Thursday, October 17th | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST

Insights from the 2024 U.S. Barley Crop

This presentation will dive into data from the USDA NASS Small Grains Summary, paired with how markets and weather impacted the crop harvested. It will also explore the landscape of variety development and improvement, and what maltsters can expect on the horizon. 

Insights from the 2024 Canada Barley Crop

The 2023 seeding, growing and harvest season was a rollercoaster for farmers and the western Canadian grain industry.  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s April 30^th drought monitor report showed the entire Prairie growing region in moderate to extreme drought conditions, however in early May the prairies received wide spread rains with moisture continuing regularly through June.  With cautious optimism in the air, the taps turned off at the end of June and temperatures turned hot through most of the month of July, resulting in early seeded crops in particular taking the brunt of the impact with yield and quality losses evident by early August in some regions.  As a result, quality is highly variable in the 2024 malting barley crop in western Canada with some areas having low yields, high protein content, thin kernels and low test weights, while other areas harvested barley with very good yields and quality.

About Our Speakers

Ashley McFarland                                                                                                      Vice President & Technical Director: American Malting Barley Association

Ashley McFarland serves as the vice president and technical director for the American Malting Barley Association, a trade organization representing maltsters, brewers, and distillers working towards the betterment of the U.S. malting barley crop and associated industry. In her role, she supports communications and membership efforts, along with management of the Quality Evaluation Program, which seeks to bring improved malting barley varieties into the supply chain. She also serves as the executive secretary for the National Barley Improvement Committee that supports barley growers, researchers, and industry representatives to secure sustained funding for barley research and policies that support domestic malting barley production. Previous to AMBA, McFarland held various roles in University extension programs across four states and has worked in nonprofit executive leadership. She has a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Central College (Pella, IA) and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Iowa State University. McFarland, along with her husband and two children, reside in Duluth, MN.

Peter Watts                                                                                                          Managing Director                                                                                                Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre                                             Winnipeg, Manitoba

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Peter graduated with a Master’s degree in International Relations in 1996 from Laval University in Quebec City. After working as a Market Analyst for the Canadian Wheat Board for nine years analyzing global grain markets, in 2005 Peter moved to Pulse Canada as Director of Market Innovation helping Canada’s pulse industry create new, valued added markets. He took over the position of Managing Director at the CMBTC in the summer of 2014 and in this role Peter oversees company operations.

Time: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM EST (12:00 PM-1:00 PM CST, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM MST, 10:00 PM-11:00 PM PST) 

Cost: Free for Craft Maltsters Guild members and $20 for non-Guild members

Questions? Please contact, director@craftmalting.com.