In 2020, we began an experiment to better understand the food systems in which our brewery operates. Each time we brew, we generate several hundred pounds of spent grains. These are leftovers that still have a decent amount of nutrient and energy potential. Often these go to local farms and compost facilities, but over the past few seasons, we’ve been feeding a majority of these Maine-grown grains and other edible brewery byproducts to our hogs.

Our three Yorkshire/Duroc-mix hogs were pasture-raised at Half-Ash Farm in Orland, ME. These happy pigs were raised on a mix of spent grains (Maine-grown barley, wheat, oat and rye), a byproduct of Fogtown Brewing Company’s flagship brews. The hogs were then finished on spent apple pomace from Fogtown’s cider program, and processed at Maple Lane Farms.