Bigleaf maple trees are abundant across Northwest Washington. Considered a weed in the maple family, the deciduous tree’s fast-growing nature can outcompete other native species, and its wood has a few uses.
But inside the trees’ bark lies a sweet opportunity — sap that can be used for maple syrup. Harvesters say the small growing region in the Pacific Northwest makes the unique-tasting Bigleaf maple syrup a specialty product — throwing a lifeline to small forest managers looking to collect more income in an increasingly difficult industry.
Breaking into the national maple syrup market — valued at $1.44 billion in 2023 — isn’t as easy as some folks hoped. Producers say the biggest challenge is getting through the regulations set by the state to sell syrup commercially.
In Washington, maple syrup is not considered a cottage industry product. Because of the space and large equipment needed to turn 100 gallons of sap into one gallon of maple syrup, producers wanting to sell commercially must have access to a commercial kitchen space and a commercial food processor permit.
That means needing more money to build a processing area, following a certain number of industry standards, and years of back and forth with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).
“Nothing is defined and it takes so long that people can’t afford it, so they throw up their hands and say ‘It’s just not worth doing,’” said Rich Weiss, a tree farmer in Sultan who has spent four years trying to get permitted.
The amber syrup has a distinct taste compared to its sugar maple cousin. Bigleaf syrup holds a richer flavor, with hints of clove and a vanilla aftertaste, that doesn’t leave one’s tooth aching.
Only three producers in the state, including the University of Washington, have cleared the bureaucratic hurdles to sell Bigleaf maple syrup to the masses — the other two live in Whatcom County.
Where it has worked
Tucked away a mile west of Acme, plastic tubes are strung between a stand of Bigleaf maple trees. Between December and early March, timing is of the essence for Neil McLeod. Before collecting sap, McLeod must wait for a good freeze and thaw.
The sap is funneled through tubes to his collection tank, then put through a reverse osmosis machine and boiled down to syrup in commercial kitchen space, a large room attached to McLeod’s barn.
McLeod and his wife, Delight, have been selling Neil’s BigLeaf Maple Syrup since 2017, even though they’d been creating syrup as a hobby for years.
“We had restaurants wanting to buy from us but we couldn’t sell to them,” McLeod said. “We drove to Wisconsin, bought the equipment we wanted. Then reality hits you and WSDA tells us all the things we need to do.”
The McLeods worked with WSDA for a year, forging a path of industry standards since nobody had commercially sold Bigleaf syrup before.
State standards now require producers have access to running water, and that a gas fire evaporator be used to turn sap into syrup.
McLeod said the syrup coming from his Acme maple tree stand isn’t blended with syrup from other stands, which happens in some of the larger sugar maple operations on the East Coast.
“I’m concentrating on making really high-quality syrup,” he said, adding people are willing to pay more for the quality.
A 12-ounce bottle of McLeod’s syrup retails for $47. Meanwhile, a 12-ounce bottle of pure grade A maple syrup from Fred Meyer costs $9.50.
Across the river in Deming, Kim Cook, owner and operator of Mama’s Garden, is approved to sell Bigleaf maple syrup, which she describes as her dad’s business baby. The farm was approved for commercial syrup sales in 2024.
Mama’s Garden already had a relationship with WSDA. It was aware of the regulations because of Cook’s background in the dairy industry and having an egg operation on the farm. They bought secondhand syrup equipment and converted a building on the farm that wasn’t being used for the processing room.
“[It was] smooth sailing for us,” Cook said. “Because of the water rights adjudication, my dad is trying to find something that the farm can make money on that doesn’t require irrigation.”
Barriers to entry
The McLeods have paid their success forward, offering guidance and equipment to fledgling syrup producers, like Kalsbeek, across Northwest Washington.
But producers like Rich Weiss and Daryl Dietrich say that they’ve faced challenges trying to get commercial kitchen permits, primarily because their operations are more rural.
Weiss inherited 2,100 acres of land from his grandfather and great-uncle. His maple syrup pursuit began when the University of Washington reached out to him to study his trees five years ago. In exchange for research, UW set Weiss up with 500 taps on his parcel in rural Sultan.
Weiss began working with WSDA to start his maple syrup processing operation. He built a facility in a year and when he was getting ready to start processing in 2024, he was told he needed a food processing plant license. The nine-week license application time frame was right in the middle of sugaring season.
He ran into additional roadblocks, including access to fresh water. Weiss is hesitant to drill a well, and he’s unclear if state regulations would allow him to truck water from his Snohomish County home.
“Water’s not used as an ingredient in the syrup,” he said. “It’s just to wash off your mixing spoon or to wash your hands. What difference does it make if you haul it 20 miles?”
Seventy miles away, Daryl Dietrich is trying to get her Bigleaf maple syrup business off the ground in Quilcene on the Olympic Peninsula. The primary issue she faces is financial — building a commercial kitchen and processing facility runs upward of $200,000. She worries cost can prohibit smaller forest managers from jumping into the business.
Weiss and Dietrich agree the regulations are meant to keep the product safe for consumption but they noted syrup producers on the East Coast face less stringent rules.
Most maple-syrup-producing states like Vermont or Maine make syrup in highly rural environments with little to no access to running water, relying on generators for power and wood fire evaporators.
Recently, Oregon loosened its regulations on Bigleaf maple syrup production, allowing producers to be included in the cottage industry regulations. Oregon producers can also use a wood fire evaporator.
Can anything be done?
Small groups of producers are continuing to lobby and educate WSDA on the issues they face when trying to get businesses off the ground. Patrick Schults, an extension forester at Washington State University, said he believes WSDA is considering loosening some of the regulations, like allowing wood-fire evaporators.
“I know some producers have been quite frustrated because the stuff does take time, but to be fair, a lot of that effort over the past four years in maple syrup sugaring has been just to figure out, can we do this?” he said.
The McLeods want to see more producers, and they believe the state should help.
A spokesperson at WSDA said the department is working with WSU to learn about the barriers forest managers face and how the department can assist with the licensing process.
Schults is optimistic that some of the regulatory hurdles in maple syrup production will be eased following the 2025 legislative session in Olympia.
“Ultimately what we’re trying to do here is add economic value to forest, which in the long-term helps retain forest land,” Schults said. “We’re trying to support forest owners to produce income on their own land.”
A previous version of this story misstated the amount of acres Rich Weiss owns. The story was updated to reflect this change at 12:04 p.m. on Jan. 26. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
