For customers looking for certified organic malt, by definition this malt:
- must be made from certified organic grain
- must be malted in an organic certified facility,
- must be strictly controlled while loading, transferring and shipping to maintain the organic purity and not allow any co-mingling.
Our Colorado malthouse was initially granted organic certification in 2018 and has maintained our certification through annual audits by Oregon Tilth, our certifying organization.
Most organic farmers believe in making an active choice to follow the guidelines set out by the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). These grains are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or herbicides.
While there is a lively discussion ongoing about the difference between growing organic grains and growing regenerative grains, Proximity believes that both methods are beneficial to the environment. Organic farming is definitely focused on what is being put into the ground, specifically using and growing only non-GMO products and only using organic fertilizers (animal by-products, plant-derived materials and mined minerals). Growing grains free of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides is a very positive approach, and involves very specific farming skills, for which we are happy to reward our growers with a premium. While most of our grain is grown in Colorado, we also source organic grain in neighboring states to assure we have consistent supply in variable growing seasons. It is also interesting to note that organic row crops account for less than 1% of the acres farmed in the US.
