According to the brewbound

Aside from water, malted grain is the most important ingredient in brewing. But increasingly, brewers don’t want malt to just give a beer its core taste — they want it to reflect a sense of place and community. In North Carolina and the Southeast, malt houses like Epiphany are teaming up with farmers and brewers to create a “Southern beer economy” with a focus on malted grain and those who farm it.

This culture-shift towards local ingredients is providing a new opportunity and revenue source for grain farmers. Small farms continue to change under growing financial pressure, namely from low profit margins and international competition. But North Carolina’s growing craft beer industry, which created a $2.6 billion economic impact in 2018 according to the Brewers Association, is teaming up with local farmers to grow fresh, local ingredients for their beers.

Read more at source: brewbound