I recently had a chance to attend and speak at the 3rd annual Philadelphia Grain and Malt Symposium organized by Mark Brault from Deer Creek Malting in Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania. The symposium provided a unique learning opportunity by bringing together stakeholders across the entire supply chain — connecting farmers with the millers and maltsters — and this group to the end food consumer, distiller and brewer. While many other conferences connect farmer to producer or producer to end consumer, many don’t connect all three.
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Just over 100 attendees had a chance to hear talks on topics ranging from crop management practices across different regions of Pennsylvania, to the importance of proper hydration and flour mixing to produce a great pizza crust, to my talk on how end use determines what is important from a safety and sustainability perspective.
Finally, the day ended with a chance to network with the diverse group while enjoying many local foods and beverages produced with grains and malt from Southeastern Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful event showcasing the reasons for local trends and the passion of the people making it happen!