♪ KAREN: STEAM BILLOWS FROM A SUGARHOUSE IN CHESTER ON A LATE WINTER DAY.
A SIGNAL THAT RYAN NEIL IS DEEP INTO HARVESTING MAPLE SYRUP.
RYAN: SAP GOES IN THIS CORNER AND TRAVELS TO THE FRONT.
KAREN: THE 18-YEAR-OLD, YES, 18, OWNS AND OPERATES RYAN’S SUGAR SHACK, A THRIVING BUSINESS.
HE IS A ONE-MAN SHOW.
RYAN: IT’S REALLY ALL ME.
BETWEEN TAPPING TREES, COLLECTING SAP, BRINGING IT BACK TO THIS FACILITY.
EVERYTHING FROM THE TREE TO THE BOTTLE IS REALLY ALL ON ME.
KAREN: AND THOUGH HIS NEWLY CUSTOM-BUILT SUGARHOUSE SITS ON HIS BACK LAWN, THIS IS NO BACKYARD OPERATION.
RYAN BOILS THE SAP HE COLLECTS IN THIS STATE OF THE-ART COMMERCIAL GRADE EVAPORATOR.
RYAN: THIS IS WHERE ALL THE SAP FEEDS IN.
KAREN: HE DIDN’T START OUT THIS ADVANCED.
FAR FROM IT.
THIS IS HIS 6TH SEASON IN BUSINESS.
RYAN: I STARTED WHEN I WAS 13.
I JUST HAD TWO BUCKETS BACK THEN.
WASN’T ANYTHING BIG.
JUST TWO BUCKETS.
BOILED IT ON THE GRILL.
KAREN: THE NEXT YEAR, HE UPGRADED TO A HOMEMADE CYLINDER EVAPORATOR.
HIS PARENTS REALIZING THIS WAS MORE THAN A HOBBY.
JIM: NEXT YEAR, HE TAPS ABOUT 50 TREES, WITH BUCKETS.
SO NOW WE’RE SAYING, ’OH BOY.
THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO SOMETHING.
KAREN: EACH SEASON, RYAN EXPANDS HIS BUSINESS IN 2017, HE LAID OUT HIS 5-YEAR PLAN TO OUR MIKE HADDAD DURING A LIVE INTERVIEW ON THE 6:00 NEWS .
SO FAR, HE HAS FOLLOWED THROUGH ON EVERY GOAL.
RYAN: A SUGARHOUSE IS IN THE WORKS FOR NEXT YEAR.
JIM: WE LOANED HIM THE MONEY TO GET STARTED OF COURSE.
WE’RE THE BANK.
SO TO SPEAK.
NO, WE’RE VERY PROUD OF HIM.
IT’S A PASSION OF HIS.
KAREN: RYAN SPLITS HIS DAY BETWEEN RUNNING HIS BUSINESS AND CLASSES AT PINKERTON ACADEMY , WHERE HE IS A SENIOR.
HE RECEIVES COURSE CREDIT THROUGH THE SCHOOL’S CO-OP PROGRAM.
RYAN: IT’S NOT JUST I LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY AND GO TO WORK FOR THE TWO HOURS AND I’M DONE.
I MEAN, THIS TIME OF YEAR, IT’S AS LATE AS I NEED TO.
KAREN: WORKING ROUND-THE-CLOCK, OFTEN WHAT IT TAKES DURING THE TWO MONTH LONG SUGARING SEASON.
RYAN IS HAS 15 TREES, 300 ON THE FAMILY PROPERTY, AND 1200 ON LAND HE LEASES IN NEARBY RAYMOND.
GONE IS THE DAILY CHORE OF COLLECTING BUCKETS FROM EACH TREE.
RYAN: I EVENTUALLY CONVERTED OVER TO A TUBING SYSTEM WHICH IS WHAT ALL COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS USE TODAY.
THAT’S THE SYRUP YOU SEE IN YOUR GROCERY STORE.
THAT’S HOW THAT WAS PRODUCED.
KAREN: AND THAT INTRICATE TUBING SYSTEM HE INSTALLED HIMSELF.
20 MILES OF IT.
RYAN: THERE’S NOT JUST AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL THAT YOU CAN OPEN AND STEP BY STEP FOLLOW THAT, SO JUST ONLINE RESEARCH, TALKING TO OTHER PRODUCERS, READING ANY BOOKS I COULD.
