How cover crops help the bourbon, brewing, and baking industry
by Indigo Agriculture
Hear why Woodford Reserve is purchasing cereal rye from local Kentucky farmers
Elizabeth McCall, a distiller at Woodford Reserve, spoke to Indigo on why they are working with local farmers in the Kentucky Commercial Rye Cover Crop Initiative to bolster their bourbon business, hit sustainability goals, and improve the local economy. Learn more about the farmer benefits of participating in this initiative.
Woodford Reserve as a company has sustainability as an important pillar of how they operate. McCall is a big proponent of circular economy and the importance of what’s best for their end user and sourcing partners. The ability to purchase cereal rye locally has benefits for their bottom line and helps them reduce their carbon footprint. Woodford Reserve has historically bought cereal rye globally, so the shipment to Kentucky puts a big hit on their carbon footprint. Buying locally also helps stimulate the local economy and helps generate market opportunities for local farmers.
Woodford Reserve was additionally interested in buying rye locally to research if the different terroirs had effects on the bourbon. In their tests, when they compared how they traditionally produced bourbon with global rye vs local rye, there were no negative defects in the quality check. Next, they performed a descriptive panel test which has individuals taste the bourbon for their attributes. For example, graininess, fruity, wood, spice, etc. The panelists graded each attribute on a scale of 15. An interesting early finding was that locally grown rye produced a more fruity note than the traditional production.
McCall and the team at Woodford Reserve are excited to do more research and committed to helping the initiative for 5-10 years. They will look next if the tasting profile changes from region to region. While Woodford Reserve is a smaller-scale distillery, its mission is also to use its research findings to recommend other distillers to buy locally. This is just one example of how cover crops can provide new market opportunities. Small grains typically grown for their cover crop value are receiving new consideration as an additional crop in the rotation as food and beverage companies are increasingly seeking to re-localize their sourcing. Growing and adding these small grains to their rotation also qualify for generating carbon credits while taking advantage of the crop rotation benefits.
This article may include information from third-party sources or other information that Indigo may not independently verify. Carbon quantification methods, processes and understandings are in their nascency and subject to change and continuous development. The information contained herein is for general informational purposes only and may be based on generally applicable assumptions that may not be applicable to any individual operation. Actual results may differ among growers and farms based on a large number of variables. Each operation should independently consider the financial implications and all potential risks and benefits of the use of any agronomic practice. Any payments under Carbon by Indigo are subject to multi-year vesting and are contingent on continued long-term maintenance of regenerative agricultural practices and soil carbon levels. All Carbon Credits generated are subject to buffer pool holdbacks required by third-party crediting; participants will not receive payments for such holdback. Neither Indigo nor its representatives or affiliates makes any representations, warranties or guarantees as to any specific outcomes (agronomic, financial or otherwise) in connection with any recommendations, calculations or predictions. Terms, conditions, limitations and eligibility requirements apply. See program agreement for additional details regarding Carbon by Indigo.
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Neither Indigo nor any of its affiliates makes any representations, warranties or guarantees as to any specific results or outcomes, including, without limitation, with respect to soil health outcomes or any minimum amount of greenhouse gasses sequestered or number of carbon credits generated. Participation in Carbon by Indigo is subject to the terms, conditions and limitations of the program contained in the applicable enrollment agreement. Any payments under Carbon by Indigo are subject to multi-year vesting and are contingent on continued long-term maintenance of regenerative agricultural practices and soil carbon levels. All Carbon Credits generated are subject to buffer pool holdbacks required by third-party crediting; participants will not receive payments for such holdback. Not available in all areas.
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