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Neil’s Bigleaf Maple Syrup

Neil’s Bigleaf Maple Syrup

Client: Neil’s Bigleaf Maple Syrup in Acme, WA

Case Study

Making Bigleaf maple syrup is possible and Neil McLeod and his son, Devin McLeod are proving it’s an excellent west coast product with huge business potential. Neil’s BigLeaf Maple Syrup sought out Peak’s sustainability team to provide grant writing services in an application for the Farmer/Rancher grant from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE). We provided additional industry and business development support.

Impact

Peak provided extra capacity that allowed Neil’s Bigleaf Maple Syrup to apply for funding for landowner outreach and education. The entrepreneurs at Neil’s are inventing a whole new industry for the Pacific Northwest by making a unique maple syrup from the sap of the Bigleaf maple tree. This iconic tree is a sustainability champion. Tapping maples for syrup is a non-invasive, sustainable practice that does no harm to the trees.

Due to its prevalence in this region and its prodigious lifespan and size, the big leaf maple’s ability to sequester carbon goes well beyond its beauty, its use in the furniture industry, and its key role in a productive ecosystem. As a carbon sink, it helps mitigate climate change. As a prodigious shade provider, the Bigleaf maple provides a cooler refuge in a warming climate. They also absorb excess water during floods and prevent erosion on streamsides and banks of rivers. They also play an important ecological role in supporting a web of life for a variety of mammals, birds, and insects.

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