Growing Barley and Wheat

[jmorgan]

I have a farm in the northern Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia which long ago was famous for growing wheat and barley. As far as I can tell, no one around is growing barley or wheat for malting. Could someone help me with selecting a variety of barley and/or wheat I may try to cultivate?

[AlexisScarlett]

American Malting Barley Association has the new varieties and reccomendations but the focus is the Western states: http://www.ambainc.org/

Some folks are planting barley back near you-- http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_.../in-barley.asp I will search for the varieties and PM you!

More barley-- how happy!

[bbrodka]

I'm not far from you, Hagerstown, MD
One thing to make sure of is that you have a malting house close enough to be cost effective to ship to market, sorry I don't know who the closest ones are around here, but once malted there are plenty of breweries tho would probably like the locally grown concept

[AlexisScarlett]

I will search for the varieties and PM you!

More barley-- how happy!

Unless everyone is just breathless wondering about new varieties and the historical possibilities of barley. Then I could post all the info on lodging rates and bushels per acres and kernel plumpness.
This is exciting stuff and we have pictures too! No need for the viagra-- real life barley fields and plants www.barleyworld.org photo gallery

Profarmer.com too for farmers in WV

Rock awn!

[jmorgan]

Thanks for your responses.

AlexisScarlett - Post away. Apparently the western universities are controlling, or at least leading the way, in the barley breeding for US and Canada. I have some time before spring, but it looks like I will try something standard like Harrington and see how it goes. Unless there are other suggestions, that is. Also - great question on micro-malting you posted last year... I am with you. Actually, thinking about purchasing an old mill next to our farm to convert into a micro-malting house. Which leads me to...

bbrodka - I am thinking exactly that. My ultimate goal would be to grow and malt the grain on the farm to supply some local breweries. We need to get some regionalism back into our products. And, to do this, I need a lot more info. A lot of barley grown in Washington county and Frederick county (Maryland). I am curious if it is two- or six-row and if it is all going to animal feed. I've heard there is a small malting company in Ohio although can't find it.

Hopefully, I will soon be asking questions about malting all this grain I'm going to be growing next spring.
Thanks again - Cheers!

[AlexisScarlett]

Thanks for your responses.

AlexisScarlett - Post away. Apparently the western universities are controlling, or at least leading the way, in the barley breeding for US and Canada. Cheers!

Actually the controlling entities are enormous multi-national corp's that own the trade of barley as well as probably ever agricultural product and byproduct you will use today

The universities are leading with passionate little grad students, research assistants, and committed professors that love to share info and even lab space sometimes. They often are the best link between the love of the field and farm and the love of the beer. Not enough farmers and brewers talk

And Canada has a national program for barley and wheat and therefore even more possibilities. But then less freedom

[einhorn]

How about taking the whole thing organic? Micro-malting is an awesome idea in general.

In Germany one says "beer needs a home"...

[AlexisScarlett]

I think the manifesto of micro malting will be something like--

Organic or Natural
Responsible Water Use
Sustainable Agriculture
Local Production and Use
Variety Specific Barley
Good Jobs and happy rural development
Renewable energy use
Intelligent fuel use
Good price for quality
Choice Beauty and Freedom

At least everyone in the growing or among the malting underground wants one or more of these things.

and ". . barley makes a home!"

[einhorn]

I agree, Alexis. Good list (and very Zeitgeist) of goals for any local agriculture.

I think that the neat and special thing about microbreweries ist that your list is full of things that can truly be turned into reality, as opposed to the local guy who sells things that he did not (or better, could not) produce himself. Without being too altruistic, people who buy micro beer care about these things, and are surely willing to pay a bit more for a product that is local and "makes sense" for the environment.

Great stuff.

Prosit!

[martyl]

If anyone has any information on the small malting house in Ohio, (if there is one or close) please post it here. We would be very interested in buying our beer ingredients close to home.

Thanks,

[MacAllen]

howdy,

great idea to start growing malting barley on your farm. we have been growing and malting our own barley here on the farm for a few years now. try and pick a varaity of barley that has a strong track record in your area, its not much fun to start the malting process with grain thats to small or got some mildew damage. Try hiting up local brewers about taking SMALL loads of your malt, get as much feed back as you can to help you tweek your malting process.
Cheers
Ryan
MACALLEN FARM AND BREWERY
RAWDON QUE Canada

[David Hicks]

Would It be possible to grow barley in South Carolina? If not, why. If so, what can I do to ensure my crop's sucess?