2019 : Walla Walla / Waitsburg / Latah / Horse Heaven / Freewater
2019 WALLA WALLA LYON
2-ROW SPRING BARLEY
2019 WALLA WALLA GENIE
2-ROW SPRING BARLEY
Crop Notes
GROWER: H.T. Rea Farming
GRAIN: LCS Genie, 2-Row Spring Barley (100 ac); WSU Lyon, 2-Row Spring Barley (62 ac)
SUSTY: Salmon-Safe; Dry-Farmed
PLANTED: Lyon on April 18, 2019; Genie on April 27, 2019
HARVESTED: Lyon on August 18, 2019; Genie on August 21, 2019
2019 was H.T. Rea Farming’s third year growing barley for Mainstem and we’re honored they keep coming back for more. This year’s Genie barley was grown up Walla Walla’s Russell Creek, on a gentle incline at the base of the Blue Mountain foothills. The Lyon barley was grown on an exceedingly flat piece of floodplain near the Sapolil grain elevators on Dry Creek.
Despite a fairly late planting, we saw a favorable combination of relatively mild temperatures and moderate precipitation for most of the season, with a characteristically arid finish. Despite an earlier planting, the Lyon experienced a higher degree of stress toward the end of grain fill and despite good plumps, ended up with elevated protein versus the Genie. We expect the Genie to produce spectacular Pales and Pilsners, and look to the Lyon for extra depth of flavor in English Pales, Viennas, and Munichs.