smaller, more local producer.

[VTfarmboy]

ok pulled the plug here we reached our .25gpt goal and are ready to start greenhouse and spring field work, long season we got in for the first run in early feb, sugar dropped below 2% thurs(boiling raw sap here) and the flue pan was starting to smell a bit fishy. Pushed it out and it all filtered and tasted good with just a very slight bitter taste. Sand was getting wicked. Frost completely out here. Soaked pans last night and got all cleaned up today, feels good to be done. Good luck to all those still going weather looks promising!

[blissville maples]

I have property, friends and family up in the Jay area so plenty of birds to keep me posted, just not in the maple Industry. From what I was told, the guild was formed over a few beers between a few businessmen in New Jersey that never tapped a tree. I grew up in Long Island, New York so take it for me, nothing good comes out of Jersey… And please, don’t tell me the Sopranos. Forgetaboutit.

Seeing their product on grocery store shelves is expected and acceptable. Seeing their syrup on the shelf of a small town market is not. Hasn’t happened yet for me(yet) but I would have no qualms of pointing it out to the owner that he’s taking up shelf space for a smaller, more local producer.

And a few million dollars from an insurance hedge fund in Massachusetts is what I've heard- sad how a write off can affect many others too much profit this year ahh let's get into maple..oh I know, anywhere you have an overbirth of people corruption and greed prevail. That's why little ole Vermont and places alike are genuine with good ole boys that would cut your wood for you before their own when in need. But as others infiltrate little ole Vermont isn't little ole Vermont. Hmm mm look at chittenden county- definitely nothing like VT up that way anymore feels like a whole different area than I've ever known vt to be like

[blissville maples]

maybe/ maybe not. The federation releases Taps in the millions, but because of higher consumption rates that does not seems to be flooding the market. I would tend to agree that the water is kept murky, but then again almost every sugar maker I talk with embellishes on facts.

Spoke with Bruce Bascom couple weeks back. The additional 7 million quota isn't all new taps. As he said many have a quote currently but over tap their quota and now just adding the 'illegal' tape to a legal quota. So many of those 7 million taps are already in the system

[blissville maples]

Highly doubtful they make 300k gallons. They have 1/2 million taps. I'd guess (without any real information) that they probably make 200k at most, and probably less. Still a lot of syrup, however the way the maple market has been going these past 10 yrs it was absorbed pretty well without depressing prices. The bulk price is basically dictated by Quebec and the currency exchange rate.

The bigger issue this year is that we need a good crop in the U.S. and especially in Canada. The Federation strategic reserve is down 50%, and the syrup that remains is probably not the highest quality there is. Another low crop would mean a lot of that stuff entering the market, prices going up too high for the market to absorb, followed by dropping demand...which would lead to lower prices. We've seen it all before....don't need to see it again.

I don't know exactly what they have for taps but can tell you I'm sure they make a .4 per tap so......the volume is there

I do agree the market is strong and with a couple less than Avery years we've had it's been absorbed fine but the logistics of how they were created is nonsense and we don't need that in agriculture or it will be like the dairy industry where a 200-1000 cow farm Can't make ends meet which would never happen without greedand an excess of money compared to what 90% of normal people have in wealth. These million dollar companies have access to lots of capital which the little guy doesn't and is part of the reason why the dairy industry has crashed.

Do we want 5000 producers making all the syrup or just 3? Kinda how I look at it. We don't need anymore monopolies in this country that's a fact!!

[blissville maples]

Sitting at a .35 per tap. Hoping for another week after this freeze up. Flavor still holding good, still pancake grade syrup! Haha sugar down but runs are strong still 1gpt per day

[tcross]

i'm around 1/2 a crop. my sugar has been over 2% all year which is very good for me. still plenty of snow and frost in the woods. hoping for another solid week this week, and hopefully the next! i'm having a horrible time managing nitre. i've been having to rotate my pans out every 3 hours max. yesterday was 2 hours... sure puts a damper on production, but a necessary evil i suppose. gonna clean out all pans and tanks in good shape tonight and tomorrow while we have a good freeze up! end of this week is looking good! good luck on the tail end of the season everyone!

[M&M Maple Grove]

I do agree the market is strong and with a couple less than Avery years we've had it's been absorbed fine but the logistics of how they were created is nonsense and we don't need that in agriculture or it will be like the dairy industry where a 200-1000 cow farm Can't make ends meet which would never happen without greedand an excess of money compared to what 90% of normal people have in wealth. These million dollar companies have access to lots of capital which the little guy doesn't and is part of the reason why the dairy industry has crashed.

Do we want 5000 producers making all the syrup or just 3? Kinda how I look at it. We don't need anymore monopolies in this country that's a fact!!

Dairy, maple, next is your cannabis operations. Big Cana from Canada is already moved into Maine pretty hard and slashing prices.

Funny how we don’t allow monopolies in this country but Quadplies are just fine? Banks, oil companies, I can go on and on…

[collinsmapleman2012]

M&M,
i find your location to be hilarious.

[M&M Maple Grove]

Classic New England directions. “Make a left at Parker Farm and then turn right after the big rock. Do not slow down for the pack of dogs that come charging at your car, you’re only encouraging them”.