Stillpoint Farm began in 2007 when Tom Barse and his wife, Carolann McConaughy, set out to find the perfect piece of land in Frederick County. “Carolann had had a small farm where she raised horses in Howard County, and I had started farming in the 1970s in Preston County, West Virginia, until moving back to Maryland,” Tom says. They eventually found their 47-acre dream farm in Mount Airy.
Today, the couple raises Leicester Longwool sheep for wool and lamb, a few Hereford steers for beef and a variety of crops, including sweet corn, potatoes and seasonal produce. But what sets this farm apart is its focus on growing hops, a key ingredient in beer.
Tom began brewing long before purchasing the farm. “I started homebrewing beer in 1972 as a hobby,” he says. When the couple purchased Stillpoint Farm, Tom planted an acre of hops to sell to some local breweries. However, he realized the farm had the potential to do more than supply ingredients, and he could build a brewery of his own.
There was just one problem: Frederick County’s zoning laws didn’t allow for farm breweries at the time. Undeterred, Tom worked with local and state officials to amend the zoning ordinance and pass the Farm Brewery law in 2012. By 2013, Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm was open for business.
At the heart of every beer, Tom is committed to using local ingredients. The farm grows its own Cascade, Chinook and Monocacy hops, as well as honey and herbs. In addition to his own crops, he collaborates with other Maryland farms, sourcing hops from Black Locust Hop Farm and Pleasant Valley, among others.
Local wheat and barley come from neighboring farms, including Cultivale Farm in Carroll County and Hopkins Farm in Harford County, and are then processed into malt at Maryland-based malt houses. “We feel it is important to support Maryland farmers as much as possible,” Tom says. “We also find that local ingredients that we source in Maryland are much fresher and add a special ‘terroir’ note to our beers.”
Over the years, the brewery has become a community staple. “Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm has become a family-friendly community center in our larger neighborhood,” Tom says. “We have many long-standing customers who have gotten to know each other because of us.”
From the fresh ingredients grown on-site and sourced locally to the welcoming atmosphere of the farm, every pint at Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm is a reminder of the power of local agriculture and the passion of the farmers behind it.
Hungry for more? Read about FeBREWary. Learn more about Maryland breweries.
