Agenda

Hop on the GRAIN TRAIN! Talk, Taste (yes virtual tasting!), & Learn from top bakers, chefs, brewers, and distillers using local grain to innovate and drive change in their communities.

8:50 am - 9:00 am – Welcome!

A few words from the Steering Committee

9:00 am - 10:00 am - Demo, Tour, Discussion

"A Guided Journey from Grain to Loaf” –  Common Grain Alliance (Mid-Atlantic)

Introduction to Common Grain Alliance - Heather Coiner, Founder, Common Grain Alliance
Milling demo - Andy Bayker, Baker & Co-owner, Althea Bread (Charlottesville, VA) 
Bakery tour and the bread-making process - Russell Trimmer, Baker & Co-owner, Motzi Bread (Baltimore, MD) 
Bread shaping lesson - Michael Grantz, Baker & Co-owner, Great Day Gardens (Forest, VA)
“Utilizing local grains at home” - Bayker, Trimmer, Grantz with Ben Shorofsky of Common Grain Alliance

10:00am - 10:45am - Demo

“You wanna pizza dis?” - Alex Bois, Lost Bread Company, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

Yes, whole-grain pizza CAN be delicious! You'll learn how to mix and assess the quality of dough from fresh-milled, whole-grain flour; read the signs of healthy fermentation and get comfortable handling a well-fermented dough; and shape and bake the pizza of your dreams in your home oven. You can purchase dough ahead of time from Lost Bread Co. or Rittenhouse Cafe and make your pizza during the class, or watch and learn how to do the whole process from scratch.

10:45am - 10:50am Sponsor Spotlights:

DirectLync - Finally, an all-inclusive digital marketing platform.
Penn Museum 

10:50am - 11:00am – Break

11am - 11:45am – Demo 

“Barley biscotti & utilizing leftover scraps” - Lex Ridgeway, Lost Bread Company, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

Barley isn’t only used for making beer and hearty soup-we love its unique flavor in our dark and toasty biscotti. Learn how to make traditional biscotti with a barley twist, and along the way we’ll chat about how our bakery focuses on upcycling leftover scraps to create new items (Barley Babka anyone?!).

11:45am - 12:30pm – Discussion

“A bread baker’s guide to starting a PA licensed home-based microbakery” - Cristina Jorge Schwarz, Cristina’s Bread House, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now, Sherri Morris, PA Department of Agriculture

You bake bread often and friends love it. Home and shared kitchen bakeries are relatively low-cost investment options to test your product and business idea. Learn the basics of getting licensed through the PA Department of Agriculture as a Limited Food Establishment. Considerations include local zoning, food safety, sourcing local ingredients and supplies, scaling up/manufacturing, and more. Cristina's Bread House will use her business as an example while walking through the steps of becoming a micro-bakery in PA. Following the workshop participants can connect with Cristina during the Q&A and there will be an opportunity to get connected to many resources.

12:30pm - 1:15pm – Tour

“Take a Tour of a 1730’s Stone Ground Flour Mill in Bucks County, PA” - Mark & Fran Fischer, Castle Valley Mill, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

Experience a one-of-a-kind sneak peak into a stone ground milling operation. Castle Valley Mill mills their grains and meals the old fashioned way using turn of the century milling equipment. Learn the ins and outs of milling and why stone ground is the only way to go.

1:15pm - 1:20pm – Sponsor Spotlight

Judy Wicks and Amanda Leahy, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

1:20pm - 1:55pm – Break

1:55pm – 2:40pm – Demo

“Method of Production: Creating the Shape of Pasta” - Chris Wright & Gina Rubinetti, The Pasta Lab, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

The Pasta Lab will walk you through the process of manufacturing fresh extruded pasta with local stone ground flour. You will learn how to identify, store and cook high quality fresh pasta. Spaghettoni alla Carbonara, a traditional Roman preparation will be demonstrated, followed by a brief Q&A.

