Producer Circle for Organic Malting Barley
In cooperation with the private brewery M.C. Wieninger
The producer circle for organic malting barley, was launched in 2019 together with the Wieninger brewery from Teisendorf. It is a good example of how regional value creation can be strengthened locally. Having started on a small scale, the circle is growing step by step and gives rise to reliable trading relationships: The farmers have a security of purchase for their barley, the brewery in turn has raw material security and the special benefit of processing regional raw materials. Only in this way the “HOAMAT beers” could become certified biosphere products.
Local raw materials for biosphere beers
This is how the producer circle of organic malting barley came into being
At an event centered around Laufener Landweizen and Hoamat Weißbier, the Biosphere Administration Office and the Wieninger brewery came up with the idea of gradually growing more local grain for Wieninger’s organic beers: Thus, in December 2018, the project for regional organic brewing barley was born. After an initial meeting between brewmaster Bernhard Löw and project manager Karin Heinrich, there was already an expert event on regional organic grain cultivation in January 2019, with the support of Naturland consultant Thomas Neumaier – the first interested producers had been found. After an organic barley field day in July, which the Biosphere Region organized in cooperation with Naturland, and further talks with organic farms from the Biosphere Region network, the producer circle for local organic malting barley could be founded at the beginning of August 2019. Seven organic farmers, five of them from the Berchtesgadener Land region, one producer from the Traunstein district and one from the nearby Austrian border region agreed with the brewery on the cultivation of a total of almost 23 hectares of organic malting barley.
For spring barley, the organic variety “Planet” was chosen in the first year. A major speciality in the producer circle is the cultivation of organic winter malting barleyl. Winter barley is generally more reliable in terms of yield and could be grown more stably in the long term under changing climatic conditions. The “KWS Liga” variety was chosen in the first year.
The producer circle has increased to 17 farmers and about 50 hectares in 2022. Both winter and spring barley are grown. The majority of the organic farms are located in the Berchtesgadener Land, with a small share in neighboring counties and in the Austrian border region. Moreover, since the Hoamat beers from the Wieninger brewery have been Naturland certified since 2022, the aim is to also get the raw materials in Naturland quality. In addition to the annual meetings at the Wieninger Brewery for the planning of sowing and price negotiations, specialist events on organic grain cultivation and excursions with field days are offered for the producers circle, organized by the Biosphere Administration Office.
The Surmühle mill in Teisendorf, which cleans and stores the organic barley, plays an important role in this domestic value chain. A reliable partner for the production of organic barley malt was found in the organic malting plant in Riedenburg.
The HOAMAT beers of the Wieninger brewery were among the first certified biosphere products in 2020. In these organic beers, regional organic malting barley from the producer circle and, in part, various old grain varieties, such as Laufener Landweizen and Tauern Roggen, are processed, which are also grown by local organic farmers.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor
Your contact person
Karin Heinrich
Sustainable regional development, agriculture and public relations
