Co-Founders: Brian Simpson & Brent Manning
Site: Riverbend Malt
Lowdown: Locally farmed malts for craft breweries
Awesomeness: Developed a local food system between NC farmers and regional craft brewers
In stark contrast to large-scale malt producers that require agricultural chemicals and shipping product thousands of miles, Riverbend Malt House has created a sustainable ecosystem between local farmers and the region’s craft brewers. Riverbend sources locally farmed barley to produce traditional artisan malts by hand. This enables breweries like Sierra Nevada Brewing to support local farms and reduce their environmental impact. The only malt house of its kind in the eastern U.S., Riverbend is on pace this year to at least double its production capacity to 1 million pounds of barley.
Press:
NPR: Who Grew Your Pint? How Craft Brews Boost Local Farmers
Capital at Play: Malt On A Mission
Brewbound: Riverbend Malt House Breaks Ground on Expansion Project
Local Palate: North Carolina’s Riverbend Malt House is Helping Brewers Keep It Local
