RENSSELAERVILLE – The Carey Institute for Global Good announced today plans to grow its Farm-To-Glass outreach initiatives to farmers and agricultural leaders in Dutchess, Ulster and Schoharie Counties.
The recent award of a $15,000 grant from the University of Vermont’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NESARE) Partnership Grants program will support the continuation of the Carey Institute’s Farm-To-Glass Classroom programming for farmers and craft beverage producers. These educational workshops are designed to increase the availability of New York State grown ingredients to supply the budding farm brewery industry by improving farmers’ knowledge of malt-grain and hops production, and connecting farmers with technical assistance resources in the field.
“This grant is wonderful validation of the success of our initiative to date, and we are excited it allows us to engage more farmers in Dutchess, Ulster and Schoharie counties with our program,” said Carol Ash, President of the Carey Institute for Global Good. “We would like to thank Northeast SARE for recognizing the value of the Farm-To-Glass classroom to New York’s newest growing agricultural sector.”
With the recent passage of the Farm Brewery Bill, farmers throughout the Upper Hudson Valley, Eastern Mohawk Valley and Capital Region are eagerly exploring opportunities to enter the hops and malting grains market and fill local supplier niches. However, they require significant technical assistance to re-establish the industry. Recognizing the need for educational and organizational resources, the Carey Institute for Global initiated the Farm-To-Glass Classroom which has become a must-attend workshop series for farmers.
“We began the program to develop a support network for farmers across the region,” said Farm-to-Glass Development Specialist Sarah Gordon. “We want to make sure local craft beverage producers have the local ingredients they need for their brewing operations.”
The grant brings the Institute’s Helderberg Brewshed project fundraising total to more than $220,000, or nearly one-third of the $700,000 goal.
Last year, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Carey Institute for Global Good was chosen as a Regional Economic Development Council Award winner, with $108,000 in funding to foster its farm brewery project in Rensselaerville. The award provides support towards Farm-To-Glasseducation and the creation of the first Farm Brewery Incubator in New York State through a unique partnership with Albany architecture and engineering firm CSArch and its founder and President Randolph Collins. The Helderberg Brewshed, set to open in 2015, will house the CareyInstitute’s Model Farm Brewery, its Farm-To-Glass Classroom and the first Farm Brewery Incubator. The Institute’s goal is to weave together the region’s architectural history and agricultural roots with today’s emerging interest in small farm viability, creating an agritourism and educational facility that contributes to the region’s long-term economic vitality.
The farm community in Dutchess, Ulster and Schoharie counties will gain the opportunity to join the Farm-To-Glass Classroom workshop series and learn more about:
- Barley & Malt Grains: Soil selection, fertilizing, seed varietal selection and sourcing, vomitoxin, pest/disease control, harvesting, processing, grain storage and drying, best management practices and organic growing practices
- Hops: Varietal selection, existing regional heirloom varieties, downy mildew, weed and pest control, trellising, hop yard maintenance, harvesting, processing, drying techniques, packaging, kiln/barn design alternatives and oats development and best management practices
- Business Planning: Insurances, licensing, quality control, quality assurance, scale, profitability, supply chain and marketing and hedging harvests that fall below malting standards