KAREN: BY ADDING THE TUBING SYSTEM AND THE COMMERCIAL EVAPORATOR LAST YEAR, RYAN INCREASED PRODUCTION FROM 40 GALLONS OF SYRUP A SEASON TO 250.
BUT HE WASN’T DONE.
THIS YEAR, HE PUT IN A VACUUM SYSTEM.
RYAN: THAT HELPS PULL MORE SAP OUT OF THE TREE.
KAREN: HE’S NOW ON TRACK TO PRODUCE 400 TO 500 GALLONS IT WILL PUT THE BUSINESS IN THE BLACK FOR THE FIRST TIME.
PROFITABLE DESPITE A LACKLUSTER SEASON.
RYAN: SO FOR ME, IN THIS AREA, I’M GOING TO HAVE A VERY BAD SEASON.
A LOT OF OTHER PRODUCERS ARE IN THE SAME BOAT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS SO COLD THE END OF FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH.
KAREN: WARM DAYS AND COLD NIGHTS ARE IDEAL FOR SAP PRODUCTION.
THIS YEAR, MOTHER NATURE HASN’T COOPERATED.
RYAN: IT REALLY IS WHAT IT IS.
YOU CAN’T BE UNHAPPY ABOUT IT.
LAST SEASON, I HAD A GREAT YEAR , SO YOU CAN’T HAVE GOOD YEARS EVERY YEAR.
THAT’S KIND OF THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.
KAREN: A SHORTENED SEASON DOESN’T AFFECT THE TASTE.
WOW.
THAT IS GOOD NEW HAMPSHIRE SYRU RYAN: SOME SAY IT TASTES DIFFERENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE IT A LOT MORE THAN THE OTHER SYRUP.
I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S ATTRIBUTED TO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES OR JUST THE GEOGRAPHY OF WHERE I AM.
KAREN: MOST PRODUCERS USE SUGAR MAPLE TREES BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH SUGAR CONTENT.
RYAN USES A COMBINATION.
SUGAR MAPLES AND RED MAPLES.
HIS FAMILY’S SIX ACRES, PROLIFIC WITH RED MAPLE TREES, WHICH REQUIRE A LOT MORE SAP TO GET A GALLON OF SYRUP.
RYAN: RED MAPLE DO HAVE A LOWER SUGAR CONTENT THAN SUGAR MAPLES DO.
THEY STILL MAKE PERFECT SYRUP, VERY GOOD SYRUP, BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO DO MORE WORK.
KAREN: IT TAKES ABOUT 70 GALLONS OF SAP FROM RED MAPLES TO GET ONE GALLON OF SYRUP.
FOR SUGAR MAPLES, MUCH LESS, IT’S 40-1.
THAT’S WHAT MAKES PURE MAPLE SYRUP PRICEY, THE LABOR REQUIRED TO TURN SAP INTO THAT SWEET, THICK, GOOEY GOODNESS.
BOILING A BATCH, WHERE WATER IS EVAPORATED FROM THE SAP, TAKES SEVERAL HOURS.
IT ALSO TAKES LOTS OF FIREWOOD.
A WHEEL BARREL LOAD EVERY EIGHT MINUTES.
RYAN INTRODUCED A NEW LINE THIS YEAR DUBBED TASTE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
YOU CAN NOW BUY MAPLE GRANOLA AND PANCAKE MIX.
MOST OF HIS SALES ARE MADE ONLINE.
HIS SYRUP IS ALSO SOLD IN A FEW LOCAL GROCERY STORES.
CLOSING THOSE DEALS REQUIRING SOME GROWN UP SKILLS.
RYAN: THE BIGGEST THING IS PROBABLY BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
THAT’S KIND OF THE CHALLENGE WITH ANY KID IN BUSINESS OR ANYTHING KAREN: OF COURSE, RYAN HAS NEVER BEEN THE TYPICAL KID.
HIS WORK ETHIC AND LASER FOCUS FAR BEYOND HIS YEARS RYAN: MOST OF THE TIME I DON’T DO THE TYPICAL TEENAGER THINGS . BUT I THINK IN THE END, I’M
GETTING KIND OF A JUMP START ON MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND HOPE THAT LATER IN LIFE IT SETS ME UP.
A LOT BETTER OFF ♪