Brian and Blair Kearney

Mohawk Valley Maple

Springfield, OR

August 25th, 2025

Tucked away in Mohawk Valley, Westies met with Brian Kearney and his daughter Blair Kearney to learn how and why they are producing maple syrup from Big Leaf Maples in Oregon and not New England. The maple industry in Western North America is a relatively new production that has faced challenges due to the milder climate here. In partnership with anthropologists Eric Jones and Oregon State University, Brian spent the last two years establishing a process for maple syrup production specific to the region. Brian’s daughter Blair joined his project and has started tending for the land as well. In this experience, Westies learned about sugaring technique experiments that Brian’s been conducting to find the most efficient and productive methods that will sustainably supply maple syrup. With the findings, they’ve prioritized reciprocating the syrup opportunity with the local community and the larger maple syrup industry by reaching out to share resources and knowledge.

Brian got into the maple syrup industry to utilize the native Big Leaf Maple trees. These native trees often grow in riparian areas meaning that tapping them protects the river’s ecology and lets private landowners profit from otherwise marginal economic zones. This sustainable practice thus aligns many values. From syrup to mushroom growing to the forest greens market, there are many products in the West that can be obtained using sustainable land management. It was intriguing for us to learn about the various opportunities the forest holds outside of timber and see Brian and Blair's optimistic attitudes about their new maple syrup production.

by Zandra Bakken