More than 240 experienced barley growers in Wyoming and Montana have spent the past month harvesting barley grown for Briess. Check out this short video which captures highlights of the process.
These growers contracted with Briess earlier this year at our Ralston, WY, elevator. Briess purchased the elevator and nearby seed plant last year, advancing Briess as a vertically integrated grain processor. The move not only assures Briess a consistent source of top quality malting barley, but also facilities and access to local test plots to further the development of new malting barley varieties specifically for craft beer. This region boasts some unique benefits that attracted Briess to it:
- Network of 240+ experienced malting barley growers, Grower Advisory Committee and experienced, veteran staff
- Elevator can process 4 million bushels at harvest and has a storage capacity of 2.3 million bushels
- Very modern, automated facility for receiving, transferring and testing grains
- Situated on the Burlington Northern railroad
- The region is conducive to growing very high quality malting barley
- Dry climate and low relative humidity
- Flood irrigation from surrounding mountains for constant source of water
- Irrigation water doesn’t come in contact with barley canopy
- Malting barley is an important crop in this rich agricultural region
- Three-crop rotation of barley, beets and dry edible beans
- Located close to University of Wyoming barley research center and test plots
- Attributes of the region are aligned with the Green With Briess initiative
- Flood irrigation
- Irrigation projects help generate a majority of the power used in the region
- Rail-linked storage and malting facilities.