2:45pm - 3:30pm – Demo
“Northwest Argentine-style empanada making class” - Jezabel Careaga, Jezabel’s Argentine Café & Bakery, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now

Join Jezabel for an online, hands-on empanada making class. Participants will learn the secrets behind this NW Argentine staple and how to assemble them like a pro. Participants can order a empanada happy hour kit and enjoy eight empanada creations alongside the Spanish-style pickled eggplant, housemade spicy llajua sauce, and signature alfajor de maizena. You can pick up your kit at Jezabel’s cook-along kit on the day before your class by clicking the link here. Alternatively, you can go to your local farm store or market to pick up your ingredients. Jezabel's can’t wait to share their beloved, delicious traditions with the community.

3:30pm - 3:35pm – Sponsor Spotlight

DirectLync -  Finally, an all-inclusive digital marketing platform.

3:35pm - 4:20pm – Demo & Discussion

“Local Grain & Traditional Foodways: Interview & Tsampa demo” - Katherine Rapin, The Philadelphia Citizen, PA Grain Coalition/All Together Now & Lama Losang Samten, Tibetan Buddhist Center

Tsampa refers to both barley that's been roasted—traditionally with hot sand - and then milled, and the food Tibetans prepare with it: an uncooked dumpling that tastes of hay and burnt toast. It's what Lama Losang Samten's family carried with them when they fled Tibet; and what he ate during his years as personal assistant to the Dalai Lama. Hear his stories and learn to make this traditional Tibetan food with local barley. 

4:20pm - 5:05pm – Tour

“The Full Picture: A Walkthrough of Philly Distilling from Start to Finish” - Aaron Selya, Philadelphia Distilling

In the past, the issue with showing attendees how we utilize grains was the fact that not all of the processes involved occur at the same time or even on the same day. It was possible to get a snapshot of what was happening in the distillery, but not a full picture. This year’s format allows me to film a 'walkthrough' or tutorial style video of our whiskey production and capture all elements of it. Afterwards, a live Q&A gives viewers the opportunity to get further details on specific elements of the process.

5:05pm - 5:10pm  - Sponsor Spotlight

Jimmy Carbone of Beer Sessions, Heritage Radio Network

5:10pm - 7:30pm – Break 

7:30pm - 9:30pm | Penn Museum & Philly Loves Beer

“Ancient Alcohol Beer Tour & Tasting: A look at the history of beer, throughout the world, dating back almost 11,000 years” - Christina Dowd, Philly Loves Beer; Dr. Matthew Farber, University of the Sciences; Sarah Linn, University of Pennsylvania; Jason Perkins, Allagash Brewing Company; John Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing; Mark Van Horn, Penn Museum

Drinking together has been a tradition for thousands of years, and we have found a way to keep that tradition alive! This tour and beer tasting will be led by a mix of both history and beer experts and will virtually explore how our ancestors partied like it was 5000 BCE. Follow along as we check out one of the most popular ancient Greek drinking games (you should definitely try this at home), zoom in on one of the world’s oldest wine jars, learn about a Mesopotamian queen who drank her beer out of a straw, and learn all about the science that went into recreating the beverage served at the funerary feast hosted by King Midas. All the while you will be encouraged to participate in fun and interactive games that test your knowledge and invite you to share some of your most memorable drinking stories. Panel discussion immediately following.

Tickets must be purchased separately for this event.

Drink Along With Us!
BEER 1: 2SP Brewing Company Up & Out OR Urban Village Brewing Company Double Dutch (using PA grain and malt)
BEER 2: Sterling Pig Beer Oatmeal Stout (using PA grain and malt)
BEER 3: Tröegs Independent Beer: Troegenator * (using PA grain and malt)
BEER 4: Vault Brewing Co. Black Lager OR Workhorse Brewing Company Black Lager
BEER 5: Allagash Brewing Company Kurkuma
BEER 6: Dogfish Head Midas Touch (DFH is discontinuing so if you see it grab it) OR Upper Reach Meadery FIZZ Cranberry Rosemary Sparkling Mead

