Organic Grain Marketing Webinar: Organic Brewery and Distiller Opportunities

NOFA-NY and NYS Dept. of Ag. & Markets are hosting this co-sponsored webinar to learn about the organic grain market in New York State, ask questions and sort out how you can make decisions about marketing your organic grain crop. 

Join Doug Thayer of Rooster Fish Brewery in Watkins Glen and Andrea Stanley of Valley Malt, a new malt house in Hadley, MA, to discuss the potential market opportunities for organic barley.  The guess is that there are over 85 micro breweries in NYS.  A much smaller number are strictly organic.  But even those committed to organic grains are buying their malted barley from out-of-state because there is no NYS malt house and few grow barley.  Barley was a common crop in NYS and the Northeast in the early part of the 1900’s.  According to NY NASS, only 10,000 acres of barley were harvested in 2009 for an average yield of 53 bushels per acre and an average price of $3.50 per bu.(presumably all feed-grade barley).  Small-scale distilleries are also on the rise.  Some are farm-based and the current list is short.  This one-hour webinar will include a list of links to sources of information that will include NYS breweries, and more.

To sign up for the webinar, go to: http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/CropInsuranceEvents.html and click on the April 19 date to pre-register.  You will be sent an email confirming your registration and to connect to the webinar.  Previous webinars can be viewed at the NYSDAM website as well.