In Winter the bare boughs that seem to sleep work covertly preparing for their Spring

“In Winter the bare boughs that seem to sleep Work covertly, preparing for their Spring.” - Rumi

Dear Botany BrewFarm Community,

Tonight at 9:27pm CST, the North Pole will reach its maximum tilt from the Sun, making for the longest night of the year, and marking the official start to winter. Bleak, right? Dark evening commutes and cold long nights. But since before recorded history, the winter solstice has held almost universal significance as a time of renewal and ritual for people across the globe.

For me, the Winter Solstice marks a moment of reflection, inviting pause and appreciation for the cycles of things. I can bear the cold and the dark of the season, because I know the days are about to get longer, the sun brighter, and inevitably spring will have sprung before we know it. So each year, I stop to appreciate the stillness of the Solstice before the often hectic holiday season that follows.

As I reflect today, it is with sincere warmth and gratitude that I extend season’s greetings to all of you. I thank you for your support, assistance, and above all, your kind patience this past year as I continue to work towards a Botany BrewFarm public opening.

I’m honored by your continued interest in the project, and though I’m not quite ready to nail down an official opening date quite yet, I’d like to share some updates with you about what’s been happening out here, and extend an invitation to a holiday party Botany BrewFarm is co-hosting with some fun friends in St. Paul next week — where you can try the cider collaboration we made with Sweetland Orchard, and I’ll be hanging out to answer any questions you have about all things Botany BrewFarm.

The truth is, it’s taken significantly more work and investment of time, energy, and money than I thought it would to get this place back up and running. Am I surprised that there have been delays? Absolutely not. In my previous life, I oversaw The Growler Magazine’s coverage of hundreds of brewery, distillery, and restaurant openings. There are always delays. And in almost all of those cases, there weren’t also 35 additional acres to manage — which has been a challenging and rewarding kick in my cidiot butt.

The learning curve has been steep. I like to think I’m a hard worker, but I’m also new to full time farm life. I’m a city kid. I’ve always been a little klutzy. And I’m only one person. But I’m learning a really crucial skill out here that’s even more important than the knowhow needed to fix the timing belt on a 50-year-old Vermeer tractor: I’m learning how to give myself some grace.

It’s true what they say about living in the country. Time really does seem to slow down. There’s more space to think, and to be. I had no idea how much I needed that until I really settled in out here and embraced the slower pace, and therefore a more intentional way of living, and an acceptance that on a farm, ultimately Mother Nature (and that jerk Murphy and his laws) is really in charge.

All that said – it has been a very productive year on the farm.

Since I posted last, there have been a couple dozen dump truck loads of rock and gravel spread out to shore up a new parking lot and an access road to keep cars off the Village road and our wonderful BrewFarm neighbors happy. (I see you, snowmobilers.) We (s/o to John Huber and Farmhand Frankie) spent a lot of the summer clearing brush and sumac, flattening and irrigating the new parking lot, and preparing areas for goats and ducks, which will be coming in the spring. I know a lot of you that are very excited to meet them. I am too.

Brewer Brett and I have slightly reconfigured some things in the brewhouse and started some test batches of beer and cider. We produced a small commercial batch with Gretchen Merryweather at Sweetland Orchard using apples picked from the orchard here at Botany, as well as about 18 bushels of wild apples we picked from an old pasture at our friend’s place down the road. Cheers, Chad and fam, from Bluebird Summit Tree Farm, for the apples and the hospitality.

The cider turned out great, and we’re excited to offer you an opportunity to try it next week and hang out with some of our food and beverage friends at the newly revamped MidCity Kitchen. And if you can’t make it to the MidCity Holiday Meat & Greet (details below), rest assured that once we are open, we will always offer a Sweetland X Botany collaboration cider for regular refreshment.

In the coming year, I look forward to sharing more milestones and updates with you, and eventually sharing this wonderful place with all of you in real life. Your continued support is the motivating force for all those involved in the experiment that is Botany BrewFarm, and for that, I am sincerely grateful.

Wishing you a peaceful Solstice, a joyful holiday season, and looking forward to the adventures that await us this year.

Cheers,

Joseph Alton

Botany BrewFarmer