Chippewa, Buffalo County barley farmers look to craft brewing

CHIPPEWA FALLS — With the number of craft breweries in Wisconsin nearly doubling since 2011, opportunities exist for farmers to help meet the growing demand for brewing malt made from locally grown barley.

According to the Brewers Association, a national craft brewing advocacy group, the number of craft brewers in Wisconsin has grown from 73 in 2011 to 138 in 2016. Many of Wisconsin’s craft brewers are looking to use local ingredients, and Chippewa County UW-Extension agriculture agent Jerry Clark has been running tests on barley plots in the county to focus on the success of specific barley varieties, fungicide treatments and nitrogen application rates.

“When you’re looking at the malting industry, there’s a quality parameter you have to hit,” Clark said. “We’ve done this for three years, so hopefully now we can start to put data behind it and say, ‘Here’s what we’re finding for trying to grow quality malting barley here.’ ”

Clark said Valkyrie Brewing Co. in Dallas, New Glarus Brewing Co. in New Glarus and South Shore Brewery in Ashland all make beers using barley varieties being tested on Chippewa County plots.

UW-Extension agriculture agent Carl Duley has been running barley testing in Buffalo County for several years thanks, in part, to an active craft brewing group in the county, and he provides the seeds for the Chippewa County plots. Chippewa County started its barley trials to test success in sandier soils than are found in Buffalo County.

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