Sip Northwest, Winter 2015
It costs me a lot in freight to market my grain Using more of the grains locally is better for the farm and distiller y both says Dan Stein of Stein Distiller y SIPNORTHWEST COM committed to purchasing everything harvested from those elds When I started raising rye it was on an experimental basis and they had to supplement with rye from Montana Omlin says Once I got well enough into it and said I think I can at this price they said great Their rye would be 100 percent Washington grain EXPONENTIAL GRAIN GROWTH The interest in local grains for distillers has grown concurrent with the craft distilling industry in the Northwest which is still in relative infancy Oregons distilled spirits industry is young and rapidly growing similar to the wine and microbrew industries 25 years ago says Robert McGorrin head of Oregon State Universitys Food Science department Still the excitement at the industrys potential is palpable especially when viewed as part of a broader economic plan to support local agriculture At the end of 2013 s legislative session OSU received 12 million in legislative funding towards its burgeoning fermentation sciences program a signi cant portion of which is earmarked for future distillation faculty and courses Its a rapidly growing sector McGorrin says There are increasing demands to use grains in the case of local spirits in the Northwest Its the
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