Farmers & brewers; an age-old partnership (with a new twist!) October 2 2018 News

As the leaves start to change and the days shorten, it seems like we all search for ways to hold onto summer for a little longer. Last night we had an unusual (but highly delicious) momentary throwback as we sipped a sample of Long Trail Brewery’s sweet cantaloupe beer, made with Sweetland melons! When Ian, one of Long Trail’s head brewers, reached out to us this summer to inquire about sourcing local cantaloupe for their Fruit Farm Series we were excited to collaborate.

On a sunny morning in early September Ian picked up about 40 cantaloupes and headed back to the brewery to experiment. The result, after much peeling, seed removal, chopping and brewing, is a beautiful copper-colored Saison with just the right amount of sweet fruit flavor. I’ll admit, I was pretty skeptical at first, but it’s quite delicious, and strikes the perfect combination of summer nostalgia and fall warmth. 40 cantaloupes resulted in about 60 gallons of brew, so if you want to sample some head over to Long Trail’s pub and restaurant this week where it will be on tap while supplies last! Let us know what you think, or post a picture of yourself enjoying it #sweetlandfarmvt

This collaboration came right around the same time that I was invited to attend a gathering of farmers and candidates for Vermont legislature. At the meeting the main topic of conversation was how to keep Vermont’s farms alive and growing. One of the many talking points that resonated with me was the importance of expanding the reach of local farm products within the community. We talked about training chefs to tailer restaurant menus to seasonal produce, reminding home cooks about the importance of buying directly from farmers, and encouraging new businesses to use the abundance of local ingredients to create value-added products. So it was doubly exciting to learn about and participate in Long Trail’s local fruit pilot series. We hope they keep it up, and that other businesses take note of the opportunities to work with local farmers in the future.

And now, on to this week’s harvest.

Prost!