The exterior of the large, red brick Valley Malt building, a renovated mill adjacent to a canal.

About Us

Valley Malt has been producing craft malt from 100% Northeast, family farm-grown grains since 2009. Sustainability, quality, and support of Northeast farms are the values at the heart of our business.

In the fall of 2009 Andrea and Christian were driving back from a weekend visit to Maine, with 3 kids asleep in the back of the van. A recent article had them talking about wheat being grown locally for breads at their favorite bakery, Hungry Ghost Bread. This was a moment in life that captured the Stanleys’ curiosity. Why had they never thought about grains and where they were grown? Not only wheat for bread, but what about all the craft beer that was being brewed locally: where was that grain coming from?

Christian Stanley and Andrea Stanley in the Valley Malt office, under a wooden sign emblazoned with, "Valley Malt Est. 2010."

A maltster inspect malted grains in progress.

Andrea and Christian in a field of barley.

7 months later, Andrea and Christian had just harvested their first 10 acres of malt barley from a field in Hadley, MA. The grain was laid out to dry on tarps in their two-car garage because Valley Malt had little money, no location, and no infrastructure for drying or storing grain.

Now, fourteen years later, Valley Malt is malting barley, wheat, rye, and corn for breweries and distilleries all around the Northeast and supporting 800 acres of Northeast farmland each year. We expanded in 2022 by renovating a hydroelectric-powered paper mill in Holyoke, MA. We now also mill grains for distillers, and recently launched our Regenerative Organic Certified® line of malts, which includes Pilsner, Pale, and Wheat Malts.

As we move forward in our mission to create a regional network of grain growers, maltsters, brewers, and distillers, we’re proud to provide our customers with the freshest, most flavorful malts you can find, excellent customer service, and a true connection to the land and farmers that make our favorite beverages possible.

The Valley Malt Team