9/15/2019
Steve Bohnel
Tom Barse, owner of Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm, displays hops grown on his Mount Airy farm. Photo courtesy of Graham Cullen, Frederick News Post.
“When it comes to making beer, Tom Barse keeps more than 90 percent of his ingredients local.
He grows an acre of hops on Stillpoint Farm near Mount Airy. The yeast for some of his beer also comes from the farm. The grain comes from another farm in Howard County.
Brewers want those local hops, yeast and grain, Barse said. The problem is supply can’t keep up with demand.
“There is a market for farmers to grow beer ingredients to sell to brewers, it’s at the very beginning,” Barse said. “Unless you’re the farmer with the ability to store dry grain and you can hold it until the malthouse is ready to malt it for you … the little malthouses, they can’t store your grain.”…” To continue reading, click here.
