Vermont Operation Sizes

Uploaded by uvmext on 02/16/2022

Tags: maple  

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Vermont produces more maple syrup than any US state. According to statistics from the USDA, Vermont made over 2.2 million gallons of syrup in 2020. The crop is made by sugar makers with operations of all sizes. The average size of operation in Vermont has been changing over time. According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, of the over 5 million taps used by sugar makers in Vermont in 2017, 76% came from operations with 5,000 taps or more. This is despite the fact that operations with more than 5,000 taps only make up 20% of all the operations in the state. Looking back at the statistics from ten years before, approximately 50% of the taps came from operations with 5,000 taps or less. While there is no single explanation for this change, some of the reasons include: efficiency of scale with larger operations, increasing consumer demand outside of Vermont, relatively stable prices for bulk syrup and increased availability to capital from lending institutions. No matter the size of operation, all syrup must meet the strict syrup quality standards established in state and federal law.