09/17/2022
One of the cool things about my work with the Artisan Grain Collaborative is I get to meet a wide variety of people active in the upper Midwest grain-chain.
Two such people are Mark Hoffman, President of WI Corn Growers Association, and Liz Henry of J Henry Distillery in Dane, WI.
Much of Mark’s work is focused on supporting family farms that produce corn. This includes facilitating conversations on stewarding the land in a responsible manner, both in terms of soil health and future economic viability of individual farms. That is challenging for commodity growers because of volatility in prices, increasingly sporadic weather due to the climate crisis, and intense competition for land — from developers, REITs, and a whole host of speculative investors disconnected from soil and place, where acreage is just a line item in a portfolio rather than ‘home’ or a way of life.
It was also a real pleasure to meet Liz — she and her family began distilling as a value-add to their conventional grain operation. Originally the family was in seedcorn production, and still does that work, but has expanded into the world of spirits as a successful micro-distillery. One of the coolest things I learned while visiting is that they actually revived a historic red corn variety released in the 1930s by University of Wisconsin and have been using that for their bourbon — so they really are holding up the tradition of place, all the way from genetics to glass. They’re breeding, selecting, and doing all the things to bring a bit more biodiversity to their corn fields.
I am a firm believer in organic and regenerative systems as the future of maize, but also know that even conventional corn growers are usually family businesses facing tough decisions and are often doing their level best to make the right choices. It’s not easy for grain growers, whatever your production practices are.
Thankfully there are dedicated people like Mark and Liz, finding paths forward, connecting firmly to sense of place, and developing new products using diverse maize genetics. 👏👏👏
