WHERE IT BEGINS

Grain is where beer and bread begin—but the grain itself is shaped by variables we can’t control.

Our grain program is rooted in a simple idea that’s become uncommon in California today: growing grain for both beer and bread on our family ranch, and learning—slowly and season by season—what it means to make something rooted in place.

 

Third Window White, our Belgian-style witbier, brewed with wheat we grew and local citrus.

 

THE SHAPE OF A SEASON

Each harvest reflects the conditions of its year.

Our 2025 harvest was shaped by minimal and poorly timed rain, resulting in a much smaller yield than we hoped for: about 3,100 pounds of wheat and 3,800 pounds of barley. In comparison, 2024 brought substantial rainfall and a far more abundant wheat harvest—roughly 15,000 pounds—which made its way into Third Window White, Third Window Saison, FE Pilsner, and a variety of our wild beers as well as the sourdough pizza, bread, and pretzels served in our kitchen.

But difficult growing conditions don’t necessarily mean lesser quality. Some of the world’s most celebrated wine vintages came from difficult years, including Bordeaux’s famed 1945 vintage, when severe growing conditions led to exceptionally low yields but remarkably concentrated fruit. In the same way, this year’s harvest carries a unique flavor profile we’re quite excited about—one shaped by weather, scarcity, and place.

Part of the process is learning what each harvest is best suited for. Some grain may become beer, some may become flour, and those decisions are guided by the grain itself. Our 2025 harvest is currently being cleaned and will soon arrive here to be milled as we begin determining how it will be used.

 

From field to yield. Once the grain is harvested, we taste it and decide how best to use it so its character can shine. 

 

REBUILDING A CONNECTION TO THE LAND

At the heart of this project is a larger mission: making beer and food that express the land we call home.

We know this approach is uncommon today, especially in California—and understandably so. It is far less economical and far less predictable than sourcing grain through modern supply chains.

Not all that long ago, though, breweries were much more closely tied to the agricultural systems around them. Grain was grown regionally and beer was more directly connected to place.

Over time—through Prohibition, World War II, industrial consolidation, and the rise of global supply chains—that relationship largely disappeared. Today, most breweries in the U.S. are far removed from the land their ingredients come from.

With the land we are fortunate to farm, we feel grateful to take on the challenge of rebuilding even a small part of that connection—not only through our own grain, cattle and produce, but through relationships with other local farms that help supply our kitchen as well.

Of course, the process comes with challenges. There is very little barley being grown in our region today, which means navigating much of the logistics ourselves. It also means accepting uncertainty in yield, timing, and outcome from year to year.

But we believe the work is worthwhile.

 

LETTING THE LAND SPEAK

This is still the beginning of our grain story, and it will continue to evolve over time. Even so, it will always be shaped by the realities of season, weather, and place.

In the end, this is not just a grain program. It is an ongoing attempt to reconnect beer and bread to the land they come from—and to let each harvest shape what comes next.

 

Pizzas made with our wheat, naturally leavened with Michellene's sourdough starter, and wood-fired with foraged oak.