‘We Can Make a Big Impact’: How Woodford Reserve Aims to Bring Rye Cultivation Back to Kentucky

Woodford Reserve Distillery. (Photos: Woodford Reserve)

Kentucky whiskey producer Woodford Reserve announced on Tuesday a five-year commitment to purchasing grain from local farmers in addition to working with the University of Kentucky to conduct research on rye cultivation. The aim is to support local farmers and increase sustainability, as rye is mainly sourced from Canada or Europe.

Kentucky has a humid and warm climate, making it difficult for rye to grow. Woodford plans on running small distillation trials with 10 varieties of locally grown rye to determine how they impact the flavor profile of bourbon starting this summer.

A field of rye grain

An assortment of family growers from Brown-Forman — which owns Woodford Reserve — agreed to grow rye for the project, including Dace Brown Stubbs, the owner of Log House farm. When asked why he chose to work with the distiller and cultivate the grain, his answer was a simple one:

“Rye is a wonderful crop. Cover crops keep our topsoil from blowing away and supply the soil with proper nutrients for growing other crops,” Stubbs said. “Rye is such a hot commodity in the spirits industry today, so why do we buy our rye from Canada and Germany, it needs to happen right here at home.”

The process of cover cropping is considered a long-term project that benefits the health of soils and farm management. Cover crops often slow erosion, smother weeds and help with pest control in addition to biodiversity, according to the American Farmland Trust. Woodford’s choice to work with locally grown rye would also reduce the distillery’s carbon footprint.

“If we can bring rye back to Kentucky, it would not only support farmers, but give a sustainable grain to whiskey producers across the state,” Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said. “Sustainability is a topic I care passionately about — and, working with partners, we can make a big impact.”

For the trial, Woodford Reserve will purchase rye grown locally by four farmers over the course of the next five years. One of the project’s goals is to find an open-sourced rye variety that will grow well locally in Kentucky. The grain is to be used in production and distillery trials, with a series of tests run on the final spirit.

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