NOVEMBER 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Breaking new


ground Craft brewery will grow more than just its own hops


by TAMARA LEIGH


DELTA – Four former dairy families from the Delta area are joining forces to start one of the first on-farm craft breweries to grow their own barley and hops. Far from just following the


craft beer trend, Barnside Brewing Co. is the type of project that Ken Malenstyn says will infuse some new energy and opportunity into the next generation of farmers. “It's keeping farmland farming and providing a new opportunity, new crops, a new business model, which we sorely need. The market for process crops like peas and beans has been shrinking for several years,” says Malenstyn. “Stuff like on-farm craft


breweries, distilleries and cideries provide new and exciting opportunities, and there’s no reason there can't be a long future for these things.”


The idea started as a


conversation between neighbours. Malenstyn’s neighbours, Brent and Shelly Harris, had started growing organic barley as part of their crop rotation, and down the road, Sean Buhr and Dave Terpsma were home brewers. “We all started talking and


recognized that we might have something unique here. We’re growing all the ingredients and we're brewing the beer, we can make a business out of this,” Malenstyn says.


All going to plan, Barnside


Brewing should open its doors on the Harris farm in


the fall of 2018. Brent and Shelly Harris are growing the barley and other inputs, Malenstyn is growing hops and will manage the brewery operation, Sean Buhr is growing organic hops and will handle sales, and Dave Terpsma will concentrate on brewing the beer. “I think we have a cool


story that will draw people in. We're making our own beer with products we're growing right here on our farms,” Malenstyn explains. Starting the hopyard to supply the brewery has given Malenstyn the opportunity to return to farming. Raised on his family’s dairy, he left and got an MBA in agribusiness, but his career kept him away from farming. Now, with a certificate in


craft beverage management, he is working full time on the brewery in his capacity as a farmer and marketer. “I wanted to get back on the farm and working outside a little bit. There’s something nice and honest about it,” he says.


While it’s possible to grow the barley organically, the hops have proven to be more of a challenge in Delta’s coastal climate. “Powdery mildew and


downy mildew are the killers, and it's hard to manage mildews with organic controls. You have to be on it early and really preventative,” says Malenstyn. “I wasn't willing to commit the financial investment required to start with organic hops and not know.”


On the barley side, Delta’s rich alluvial soils lend


3


PERFECTING THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW! Ross Conner rebuilt this 1959 IH Farmall and used it to plow a perfect furrow during the North Okanagan Plowing Match in Armstrong, September 30. Conner is part of the organizing committee for the competition which has been an annual event in the area for over 40 years. PATTI THOMAS PHOTO


themselves well to growing high quality malt barley. The challenge there is deciding how they want to manage the malting process. Most breweries, even craft brewers, buy their malt from a handful of large companies. Craft malting is still in its infancy, though Phillips Brewing in Victoria recently built a malting plant for their beers, and there are some maltsters in Washington State. “We’re looking at probably doing it ourselves in the long run. With the amount of grain we’ll be producing, it is definitely something to consider,” he says. With this year’s harvest in the bin, Barnside will begin brewing its debut beers in the spring. In the meantime, it is working out production details and waiting for final approval from Delta.


For Malenstyn, it’s as much about the community as it is about the beer. “I'm excited about the community aspect of it. I see this as a place for the farming community, and for the people who have been in


Ladner a long time to connect and hang out,” says Malenstyn. “That's what I love about the craft beer industry - they hang out, talk, have a beer. We really see this as a place where people can have a sense of community.”


Agriculture is our way of life too


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