b'As a craft producer, Rig Hand CraftLike many value-add businesses,often a steep learning curve for not Distillerys mandate is to source local,Stewarts offers spin-off value-addnecessarily a lot of return. And, they employ local and sell local. opportunities. Farmers who sell direct toare often not required in the right The craft industry was founded on thehim earn better returns on their grains.scale for the size of farms we manage. support your local community ethic,He adds value to that grain by distillingThe better question to ask is, what says Stewart. Thats not just words; weit. He then passes the spent grain on tocan we do with the crops we already live that. We want to build somethinga mushroom farmer, who increases thegrow and we already know how to that adds value to our community andvalue of the grain again by using it as angrow well? he says. We know what that lasts.ideal growing medium for mushrooms,we know. We already grow excellent Typically, craft beer costs in the rangewhich he ultimately sells to add value toproduct so lets figure out how to of 70 per cent more than big-batch beer.local restaurants menus.get more value for the products we Craft spirits premiums are even higher:[Our business model] is an example ofalready grow. they generally cost double or morehow businesses can work together, andHe suggests farmers test the compared with larger brands of spirits.all help build a healthier, more vibrantcrops they already grow to identify Yet, demand continues to climb, sayslocal community, says Stewart.characteristics that make them unique: Stewart.perhaps a higher level of some mineral, I credit the internet for creating a moreFarmers Must Step Forward or a particularly high protein or oil informed population who understandTeamwork fits Drumheller-area farmercontent, or a specific way of growing where their food comes from, he says.Steve Larocques value-add vision as well.what theyve grown in the past. Then This wouldnt have worked 10 or 20Larocque, an agronomist well knownconsider who might value that attribute.years ago, but people are so educatedfor his Beyond Agronomy consultingIf your soil is very high in zinc, now: people understand the qualitybusiness, is currently working with threefor example, maybe that would suit difference between mass-producedother farms to jointly pursue value-addsomeone who has to fortify their corn products compared with food and drinksopportunities for their grain, oilseed andflakes with zinc. You need to figure out prepared the way theyre supposed to bepulses. Their plan is to begin selling towhat youre selling: your product and and with real ingredients.a value-add market in 2020. Hes veryyour story, he says. The hard part isnt Though Millennials are driving thecertain opportunity exists.growing the product: you already know move towards local and craft acrossHow many people are doing it? Lesshow to do that. The hard part is coming the food and beverage sector (and,than one per cent are value-adding theirto [a potential customer] with a story increasingly, into clothing and beyond),grain, Id guess. But the access has neverthey want to hear, and then building Stewart has been surprised they arentbeen as clear and easy as now. Fieldrelationships.his main customers.to glass, farm to table has been aroundWho is coming next to Albertas The people doing most of the buying forever, but its never been as easy asvalue-add scene? Expect hemp to be its Millennials parents and grandparentsthe last five years. Theres desire froma major player because of its CBD because they have more disposableconsumers; we as farmers just have tofactors, its nutritional uses, its protein income. Theyre definitely being pushedstep forward into that space.functionality, and its fibres many by the Millennials ideas, but now theLarocque and his teams perspectiveindustrial applications. Faba beans is demand for locally-produced, realon value-add is different than most.another up-and-comer, as shown by products has expanded beyond just theMost farmers who pursue value-addRoquettesa global leader in starch Millennial generation, he says.look first to identify a need or demandproductioninvestment in that crop. Is Stewart concerned there is growingin the market and then work backwardWalkey expects renewed interest in interest by other would-be distillersto their farm fields to figure out howancient grains, as well as some of the getting in on the craft distilling market?they can grow a product that matchesmore traditional crops, now the gluten-Not a bit. In fact, he welcomes additionalthe need. On the upside, starting with afree market appears to be stabilizing. craft distillers and says hell gladlyclear and present market gap increases aAnd there is growing interest in do whatever he can to help marketfarmers likelihood of ultimately sellingtexturizing plant proteins so they can newcomers succeed.their product. On the downside, thebetter replicate meat. Right now, craft industries are onlystrategy is risky because the farmerUltimately, farmers will have to ask scratching at the big companies marketmust produce product that alignsthemselves one key question when share. On the spirits side, craft distillerieswith the identified need, which couldthey consider delving into value-added are only capturing about three per centrequire growing a new-to-them crop oropportunities: is the potential gain of the industry. As a craft industry, weaccording to a new production method.worth the effort? need to work together to steal moreLarocque approaches value-add fromLarocque knows exactly where he market share from big companies thatexactly the opposite position. stands: For the right type of farmer, have always had a stranglehold on theWe dont necessarily want to goabsolutely. It wont appeal to everyone, market. Other craft distillers arent myout and risk growing specialty cropsbut for those who can make it work, competition; I see us all as being on thebecause they are often really smalltheres huge opportunity. same team. markets, more risk, more effort, and Madeleine BaergSpring 2020 11'