July 10, 2009

The Pint Sized Farm


The history museum that gave birth to my 19th century obsessions is now home to a garden sponsored by the Great Lakes Brewing Company. Great Lakes is growing herbs and vegetables in its Cleveland restaurant, and for brewing beer.

From GLB: "Surrounded by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hale Farm, which is operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), functions as a 19th century agrarian and village community with strong educational emphasis on the history, culture and development of the Western Reserve. A fallow, historic orchard field, dubbed the "Pint Size Farm", has been transformed by GLBC into an edible, culinary landscape using centuries-old gardening techniques and modern organic agriculture including the use of spent brewer’s grain and worm castings as organic compost and fertilizer...A large area of the new plot is dedicated to growing "beer herbs" featured in GLBC’s saison Grassroots Ale and other pub exclusive beers."

Grassroots Ale is described as: "A fragrant saison blended with coriander, lemon balm, chamomile and lemon basil..."

Get a little taste of Hale Farm at the GLB company website.