Speech and Testimony
County Executive Leggett’s Remarks at The Brookeville Beer Farm Ribbon Cutting
As prepared
Good afternoon.
I always like to pay tribute to great business success stories, particularly ones that have a connection to Montgomery County, like this one.
The County has been working to find new ways for farmers to make money including creative uses surrounding agricultural tourism and agricultural education.
Creating opportunities for agricultural businesses to thrive in the County like Brookeville Beer Farm the - County's newest ‘Farm to Glass’ Brewery -benefits everyone.
A fortuitous meeting in 2013 between Phil Muth and Tim McDonnell shortly after the state of Maryland created the farm brewery licensure in May of 2012 was the beginning of something great.
From the first hop planted in 2014 by Phil Muth, the farm now supports the cultivation of more than 600 hop plants in addition to raspberry, blackberry and blueberry patches to be used as ingredients for the various beer styles.
The farm is also home to mushroom and honey harvesting. Plans include increasing hop production to sell to other local brewers.
Just as the farm crops fuel the brewery, the excess brewing ingredients will feed back onto the farm to enrich the soil via compost from the spent grain.
The goal is to have the majority of their hops and herbs the beers, grown on the farm or locally; and to be a sustainable and organic operation recycling of all post-consumer waste and byproducts.
The next evolution will be distributing the farm brewery draft beers to the Maryland and Virginia area. Even now, Millennials and X-Gens are travelling to the County to sample craft beers.
I am pleased that you have established this Beer Farm in Montgomery County. We know it will be a mutually beneficial good fit. We have taken a hands-off approach to the State law and allowed these and other business like it to flourish.
Montgomery County is the most progressive and inclusive County in the country. We see that progressiveness matched in your willingness to pay your employees $15 per hour as the minimum wage.
It is fitting that your #1 Beer is called Interdependent IPA, which coincidentally is emblematic of the Brookville Beer Farm’s key to sustainability: Consumers, Business and Government all coming together as one.
Through hard work, inclusiveness, and sustainability, I would say you have made considerable progress.
I am also pleased that our Office of Agriculture could provide help to make this possible. You have brought a great business and product to Montgomery County, and I wish you the best of success.
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Release ID: 16-045
September 16, 2016; 2:30 p.m.