EP-407 Hillary Barile of Rabbit Hill Farms & Malthouse and Craft Maltsters Guild
Hillary Barile isn\u2019t sure what she\u2019d call herself first: a farmer or a maltster. In reality, she\u2019s both, working as a fifth generation farmer at Rabbit Hill Farms & Malthouse in Shiloh, New Jersey. There, she and members of her family produce barley and other crops, as well as run a small-scale malthouse that supplies ingredients for breweries and distilleries. And, as president of the Craft Maltsters Guild Board of Directors, she works to educate and grow the craft malt community across North America and beyond.\xa0
So why, and how, did she make the jump from farming pottoes to investing in the agriculture and future of craft malt? It started with homebrewing, of course, with aspirations of opening a brewery to diversify and solidify her farm\u2019s finances. But, as she explains in this episode, the business plan never got that far. As for what\u2019s next, she says the breweries prioritizing local craft malt can tell unique stories that still reach the hearts of drinkers, giving them a small, but sufficient shield against difficult economic forces. We also discuss the many definitions of the word \u201csustainable,\u201d and the efforts she\u2019s making to ensure generations to come will still have the opportunity to nurture the land her family has cultivated.\xa0
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