The harvest for malt barley is underway in our region. That’s an important ingredient for craft beer.

Judy Gillette is the Grower Relationship Manager for Briess Malt & Ingredients Company that buys malt barley from more than 300 growers in Northwest Wyoming and Southern Montana.

She says harvest slowed down this past week with recent rains, but so far that isn’t anticipated to impact yields.

“Probably the yields this year are a little bit above average for the area. The cool, wet spring was very conducive to barley,” she said.

Gillette said malt barley harvest in the northwest part of the state typically goes until around Labor Day.

According to the U.S. The Department of Agriculture’s most recent Wyoming Crop progress report, barley harvest in Wyoming is 64 percent complete.