Sugarbush Rental Rates

The number of maple taps in Vermont has doubled in the last 10 years. Many producers are expanding and securing a lease on a maple sugarbush can be a viable alternative to purchasing the land.

Photo Credit: Mark Isselhardt

Maple stand quality, accessibility, access to power and other factors will impact the rental price. Cash rental rates are common for maple forests. A typical rate in recent years has been about $1.00 per tap. In competitive maple regions in Vermont rental rates are $1.50 or more per tap. In regions with less demand or less desirable forest parcels $0.50-$0.99 is observed.

Setting flexible terms is an option for parties that want to share profits or risk between tenants and landowners. A flexible cash rate can be written so that the annual rate adjusts for the market price of syrup. Rental rates could also be adjusted for a variable crop yield.

UVM Extension is working on rental resources and maple lease templates this fall. New resources will be presented at Vermont Maple Conferences in January and made available online. Register now for the 2020 Vermont Maple Conferences in Middlebury (January 11th), Brattleboro (January 18th), and Hyde Park (January 28th).

The Most Common Question: Rental Rates and Terms

The most common question these days is what to charge, what to pay and how to set terms for renting agricultural assets. Follow these links to our resource library to learn more about farm rental relationships. These resources are to be used for educational purposes and we encourage you to seek consult from legal, tax and insurance professionals when establishing formal rental relationships.

Sample Lease: Multi-year

Sample Lease: Short Form

Farm Rental Rate Guide

You can also contact Land for Good. They provide limited introductory consult and additional support services to assist you with your decisions.