Grainswest - Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Grains West 38 The Hogarths both admit making converts isn’t always so easy. “It can be tricky to talk brewers into making a substitution,” said Alex. “They are a finicky bunch. They like what they like.” THE BARLEY SUPPLY The Hogarths purchase organically grown Copeland malting barley for its proven track record in the malthouse. This spring, however, they will test very small quantities of Churchill and Cerveza to gauge their agronomic and malting performance. Not far from the Hogarth malthouse, Chris and Leah Simeniuk operate a 1,400-acre certified regenerative organic grain farm. Their crops include wheat, barley, rye and mustard. They have sold barley to buyers in Colorado, Wyoming and Quebec, but deliver much of their crop to B.C. When the Simeniuks took over the farm from Leah’s father in 2016, it was much smaller, which forced them to experiment with revenue options. Though Chris was not keen on organic farming at first, Leah’s father had begun to transition the farm in 2015, and they gave it a try. With the incorporation of cover crops and regenerative practices as well as lessons learned during the farm’s conventional, no-till years, the approach proved a success. As Kettle Ridge Organics took off, the pair took on additional acres. Though they’ve grown Kindersley and Metcalfe in the past, Copeland is their malting barley mainstay. “If it ain’t broke, don't fix it,” said Chris. “Yield is good and it competes well with weeds. It’s easy to keep the protein low and the plump high.” One of few organic barley farmers in the area, their product sells well. With their mutual interest in barley, the Simeniuks met the Hogarths through social media. Though Hogarth Malt is the Simeniuks’ smallest customer by far, they are keen to support the business. “It’s not a huge income stream for us yet, but it’s nice to work with a local entrepreneur,” said Chris. Hogarth and Kettle Ridge even recently teamed up with Hawk Tail Brewery in Rimbey on a farm-to-table beer collaboration. “It’s neat to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is the result of our hard work,” said Leah. “We can drink that beer and say, ‘Look what we did.’” A MALT-FORWARD FUTURE The Hogarths made the first sale of malt produced within their malthouse in December 2021. With COVID uncertainties, initial sales were slow. Brewers held off trying new ingredients while they struggled to adjust their pandemic business models. This changed in spring 2022. “Things started really rolling because brewers were free to take risks,” said Alex. Hogarth Malt now produces four tonnes of product per month with the goal of 10 tonnes. If all goes well, they plan to substantially increase their production over the next year or two. This will require additional staff to augment the part-time student employees they hire from the Olds College Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management diploma program. The Hogarths’ overarching ambition is to fuel the growth of Alberta’s craft brewing industry. “Alberta can become one of the most interesting, malt- forward beer hubs in North America,” said Aaron. Alex agreed and suggested brewers are welcome to pick Aaron’s brain. “Challenge me,” said Aaron with an emphatic nod. “Let’s see what we can do together.” In a room separate from the malt floor, the Hogarth Malt kiln shares space with a grain cleaner, roaster and bagging unit, as well as an array of small-batch brewing equipment. FEATURE