Honey vs Maple Syrup Price.

[Crofter]

How do honey and maple syrup prices compare? I have a neighbor who wants to trade some. What is fair exchange?

[Perry]

Over here maple syrup will fetch a higher dollar than honey, but only because there are some big producers of honey here versus maple syrup.
If I could get away with a straight across trade I'd do it. 

[G3farms]

Not sure either.

Maple syrup has the least investment up front but much time in collecting and cooking it down.
Honey has a high initial investment and much time extracting and bottling.

For all of the cost and returns I would think honey would yield more product than the syrup. The bees did all of the condensing for you already and the product is ready for bottling.

I was always told it takes a willing buyer and a willing seller to make a good deal.

I know DonMacJr makes his own maple syrup, he would be a good one ask what all is involved.

[LazyBkpr]

I've been involved in making Maple syrup..  at the outset it seems like you will have TONS of it.. but by the time its boiled down and condensed theres not as much left as you think there will be..   Having extracted honey as well.. I'll take honey work any day of the year over making maple syrup.  A lot more involved in collecting the sap, running the bucket lines etc in syrup than there is in pulling the supers off the hives..   so take it for what its worth..
   Do you WANT maple syrup? Are you going to use it or resell it?   A lot depends on your intentions. My family loves maple syrup, so knowing I would USE it makes it more valuable to me..  We use honey in coffee, for baking etc, as well as selling a lot of it. Straight across trade seems a bit unfair.. despite being a beekeeper and valuing my honey..   Still.. I wouldnt offer more than I had to!!!

[Crofter]

There is a large syrup operation about 60 miles away. state of the art. Reverse osmosis to get rid of a lot of the water then vacuum evaporation with heat exchangers. Constant density of product by compensating for atmospheric pressure variations of boiling point etc. I know one of the sons and got the tour. They run a pancake house restaurant on the same premises during sugar season.. Get big or get out unless you do it for a hobby.

This trade with a neighbor would only be for a few quarts and neither one of us is making money at it; just didnt want to take more than a reasonable exchange.

Thanks

[riverbee]

donmcjr does maple syrup crofter, pretty nice labels and jars, might want to send him a p.m.?  maybe he will wander in here!