Why I connect with organic farmers

It’s been several years since we launched ANTELOPE. Since around 2022, we’ve been hitting the pavement to connect with all sorts of farmers.

In the craft beer world, there’s a strong focus on costs—especially labor costs—so if the price is the same, people choose purees over fresh produce, and if it’s cheaper, they choose foreign over domestic.

I know there are breweries that don’t operate that way at all, but generally speaking, that’s the world I’ve seen.

That’s why, when we first started, we used purees, and we looked at produce in terms of what we could buy in bulk and cheap from greengrocers at the time.

But now, unless there’s an extraordinary circumstance, we only use produce from domestic farmers we have a connection with. While we can’t manage it yet for spices or vanilla, we use ingredients we can personally vouch for as much as we are able.

However, most of those farmers practice "organic" or "natural" farming. As I mentioned above, we ourselves didn't start with a natural-leaning philosophy, and we are still very much conscious of our costs. But I realized that the farmers we wanted to connect with and use ingredients from just happened to be full of people like that.

〈It’s good because it’s organic〉 〈It’s good because it takes time and effort〉

When I explain this to customers, I don’t give such a shallow explanation at all. But when asked, "So why do you use it?", I didn't have a clear answer. After thinking about it, I’ve started to understand it little by little. It feels like it should have been self-evident, but I’d like to revisit it.

〈Impact on Yeast〉

First, there is the point that it gives us peace of mind from a brewing perspective.

Since we make a living through fermentation, we basically put our ingredients through a "fermentation" process. This is because, with mead, there are almost no technical elements involved in creating the liquid before fermentation.

Unlike beer or sake, where there is a saccharification process, there are various approaches, such as changing how enzymes are used or how rice is polished. Therefore, even with the same fermentation technology, you can significantly change the nuances of the flavor.

Also, in beer, there is a technique called "dry hopping," where hops or other fruits are soaked after fermentation. It’s a deep technique that extracts the maximum amount of aroma, but once the basic recipe is set, it isn’t particularly difficult.

For us, we just mix honey into the liquid. No matter how much we talk about the technique here, there are only one or two methods. That is precisely why we have to polish our fermentation skills and compete that way. That’s why I don’t believe we could ever create a mead that only we can make if we just compete with techniques like soaking ingredients after fermentation.

That is why we almost always use ingredients like fruit before adding yeast or while the yeast is active.

Finally, to the main point: this is when I feel more at ease with "organic" farmers. Of course, I’m not saying pesticides are bad. We use a very large amount of fruit, and even amounts that wouldn't cause problems in beer can sometimes have an impact on mead. Even when we scrub the fruit thoroughly, there are times when it affects the yeast, which is why I started switching to trading with organic farmers.

〈If we’re going to work together, let’s go all in〉

The other point is whether we ourselves feel like we want to work with them over the long term. I know the entrepreneur CEOs you see on YouTube would say, "You're being naive again," but I can't help it.

When you make something, there’s an unavoidable emotional investment.

I understand the "if you're a pro" mindset very well, but this is just how it is. So, why do I think we can maintain long-term connections with organic farmers?

Because they are "farming organically with the long-term future in mind."

That’s what it comes down to. Every farmer has their own personal beliefs, but they face nature while thinking about the earth, future generations, and the land and the people rooted in it. Even if that stance is purely for business, I cannot help but admire farmers who can maintain that perspective.

I don't want to debate whether it's economically correct or whether it’s actually good for the planet from an environmental perspective. I just want to say that I can’t help but want to work with people who hold those feelings and act on them.

Of course, I think we will always have to balance various things, but I think this is the answer I've come to. In this day and age, I want to cherish real, human-to-human connections.