July kicks off the busiest time of year at Rogue Farms, four months of picking, reaping, threshing and winnowing all the ingredients we grow in our proprietary palate of flavors. Here’s a look at what we’re harvesting this year and when.

July

Risk malting barley

Tygh Valley

When: Early to mid-July

How much: 100 acres

Why: We use our Risk malt to mash many of our beers and spirits. It’s the only barley we use in Oregon Single Malt Whiskey.

Wildflower Honey

Independence

When: Early to mid-July

How much: We gather honey from 7,140,289 honeybees scattered over 1,200 acres

Why: Because no one knows the flavors of our farm like the Rogue Farms Honeybees. Each year is different and so is each batch of their dark amber honey we use in our kolsch, meads, braggots and sodas.

Dream Rye

Independence

When: Early to mid-July

How much: 10 acres

Why: Because we’ve learned the hard way that rye is a tough little grain that can withstand almost anything and because a tough grain adds a hearty spice to Oregon Rye Whiskey.

August

Seven varieties of hops

Independence

When: Mid-August to early September

How much: Seven varieties on 42 acres

Why: To use in all our beers, and so that John Maier can personally select the cones he’ll use to brew Wet Hop Ale, the first beer he’ll make from the harvest.

McKercher Wheat

Independence

When: Early to mid-August

How much: 10 acres

Why: Our ancestors, the McKercher brothers, were pioneer wheat farmers and millers in Linn County, Ore. They inspired us to grow our own and to create Pumpkin Savior Wit. Who knows what else John will dream up when the new batches of Rogue Farms Wheat malt arrive at the brewery.

Dare malting barley

Tygh Valley

When: Early to mid-August.

How much: 100 acres

Why: To grow the revolution with a second variety of malting barley we can malt, kiln, roast and smoke ourselves to create new and original flavors for John Maier to mash and brew.

September

Dream Pumpkins

Independence

When: Mid- to late-September

How much: Two acres

Why: If you want to make the freshest tasting pumpkin beer and soda, there’s no better way than to grab what you need from the pumpkin patch. No cans, no puree, just real roasted pumpkins.

Wigrich corn

Independence

When: Mid-September

How much: Five acres

Why: To mash and distill our first-ever Rogue Spirits Bourbon. The kernels from last year’s harvest are already ocean aging in oak barrels at the Rogue Distillery in Newport, Ore.

October

Jalapenos

Independence

When: Late September-early October

How much: One acre

Why: We grow our own so we can pick our own when the peppers are ready. We want fully ripe and red peppers because that’s when they’re best for dry smoking into chipotles that Rogue uses to brew Chipotle Ale and mash Chipotle Whiskey.

Hazelnuts

Independence

When: Early October

How much: 92 acres

Why: Our farm in Independence is in the heart of hazelnut country where 99 percent of all U.S. hazelnuts are grown. We get our nuts from our neighbors at Kirk Family Filberts, then we roast them ourselves and infuse the nuts in our Hazelnut Spice Rum.

Leroy-O-Lanterns

Independence

When: October 17-18

How much: 2916 pumpkins

Why: Each year we plant some extra pumpkins just for the fun of seeing kids pick, carve and decorate their own when we celebrate the end of the harvest at our annual Pumpkin Patch Party.

This information was all provided from the fine folks at Rogue Ales & Spirits and the Rogue Department of Agriculture. Big ole thanks to Rogue Farms for letting us reproduce this.