Live around Troegs? Grab the Symposium Special Scratch Series 430! Spelt Golden Lager 5.38%
This limited collaboration is what happens when brewers, bakers, pastry chefs and maltsters are brought together through a shared love of grain. Brewed with PA grown & malted spelt and 80 spelt baguettes High Street on Market. PRE-ORDER NOW

Grab your Museum 6 packs at: Local 44 Bottle Shop, Pinocchio's Beer Garden To Go and The Bottle Shop

Connect, Share, & Learn from industry professionals, idealists, and activists involved in the local grain movement. A grain revolution is happening. Join us! 

8:50am - 9:00am – Welcome!

A few words from the Steering Committee

9:00am - 9:45am – Lecture

“Craft Brewing from Local Ingredients: Perspectives from Maine” - Jason Perkins, Allagash Brewing Company

This presentation will include a brief overview of the history of small grains in Maine and in depth look into local grain use at Allagash Brewing.  Their Million Pounds of Grain initiative will be discussed as well as the challenges and rewards of the local grain economy.

9:45am - 10:45am – Discussion Panel

“Regional Farmers Discuss Malting Barley: ” - Kristy Borrelli, Penn State; Jeremy Beach, Cheese City Beer Farm; Adriana Murillo-Williams, Penn State; Jeff Trout, Poorman Farms; Hillary Barile, Rabbit Hill Farms; Jon Quinn, Little Bohemia Creek Farms

This session will feature a facilitated panel discussion with several farmers across the region who will discuss challenges and opportunities they face with production and quality when growing malting barley for local markets. The session will allow additional time for audience members to ask their own questions directly to the farmers.

10:45am - 10:50am – Sponsor Spotlight

PA Preferred and PA Preferred Organics - Gwyn Rowland, PA Preferred, PA Department of Agriculture

10:50am - 11:00am – Break 

11:00am - 11:45am – Lecture

"An Industry Overview: Barley, Malt, and Beer Supply Chain - Moving Beyond 2020, One Brewer’s Observations " -Joseph Hertrich, retired Group Director, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted businesses and individuals, including impacts to the barley, malt and beer supply chain. Many businesses were disrupted and there have been devastating consequences. There have also been innovative approaches to sustaining businesses, and in some cases, opportunities for businesses to innovate and thrive. The speaker will provide an industry overview covering the barley, malt, and beer supply chain. The industry dynamics at the onset of 2020, followed by observations of how 2020 unfolded will be outlined. Finally, we will take a look forward at some of the factors likely to drive 2021 for this supply chain.

11:45am - 12:30pm – Discussion Panel

“Grains and PA Culinary Tourism” - CRAFT Chatham: Cassandra Malis, Cynthia Caul, Toni Simpson, & Quayla Allen

CRAFT has been working with PA DCED as well as other local tourism organizations to build regional culinary tours for the past two years, fostering economic growth while highlighting local businesses, farms, and the strong culinary history of our region. Included in these projects is a state-wide grains tour, including a series of recipes that were developed using local products. CRAFT's program managers and graduate student workers will discuss what CRAFT and partners have done with grains and culinary tourism in Pennsylvania, the potential impact of these kinds of projects, and the challenges/successes they have had to date.

12:30pm - 12:35pm – Sponsor Spotlight

USciences - Malt Beverage Testing Lab

12:35pm - 1:00pm – Break

1:00pm - 1:45pm – Lecture

“Spelt Production in Pennsylvania” - Liz Bosak, Penn State; Alyssa Collins, Penn State

Consumers continue to demonstrate demand for locally produced grains especially spelt, heritage wheat, and other alternative small grains. Attend this session to learn about a three year research project evaluating spelt varieties in Pennsylvania for yield, disease incidence, and milling quality. Also, learn how to identify small grain diseases.

