Ever wondered what makes a truly sustainable beer? At Green Earth Brewing Co., we believe it starts long before the first sip – it begins in the soil itself. While many craft breweries talk about their water usage or solar panels (both important, by the way), we’ve learned that creating truly sustainable beer requires following every step of our ingredients’ journey. Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes to follow our organic barley’s 45-mile journey from seed to sip. It’s a story of local partnerships, traditional craftsmanship, and innovative thinking that shows how small choices in brewing can make a big impact on our planet. Join us as we explore how your favorite pint gets its start in Oregon’s rich earth and transforms through careful stewardship into something worth raising a glass to.
Our Local Roots: Meeting the Farmers Behind the Grain
Every great beer tells a story, and ours begins in the rolling fields of the Willamette Valley, just 30 miles from our brewery. It’s here where we first met Tom and Sarah Mitchell, third-generation farmers who’ve been tending to these fertile soils for over two decades. Their commitment to organic farming practices caught our attention, but it was their passion for sustainability that made us know we’d found our perfect match.
“Growing organic barley isn’t just about avoiding pesticides,” Tom explains as we walk through rows of golden grain swaying in the morning breeze. “It’s about building a living ecosystem from the ground up.” The Mitchells’ 200-acre farm has become a model for regenerative agriculture, using cover crops and crop rotation to naturally enrich their soil while providing habitat for local wildlife.
What makes this partnership truly special is the shared vision between farmer and brewer. Every Thursday, we meet with the Mitchells to discuss everything from soil conditions to harvest timing. This close collaboration ensures we get the highest quality organic barley while supporting a farming family that’s leading the charge in sustainable agriculture. Sarah points out that their methods use 60% less water than conventional farming – music to our ears as brewers who understand the precious value of every drop.
The result of this farm-to-fermenter relationship isn’t just better beer – it’s better for our community and planet. By sourcing our barley locally, we’ve cut our transportation carbon footprint by 70% compared to industry standards. Plus, every pint you enjoy helps keep 200 acres of Oregon farmland organic and thriving for future generations.
Field to Malthouse: The Art of Traditional Malting
Many beer lovers might be surprised to learn that barley can’t go straight from the field into our brew kettles. Enter the magical process of malting – a centuries-old technique that we’ve adapted for modern sustainability. At our partner malthouse, Cedar Creek Malting, each batch of the Mitchells’ organic barley undergoes a careful transformation that unlocks its brewing potential.
The process begins with steeping, where the grain is soaked in pure, recycled mountain water. “It’s like waking up sleeping seeds,” explains Maya Rodriguez, Cedar Creek’s master maltster. During this phase, we capture and reuse 95% of the water – a practice that saves over 100,000 gallons annually. The wet grain then moves to the germination floor, where it’s gently turned by traditional wooden rakes, a method that uses 40% less energy than mechanical systems.
Perhaps the most crucial stage is kilning, where heat slowly dries the sprouted grain to create the perfect malt for our brews. We’ve partnered with a local solar company to power this energy-intensive process, using rooftop panels that provide 80% of our kilning needs. The result is a carbon footprint that’s less than half of conventional malting operations – without compromising the complex flavors that make our beers special.
What emerges from this careful process is more than just malted barley; it’s the foundation of our beer’s character. Each batch is tested for quality and sustainability metrics, ensuring it meets both our flavor standards and environmental goals. The malt’s journey from Cedar Creek to our brewery is just a short 15-mile trip, maintaining our commitment to minimal transportation impact while supporting another local business that shares our values.
Brewing with Purpose: How Organic Barley Shapes Our Beer
When the malted barley arrives at our brewery, it carries with it more than just brewing potential – it brings the story of sustainable agriculture, careful malting, and local partnerships. But how does all this translate into the beer in your glass? The answer lies in both the science and soul of brewing with organic ingredients.
Our brewmaster, Claire Bennett, describes organic barley’s impact on flavor as “unmistakably pure.” During the mashing process, where we extract fermentable sugars from the grain, we’ve noticed that organic malt consistently produces a cleaner, more distinct wort. “There’s a brightness to the flavor profile that you just can’t replicate with conventional barley,” Claire explains while checking the temperature of a fresh batch of our bestselling Earth Keeper IPA.
The benefits extend beyond taste. Our organic barley requires 15% less energy to mill and mash compared to conventional malt, thanks to its optimal moisture content from solar-dried kilning. We’re also able to use the spent grain more effectively in our closed-loop system – local organic farmers, including the Mitchells, use it to feed their livestock and enrich their soil, completing a perfect circle of sustainability.
Want to taste the difference yourself? Visit our taproom to try our Farm to Fermenter Series, where each beer showcases the unique characteristics of our organic barley. Our current release, Harvest Moon Pale Ale, perfectly highlights the grain’s subtle honey notes and clean finish. Better yet, join us for our monthly “Meet the Makers” events, where you can chat with our farming partners while enjoying the fruits of our collective labor.
The journey from farm to fermenter isn’t just about making great beer – it’s about proving that sustainability and premium quality go hand in hand. Every pint we pour is a testament to the power of local partnerships, traditional methods, and innovative thinking. Come be part of our story, one sustainable sip at a time.
Raising a Glass to Sustainable Brewing
At Green Earth Brewing Co., we believe that every great beer tells a story – and the tale of our organic barley shows just how many dedicated hands it takes to create a truly sustainable brew. From the Mitchell family’s regenerative farming practices to Cedar Creek’s solar-powered malting and our own innovative brewing techniques, each step represents our commitment to both environmental stewardship and exceptional craft beer.
But this journey doesn’t end at our fermenters. When you choose one of our beers, you’re not just selecting a delicious craft brew – you’re supporting a network of local businesses committed to sustainable practices, helping preserve Oregon farmland for future generations, and proving that environmental responsibility and premium quality can go hand in hand.
Ready to taste the difference sustainable brewing makes? Stop by our taproom this weekend to try our Farm to Fermenter Series, or join us for our next “Meet the Makers” event on the first Thursday of each month. Together, we can raise a glass to better beer and a healthier planet.
