As beer loses share to hard seltzer, US barley farmers scramble
Don Nygaard, a third-generation farmer in a remote corner of North Dakota, used to grow malt barley for Rahr Malting Corporation to make into lagers, pale ales and IPAs. But this year, he received no lucrative contracts from Minnesota-based Rahr or any beer makers, so his sprawling farm is growing food-grade barley and wheat, both crops that are priced near four-year lows. As overall beer consumption in the U.S. slides to its lowest level since the 1970s according to data from the Brewers Association, U.S. Plains states face a huge ...
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