GrainsWest Winter 2018

GrainsWest:

What are your job duties?

Kevin Sich:

I make sure there’s enough barley, set pricing and

act as liaison between operations and the malt sales. If there’s

something going on with a brewer and there’s feedback, it’s usual-

ly coming to me, and then I take it back to the farm gate. I’m able

to go see farmers and I’ve also been able to attend beer festivals

and meet brewers. You don’t get many jobs that allow you access

to both vendor and customer.

GW:

What changes have you seen in the malting industry

over the last decade?

KS:

The industry became much more transparent. When I start-

ed, there was a lot of secrecy. There wasn’t a lot of collaboration.

It’s been a positive change.

GW:

What made that change possible?

KS:

The end of the Canadian Wheat Board was a huge step. It

brought buyers and sellers closer. You can start sending them

true market signals. Then you can open up and start bringing

our customers (the brewers) and introduce them to our vendors

(our farmers), and you start having that three-way relationship.

A lot of farmers see themselves as a big part of the craft brewing

partnership; they’ve really taken ownership of it.

GW:

Has the craft beer industry changed how farmers engage

with the end user?

KS:

The craft guys really want to understand where their prod-

ucts come from. It’s no different than a consumer who goes to a

farmers market to buy vegetables because they want to see the

farmer who grows them. We have the best barley in the world

here, and the craft guys realize that, and they really want to

know the farmers.

: What makes Alberta barley some of the best in the

world?

KS:

Alberta has the right climate for growing barley. We have the

hot summer days and cool nights, which is really ideal for malt

barley production. Cooling down at night helps a lot with disease

packages.

: How does Rahr ensure it is sourcing the highest-quality

barley?

KS:

All our acres are under contract and we manage them, so

to speak. We have two full-time agronomists who work with our

producers on best management practices. We’re not out there tell-

ing farmers we’re better at it than they are, but we’re there to give

free advice and coach them.

GW:

Was Rahr affected by the harvest issues in 2016?

KS:

Oh yes. We adjusted our moisture specs because our grow-

ers were having a tough harvest, and if we didn’t, it would have

stayed in the field. We started telling our growers getting to the

end of September and October, if your barley is anywhere near

dry, take it, and if we can deal with it, we will. We tried to do

our part.

Of course, we have to watch our quality parameters. There

Winter

2018

grainswest.com

BY ELLEN COTTEE • PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB McMORRIS

Enjoying the view from the heart of the barley-to-beer chain

Man in theMiddle

KEVIN SICH IS A TRUE BREWING INDUSTRY MIDDLEMAN. HE LOVES THE VANTAGE POINT THIS GIVES HIM AS

co-operation between farmers, maltsters and brewers has grown in recent years thanks to craft beer’s surging popularity. His position

as supply chain director for Rahr Malting Co. has allowed him to watch barley markets change and mature.