Thornhill Farm

using organic grain to make whiskey

Butterworks Farm
Jack Lazor loading 1,000 lb. of organic corn onto our truck at his grain mill, Westfield, Vermont.

It is an honor to be using Jack’s organic corn to make whiskey and vodka.The quality of this corn is so wonderful that after 18 days in a new American oak barrel, the whiskey was so good that I wanted to bottle it then. Ryan is in charge of this, and said I had to wait: we will have our first release in 2014.

Maybe I am reacting to our family in Edinburgh; for most of the last 125+ years, they waited for 12 years to release their whisky at J.W. Hardie. Now in Vermont, we do not have the time, money or patience to wait 12 years, and I am grateful that our whiskey is so good as a youngster.

When I finished with ag school and started working with the elders of beekeeping in the Finger Lakes and then Vermont, if you had told me that how you treat your family, bees, and employees goes into every jar of honey, I would have thought you were kooky. But this was what was revealed after many seasons with our colonies of bees, and now we are seeing it with organic grain.

A few months ago, Ryan and I went to talk with Jack about his grains. First there was a long walk to the rear field to move the fence for the Butterworks Farm herd of cows. This is Vermont’s original organic yogurt dairy, making wonderful products for over 30 years. With rotational grazing, the cows get new grass every 12 hours. This keeps the grass and legumes young and nutritious and spreads out the manure.

We moved long lines of fences around in the dusk, and as darkness settled over these fields, it was clear that Jack knew his land well and could navigate by a little starlight. At this time in my life, I am treasuring the relationships where more is said by speaking less. I like walking next to Zorro the horse, accompanying him to and from the field and the barn, without a lead line with and just with a few words. With Jack, it was clear that this land had been cared for, loved and respected by the 38 years that he and his family had been stewards here.

The history of distilling has its roots in agriculture. This has been one way to get a return in your crop, preserve a crop and transport it more economically. We are now seeing how the growth of farm based distilling in Vermont, New York and Quebec is giving support to family farms, organic agriculture and healthy soils, and rural communities and businesses.The courage, creativity, and collaboration in Vermont now is not new; it goes back over 300 years.

joyous holidays to you,

thank you for your interest in and support of our work with organic honey, elderberries, and grain,

Todd D. Hardie

Ryan Christiansen, head distiller

What is your heritage, and where did you grow up?
My great-grandfather came from Denmark in the early 1900’s in search of farm land. He settled in East Montpelier. I grew up in Plainfield, a great little town with a strong, vibrant community, which resembles Hardwick in its agriculturally driven population. This summer we began building a house in Plainfield, which should be finished this winter. I’m excited to be back to my roots.

How did you come to distilling?
I’ve been studying fermentation for about 10 years. I opened a home brew store (Local Potion) 5 years ago. Small scale brewing at home was really fun, but after a few years, I realized that I craved a production environment. I always thought that I would be a brewer, but after hearing Todd’s vision for Caledonia Spirits, I knew that this was where I needed to be. After many experiments wih beer and winemaking, I was ready for a new set of variables, which distillation has provided. It’s a new wave of fascination to add to my love for fermentation.

What’s your favorite winter activity?
Snowshoeing and brewing beer, because in winter time the cold weather helps to cool the beer. My winter hobbies are driven by the temperatures.

Tim has just delivered 5 yards of rich, black compost from the adjoining Jasper Hill Farm, Greensboro, Vermont, jasperhillfarm.com. Time has cured this manure into a pure gold for our garden, and the process is moving to capture the gas off of this manure for heating on the farm. Three colonies of honey bees are sitting to the left of the barn.

I helped guide his truck to avoid the garlic and carrots that are overwintering under a layer of hay. A goal on both farms is to restore fertility to the land. We see that the soil is worn out when the honey crops are consistently low in this area. It has been a challenge to farm here in the Northeast Kingdom, and the farmers have struggled to give back to the land. It is not their fault; farming is a challenging and tough business. This is why the work in our area with the Cellars at Jasper Hill, Pete’s Greens, High Mowing Seeds, and Caledonia Spirits is so exciting. Value added agriculture offers a way to give back to the land, and healthy soils support strong families.

I recall one day when our daughters and I passed a dairy farm in Vermont. They remarked how good the smell was from the fresh manure that had been spread in the field. I was proud of them for realizing how valuable a resource this was and not being offended by the aroma. Then I realized that I was successful at being a father. O, there are other things that may determine this, but here in Northern Vermont, we realize the importance of the land and never stop nuturing her.

thank you for our your interest in and support of our work at Caledonia Spirits. Todd