In response to the growing demand for locally sourced ingredients for the craft beverage market, farmers continue to explore barley as an alternative crop in Michigan.

As interest grows for malting barley, Michigan State University AgBioResearch, and MSU Extension researchers and educators are striving to address industry needs, including variety suitability, disease and pest management, and fertility recommendations. Taking stock of production in the state will better inform short- and long-term research and Extension strategies.

Traditional agriculture statistics are of little help when trying to determine the state of malting barley production in Michigan. The reason for this inaccurate view is that all barley is categorized as one crop (winter vs. spring; feed vs. malting).

Furthermore, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service announced in 2017 that it would no longer be collecting agricultural survey data on barley in Michigan, as it streamlines and prioritizes data collection efforts.

In response, the MSU Barley Research Team is coordinating a survey of Michigan farmers. This work, also supported by the American Malting Barley Association and the Michigan Brewers Guild, will provide a snapshot of the level of production and serve as a baseline for the growing industry.

Respond to the survey at  2018 Michigan Malting Barley Production Survey.

The survey data will be summarized and a report made available through the MSU Extension Malting Barley website. Individual farmer information or responses will not be reported.

If you are interested in learning more about malting barley research at MSU, contact one of the following MSU Malting Barley team members: Brook Wilke at 269-671-2509 or [email protected]; Dean Baas at [email protected]; Ryan Hamilton at [email protected]; or James DeDecker at [email protected].

Source: MSUE