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Farmageddon Brewery Craft Beer For Everyone
Farmageddon began in 2016 in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, with a clear farm-to-glass mandate. The founders were local farmers and a trained brewer who saw value in integrating crop production with beer production to reduce costs and deepen flavor control. The first commercial brew was produced in June 2017 on a five-barrel system housed in a repurposed dairy barn. Early milestones included the first keg sold to a Portland taproom in September 2017 and a seed round of $125,000 from community investors in 2018. Challenges in the first two years were typical: crop timing did not match demand, canning lead times stretched to 10 weeks, and late 2018 required operational pivots after a wet harvest reduced hop yields by 30 percent. By 2020, the brewery expanded to a 10-barrel stainless brew house and installed a 40 kW solar array to reduce grid dependence.
The Team Behind the Beer
The brewing team centers on a head brewmaster with a professional brewing diploma and ten years of commercial experience in farmhouse and mixed fermentation beers. Two assistant brewers rotate through mashing, lautering, and cellar work. Farmers on site manage a half acre of hops and a quarter acre of grains and culinary herbs. Cellar staff oversee fermentation and cold conditioning, while taproom crew handle pouring, retail sales, and events. Training includes quarterly sensory panels, monthly safety sessions, and an apprenticeship program started in 2019 that has graduated six local trainees. Staff culture emphasizes cross-training so that taproom staff can aid with packaging on peak days.
Ingredient Sourcing and Farm Integration
On-site cultivation focuses on Willamette and Cascade hop varieties, heritage six-row barley trial plots, and aromatic herbs like lavender and chamomile. Partnerships extend to three neighboring farms within 25 miles for supplemental malting barley and specialty produce. Seasonal planning follows a three-year rotation to maintain soil health and optimize yield. Planting windows run March to May, hop bine training occurs May to July, and harvest takes place August through September, matching the brewery’s high autumn production.
Brewing Philosophy and Techniques
Core beers are brewed from house recipes refined through blind tastings. The recipe development process pairs sensory data with lab results. Mash schedules favor temperature rests that accentuate malt complexity for flagship ales. Boiling uses stainless kettles with hop additions timed for evolving bitterness and aroma. Fermentation choices vary by beer: primary ales use clean Saccharomyces strains at 18–20°C, while saisons and sours employ mixed fermentation with Brettanomyces and native lactobacillus in controlled environments. The incremental use of wild yeasts began in 2019 with controlled barrel inoculation trials lasting 6 to 24 months.
Equipment and Brewery Layout
The production footprint combines a heated brew room, a cooled cellar, packaging bay, and a taproom that opens onto the farm yard. Cold storage holds finished product at 2 to 4°C. A dedicated lab and a metal workshop support QA and equipment maintenance. Key equipment and capacities are listed below for operational clarity.
| Component | Specification | Capacity | Supplier or Origin | Year installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brew house | 10-barrel, three vessel, steam jacketed | 10 bbl per batch | DME Brewing Solutions | 2020 |
| Pilot system | 1-barrel electric pilot unit | 1 bbl per batch | Local fabricator | 2017 |
| Fermenters | Cylindroconical stainless | 2 × 30 bbl; 4 × 10 bbl | Custom welded | 2020 |
| Bright tanks | Pressure finished tanks | 4 × 5 bbl | Local supplier | 2018 |
| Canning line | 12-head, rotary filler | 200 cans per minute | Mobile canner service | 2019 |
| Cold room | Walk-in, insulated | 12 pallet positions | Regional installer | 2019 |
| Barrel cellars | French oak and used bourbon barrels | 150 barrels capacity | Mixed suppliers | 2018–2023 |
Experimental Brews and Small-Batch Projects
A pilot system allows rapid iteration with single-barrel test batches. Barrel aging began with 30 oak barrels in 2018 and expanded to 150 by 2023. Blending routines use sensory panels and gravity measurements to decide final blends. Limited releases include seasonal one-offs highlighting single-farm ingredients, and recipe riffs take a core beer and modify hopping or yeast to create variant releases.
Quality Control and Lab Practices
Sampling occurs at key stages: post-boil, after primary fermentation, and pre-packaging. Sensory panels include five trained tasters using standardized forms. Microbiological testing includes plating for lactic acid bacteria and wild yeast counts, and pH monitoring for sour programs. Recordkeeping follows batch sheets with traceability to crop origin and fermentation logs retained for five years for audit readiness. Standard remedies for off-flavors include tartaric stabilization, fining trials, and cellaring adjustments.
Sustainability Practices on the Farm and in Brewing
Water use is measured monthly. Rainwater capture covers up to 25 percent of non-potable needs. Wastewater is treated on site with reed bed filtration prior to municipal discharge under state permits. Spent grain is fed to neighboring livestock or turned into compost. Energy efficiency measures include a 40 kW solar array installed in 2021 and heat recovery on the brewhouse that preheats mash water. Composting programs and a closed loop for wash water reduce waste and input costs.
Taproom Experience and Visitor Flow
The taproom evokes the farm aesthetic with reclaimed wood, live plants, and picnic seating. Tasting flights are organized by 4-ounce pours to encourage sampling. Food partnerships include two local food trucks and a rotating roster of small farms providing seasonal plates. Tours operate daily at scheduled times, with workshops and brewing demonstrations offered weekly. Educational outreach includes farm day programs for local schools and brewery sessions for homebrewers.
Collaborations, Distribution, and Business Operations
Collaborations involve local chefs, visiting brewers, and artisans for label art commissions. Distribution mixes direct retail, on-site sales, and wholesale to neighborhood bars and specialty stores within a 120-mile radius. Pricing reflects ingredient cost and operational overhead with flagship cans typically priced between $12 and $16 for a four-pack in retail. Grants from county agricultural programs in 2019 helped fund irrigation upgrades. Staffing plans account for seasonal peaks during harvest and event-driven demand.
Regulatory Compliance and Future Plans
Licenses include a state brewery license, food handler permits, and a wastewater discharge agreement with county authorities. Recordkeeping supports periodic inspections and safety audits. Future plans include increasing fermenter capacity by 60 bbl in 2026, a cold brew and nonalcoholic product line, and research into perennial grain trials to reduce tillage and increase carbon sequestration. These steps aim to keep farm integration at the center of growth while preserving beer quality.