1:45pm - 2:30pm – Lecture

“Food Safety Throughout the Grain Value Chain” - Cathy Davies, Food Safety Mid-Atlantic

This program will cover the basics of food safety throughout the grain value chain from farmer to brewer/distiller or baker/chef. Covering prerequisite programs, including good manufacturing practices, standard operating procedures, and sanitation. A practical approach to food safety for all businesses, especially those hoping to expand from B2B/wholesale to direct to consumer/retail.

2:30pm - 3:15pm – Lecture

“Naked Barley and Other Value Added Grains” - June Russell, GrowNYC; Karl Kunze, Cornell University; Brigid Meints, Oregon State University

Small grains offer many advantages for organic farmers. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is attractive because of its versatility as a malting, culinary, and feed grain. Selection and breeding of varieties suitable for organic agronomic and market conditions will provide organic farmers with improved options to meet the growing demand for organic barley. Currently, barley end-use markets are stratified due the presence of an adhering hull and grain β-glucan content. This OREI-funded research is focused on breeding naked (hull-less) varieties that have potential environmental and economic benefits for organic producers. Speakers will discuss the current breeding work as well as culinary, malting, brewing, and distilling trials involving naked barley.

3:15pm - 3:20pm – Sponsor Spotlight

DirectLync - Finally, an all-inclusive digital marketing platform.

3:20pm - 3:30pm – Break 

3:30pm - 4:15pm – Lecture

“Raising the Grain: Reviving the Northeast Grainshed” - Emily Cayer, Northeast Grainshed

Regional food systems are important both for the sake of local economies and for increasing the resiliency of our national food system. Re-establishing the fundamental place of grains in local food systems will help secure jobs, food, and farms. The potential for grains to support farmers and feed local communities has been overlooked, but as national supply chains struggled during the pandemic, local grains successfully met the demand. This success demonstrates the opportunity to strengthen the Northeast’s grain production capacity by identifying barriers and coordinating local efforts at the regional level, with both public and private representation. To enable successful regional organization, the Northeast Grainshed has begun to develop a coordinated eight-state partnership to synchronize efforts, reduce the hurdles caused by fragmentation, and create a unified foundation upon which to revive a regional grain system.

4:15pm - 5:15pm  – Discussion Panel

“Shop Talk: Players Across Regions Swap Notes on Incorporating Local Grains” - Leyna Lightman, Curator; Mike Potter, Black Brew Culture; Andrea Stanley, Valley Malt & Ground Up Grain; Jen Zimmerman, Maltwerks; Samantha Blatteis, Home Base Spirits

Are you a baker, distiller, or brewer THIRSTY for local grain and specialty ingredients but not sure where to start? Find out how folks across the country are making it happen! In this session, beverage industry entrepreneurs from different regions in the US offer various models for incorporating local grains into malting, distilling and brewing businesses.

5:15pm - 5:20pm – Sponsor Spotlight

 "Comprehensively Connecting Grain & Malt Products Across The Commonwealth" - Tabitha Barbarito, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture - Foodshed Mapping Project 

5:20pm - 5:30pm – Break 

5:30pm - 6:30pm – Happy Hour

“THREE Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place (and beer!) - Co-hosted by GK Visual and Beer Busters

The hosts of Beer Busters (Dan Baker, Wayne Baker, & Steph Heffner), a long-running podcast featuring guests from the craft beer industry, and Nate Kresge, Founder of Harrisburg-based media production company, GK Visual, will be joined by Jeff Michaud, pizza legend and James Beard Award winning chef, for a demonstration on DIY pizza dough making, and tips for making your own homemade pie. Following this, while nibbling on the fruits of our labors, and sipping some Pennsylvania brews, the hosts will welcome a series of guests to discuss the creative solutions the brewing industry has employed in the face of a challenging year, and what the industry looks like moving forward.

DIY Home Pizza Product Recommendations:
Troegs - Dough, sauce & cheese
Lost Bread Co. - Dough, sauce, & cheese
Deer Creek Malthouse - Dough Mix