Anheuser Busch Grower Days celebrates 50 years of Idaho Barley

“Barley today, Budweiser tomorrow.” That’s the saying that Anheuser-Busch has. The Idaho Falls brewing plant would not be nearly as successful without help from local barley growers.

“Without them, we just don’t make beer,” said Doug Peck, the Idaho regional AG manager for Anheuser-Busch. “The growers are very vital parts of our organizations here.”

Celebrating a 50-year partnership with local growers, Anheuser-Busch hosted its annual Grower Days on Friday. The event brings together people from all over the region.

“Of course this is a great time to meet them and visit about their crop and how things are going for the year,” added Peck.

The event gives plant workers and growers a chance to meet up and discuss new strategies for growing barley. Including bringing out smart agriculture programs to help educate growers on the plant’s global sustainability goals, like SmartBarley, LESA, AgriMet, New Barley Varieties, and Crop Management Trials.

“We all grow barley in a little bit different way, and the end result is what we’re aiming for,” said Taylor Grant, a barley grower for Anheuser-Busch. “With a high quality, but everybody goes at it a little bit differently. Exchanging ideas and finding out what works and what doesn’t work.”

The plant also took guests on tours of the plant, so growers can see where their product ends up and the steps it goes through.

This event recognizes and awards farmers under the age of 35 who are running their own businesses or continuing the family legacy of growing barley.

Above all, organizers say this an important event for their growers so they can show their appreciation.

“This community out here in Idaho Falls means a lot to Anheuser-Busch, personally and professionally, many of the folks working at these plants and my agronomy team were born and raised here,” said Jess Newman, the director of U.S. agronomy for Anheuser-Busch. “You buy a six-pack of bud here in the U.S., half of those bottles have malting barley from Idaho Falls inside.”

The events earlier in the day were just for private guests only, but Anheuser-Busch has opened up the rest of the celebration to ticket-holding public. There are the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, food and drinks and live musical performances going on until 7:30 p.m. Friday night.