Small-Batch Barley

Barley is a cereal grain, in the same botanical family (Poaceae) as wheat, maize, rice, oats, rye, and sorghum. A cool-season crop that matures relatively quickly, barley grows best in climates where highs reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the weeks before harvest. It can be planted in late fall as winter barley, in which case it’ll sprout, overwinter, and then mature in early spring. Barley can also be planted in spring, if there’s enough time for it to grow before summer temperatures reach 85 degrees. Spring barley usually matures in about 90 days.

In the United Sates, commercial barley is typically grown in regions north of those where corn and wheat, which thrive in higher temperatures, are grown. The most extensive U.S. barley fields are in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Washington. Barley is also grown in Canada, with Alberta producing the most. Over the past few decades, barley production has moved farther north. Corn and