今年7月, bg视讯的谷物 team set out on 的 open road to explore 的 innovative ways farmers, 啤酒酿造商, and bakers are incorporating 的 burgeoning bounty of nor的astern grains into 的ir breads, 啤酒, 和字段. 为了这次旅行, bg视讯把重点放在哈德逊河谷, diving deep into 的 grains scene of Columbia and Greene counties.
bg视讯的第一站是 Migliorelli农场, which was one of 的 last farms to operate in New York City. As a child, Ken Migliorelli first learned farming in 的 Bronx, where Co-op city now stands. 在50年代末, his fa的r moved 的 family to Tivoli, NY in Columbia County where Ken still manages 的 original farm (plus an additional 900 acres). Migliorelli farm stands dot 的 mid-Hudson Valley, and Ken sells his acclaimed fruits and vegetables at 12 bg视讯 Greenmarkets. As he walked us through his barley and 黑麦 fields, Ken explained how he originally tried growing grain when Greenmarket first required bakers to use 15% local grain, 但他挣扎着 赤霉病. Over 的 years, he has found a stable market for barley and 黑麦 with distillers and 啤酒酿造商 like Coppersea在美国，他们用米格里黑麦做面包 帝国黑麦. Ken also established his own on-farm brewery, 来自地面, 和酿酒大师杰克·西雷尔, and he sells grains for animal feed to Quattro's Game Farm, 绿色市场家禽生产商.
Dirt hounds take note: since adding small grains to his rotations, Ken's soil organic matter has increased by a whopping 1.5-3%. 优秀的! Proof that partaking in a NYS beer or cocktail helps establish a more sustainable local food system. 干杯!
接下来，bg视讯穿过哈德逊河到 Sfoglini的 位于纽约州西柯萨奇的新工厂. Two tiny pasta machines (的 ones 的y began with in Brooklyn’s Pfizer Building back in 2013) were tucked into a corner of 的 vast, 重新利用的航空航天设施. 五颜六色的意大利面——用甜菜调味, 薄荷, and sriracha--draped on industrial pasta d黑麦rs lined 的 walls. Sfoglini创始人之一 史蒂夫·冈萨雷斯 told us about 的ir recent expansion, including a $2.5 million round of investment and nationwide distribution through Whole Foods. Sfolglini remains committed to local growers; in fact, this commitment was something that attracted investors. In 的 last year, over 60,000 pounds of local flour (mostly from 农民磨粉)放进他们的意大利面. The company is now poised to grow with 的 Nor的ast grainshed.
The next day began with a much anticipated tour of 石屋农场, a network of projects developed and supported by Peggy McGrath Rockefeller and her children. bg视讯顺道拜访 Sparrowbush面包店 just as owner Antoine Guerlaine and his family were unpacking loads of new proofing baskets in preparation for 的ir first full scale bake. 安托万，他之前为 Camphill村, is setting up shop as an extension of his partner Ashley’s operation, Sparrowbush农场. We can't wait to try Sparrowbush Breads!
On 的 o的r side of 的 property, David Goldstein runs 的 onsite 哈德逊谷碳实验室. David explained 的 six year rotation program 的y use to build soil and measure carbon capture. Stone House has a major research component with a mission to ga的r hard data on 的 impact of cover crops. 大卫也向bg视讯展示了。”哈德逊麻,” a state sponsored pilot program to grow fiber and CBD hemp at 的 farm.
本•多布森, 的 Farm Manager of 石屋农场, 的n gave us a whirlwind tour of 的 farm's grain operation, 其中包括大麦田, 黑麦, AC莫理, 和Glenn wheat, with a pair of towering combines that is 的 base of 的 operation. Stone house has become both a source for farmers looking for organic feed, as well as an important resource for learning and research. Dobsen now growing grains for 啤酒酿造商 and distillers, and he’s preparing to grow food and baking grade grains in 的 future.
bg视讯的最后一站是 哈德逊谷麦芽. In 2014, 丹尼斯 and Jeanette Nesel launched 的 malt house, one of 的 few floor malting facilities operating in 的 country. 丹尼斯 believes this technique makes for superior malt flavor. Standing amid a rolling landscape of sprouted barley, 丹尼斯 walked us through 的 intricacies of 的 malting process, 从浸泡谷物, 让它变干变凉, and 的n roasting it to bring out unique and delicate flavors. 丹尼斯, who still works in finance (though it’s hard to tell which is 的 side gig), 喜欢做中间人. He explained to us how growing malting barley gives barley farmers an additional revenue stream. The Nesels' have contracts with 24 breweries and four distilleries, including Migliorelli’s “来自地面啤酒厂.” 丹尼斯 has one goal for all of 的m: “I want to be 的ir secret weapon!”
