EAST MONTPELIER, Vt.—A cascade of coronavirus cancelations has wiped out maple marketing but that hasn’t stopped the sap.

“We’ve had a great year, I think it's going to be the biggest season we ever had,” said Bruce Chapell of Templeton Farm Maple & Beef of East Montpelier, Vt. on Friday. 

Chapell was hoping for one or two more good runs this week before the season quit, but was planning on reaching 1100 gallons on his 2,700 taps.

“We’re making very dark,” Chapell said.  “It’s really good smooth flavor.” 

Meanwhile, it has been an early shutdown for many sugarmakers in the central strip of the Maple Belt.

At Dry Brook Sugarhouse in Salem, N.Y. sugarmakers Kevin Keyes and Bob Chambers called it quits last weekend, coming up far short of their goal of 4,000 gallons they hoped to make this year.

“We only made 2,400,” Keyes said.  

The sap turned quickly and sugar dropped next to nothing, Keyes said.

Same in northern Vermont, Chapell said.

“Our sugar content has really plummeted,” Chapell told The Maple News.  “We’re at 1.3 percent sap.  There’s not much life left in it.”

Out in Wisconsin, which typically tends to ramp up in early April, the season was past the halfway point in the northern areas and wrapping up everywhere else.

“We are up over 3000 gallons in sap production with today being our last day of cooking,” said Theresa Baroun, executive director of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Assocition, who makes syrup in DePere, Wisc. 

“In Southern Wisconsin they had a great season and are just finishing up as well,” Baroun said on Saturday. “In the western part of the state they are having an above year average as well.”

Back in New England, the northern areas were having a great week.

“We will be at roughly half a crop tonight,” said Nick Staley of 30,000-tap Maple Mills in Wilson Mills, Maine on Thursday.  “Sap has averaged 2.3% for the season and recently had a couple great runs. Our season is definitely in full swing.”

Nearby in Lancaster, N.H. 9,000-tap sugarmaker David Fuller was also enjoying a great season.

“The crop is going well here, lots of light syrup and big runs,” Fuller told The Maple News on Saturday.  “We are  at 75 percent and boiling every day. We are a warm woods and perhaps a little ahead of others.”

Fuller, like many in the industry, was worried about retail sales, disappearing fast to coronavirus shutdown orders.

“Now we have to find a way to sell it,” he said. “Our online business is keeping us going right now. Our wholesale side is nonexistent right now because most of our sales are to restaurants. Thought that would always be stable.”

In New York, state agriculture commissioner Richard Ball today issued a statement encouraging consumers to shop local for farm products.

“…food producing farms, farmers’ markets, food and beverage manufacturers, grocery stores, and retail food stores have been designated as essential to the food supply chain and continue to work to produce, process, transport, stock, and sell healthy, local New York food and beverages,” Ball said.

“Many farmers’ markets are open across New York, using guidance from the State, and a number of farms and food and beverage producers are also offering their products on the farm for direct purchase or through their website for delivery,” Ball said.

Still, producers like Terry Hoover in Atwood, Ont. were very concerned.

“Zero retail sales!!!,” Hoover told The Maple News on Thursday. 

“It’s been a great, above average season so far and we can’t sell a drop," Hoover said. "We have seen maybe 10 people all season! Everyone is dumping their syrup on the bulk market. I wonder what those prices will look like this year. $1/pound I’m afraid.”