Area growers receive lots of praise

It can’t be a party without barley.

MillerCoors has not hosted an annual Barley Days event in Powell for more than 15 years, but they did last Wednesday.

“1999 was the last one we did (in Powell),” said Dave Dougherty, Wyoming agronomist for MillerCoors. “This is a thank you to our barley growers for all their hard work.”

“Barley Days is an annual event when the brewer thanks the growers for what they do for MillerCoors — providing quality malting barley for our great brands,” said Marty Maloney, MillerCoors manager of media relations.

Growers received lots of praise, enjoyed free barbecued chicken and beef and plenty of complimentary Coors.

“Beer’s on us,” Dougherty said.

Rick Harrison grows 100 acres of seed barley and 100 acres of commercial barley, he said.

Why did Harrison come?

“Because the beer was free,” he joked.

Like others, Paul Rodriguez was having a cold one.

Rodriguez Farms grow about 1,000 bushels of barley for MillerCoors, Paul said.

Paul’s son, Ric Rodriguez, was honored.

Ric Rodriguez was Top Grower of the Year in 2013. Joel Schaeffer, another Heart Mountain farmer, was Grower of the Year in 2014, Dougherty said, speaking of the two men while addressing the audience.

“We see both gentlemen (Rodriguez and Schaeffer) as a big part of our future,” Dougherty said. Wyoming is well represented as far as quality.”

Schaeffer said he grows 35 acres of barley for MillerCoors.

“Great barley makes great malt,” said Pete Coors, chairman of MillerCoors and keynote speaker. “Great malt makes great beer.”

Pete’s great-grandfather was Adolph Coors, Coors founder.

“We’re here because we just care so much about what you do,” Coors said, addressing the growers.

“Total beer consumption is down a little bit,” he said. Part of the problem is the craft beer industry is using half the hops. “Tell your friends you better keep drinking Coors and Miller products because we need the business and you need the business,” Coors said.

John Garvin, senior process leader, and Koby Kravig, malting specialist, demonstrate a device that simulates the malting process.

The display is there so farmers can understand how important their hard work is to MillerCoors, Garvin said.

Water drips on the barley that looks like a cross between shiny shelled peanuts and granola cereal. It looks quite palatable.

Next to the simulator, barley research scientist Rachel DeFlumeri fills a plastic cup from a dispenser that looks just like the gumball machines found in supermarket entrances. “It’s good,” she said.

There are approximately 100 barley growers in Wyoming, said Wade Malchow, who manages all of MillerCoors’ elevators.

That is 30,000 contracted acres in Wyoming, mostly in Worland, Manderson, Emblem, Powell and Heart Mountain areas. About 3.8 million bushels of barley are produced in Wyoming and 1.1 million of those bushels are produced around Powell for MillerCoors, Malchow said.

MillerCoors purchases barley directly from producers in the United States and barley merchants worldwide, said a MillerCoors placard.

Wyoming barley is as consistent as any barley. “Quality and consistency,” Dougherty said. “That is so crucial to what we do.”

The party is for the growers. “It’s about you guys for sticking with us all these years,” said Steve Rockhold, director of brewing materials.

“Jeez, the barley looks really good,” Rockhold said. “I think we’re going to have a great year.”

Beer needs barley. “We always say with the barley program the beer starts here,” Coors said. 

“This is a thank you to our barley growers for all their hard work and effort,” Dougherty said. “We would like to say thank you for supporting us and our product.”