Cleveland, NC – On September 24, 2024, the NC Craft Brewers Guild, in partnership with Carolina Malt House, Lowes Foods, and Beer Law Center, successfully hosted the inaugural NC Beer Farm Day at the Carolina Malt House in Cleveland, NC. The event brought together key stakeholders from North Carolina’s craft beer and farming industries to celebrate the critical role of NC-sourced ingredients in craft brewing, and strengthen the bond between the two sectors. Guests at the event included members of the NC General Assembly and leadership from the NC Department of Agriculture, including Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler as the event’s guest of honor.
Hosted by the NC Craft Brewers Guild, NC Beer Farm Day aimed to engage and educate participants, showcasing the collaborative efforts of NC breweries, malt houses, and farmers in strengthening North Carolina's local economy. Attendees were treated to craft beer tastings, featuring NC homegrown beers brewed with locally-sourced malt, and a traditional NC pig-picking lunch. The event featured educational tents demonstrating the use of various North Carolina-grown ingredients such as malt and honey in brewing, further underscoring the variety of the state’s agricultural resources. Additionally, guests were treated to a tour of Carolina Malt House, which demonstrated the malting process, from locally grown grains to the resulting malt product used by breweries across the state.
All three NC malthouses participated in the event: Carolina Malt House (Cleveland, NC), Riverbend Malt House (Asheville, NC) and Epiphany Craft Malt (Durham, NC). Participating breweries with educational tents included: Fullsteam Brewery, Southern Strain Brewing Co., Happy Valley Filling Station, Hoptown Brewing Company, Town Brewing Co., Atomic Clock Brewing Co., and Diatribe Brewing Co.
Speaking at the event, Commissioner Steve Troxler underscored the vital connection between local agriculture and the state’s growing craft beer industry. Troxler emphasized how the partnership between farmers and brewers has created new opportunities for North Carolina-grown grains and added value to the state’s agricultural products. He highlighted the success of local farmers supplying grains for malting, which are then used by the state’s craft breweries, further enhancing the local economy and supporting our farming communities.
According to Lisa Parker, Executive Director of the NC Craft Brewers Guild, “North Carolina has 420 independent craft breweries in production statewide. Additionally, we are fortunate to have 3 malt houses in our state, more than any other southern state. Each of our malt houses utilize different technologies and operations to yield a wide selection of specialized brewing malt for breweries in North Carolina and the southeast region. Our malt houses are working in tandem with farmers to successfully bring back the flavorful grains that once grew in North Carolina, and develop new crops of malting grains that work for our fields and our breweries.”
“Approximately 10,350,000 pounds of craft malt are produced in total between the 3 facilities. Contributing to that production quantity, approximately 7,500,000 pounds of grains are being purchased directly from NC farms, and we see that number increasing as more farmers convert their fields to these valuable grain crops”, said Parker.
Additional speakers at the event included, Aaron Goss, Founder & President of Carolina Malt House; Sean Wilson, CEO of Fullsteam Brewery and early adopter of homegrown malt; and Ray Horton, one of the original farmers who planted grain for Carolina Malt House.
The 2024 NC Beer Farm Day served as a platform to promote collaboration between farmers and brewers while raising awareness of the economic impact yielded by this. The event also encouraged discussion about the importance of legislative support to foster the continued growth and success of North Carolina’s craft beer and agricultural sectors.
For more information about the NC Craft Brewers Guild and upcoming events, visit drinkncbeer.org.
Media Access: Images from the 2024 NC Beer Farm Day are available for media use. Please visit this link to download event photos.
For additional information contact:
Shannon Taylor Wilder, Communications + Events Manager
NC Craft Brewers Guild
Shannon Taylor | c. 919.522.9331