Mountain Valley Brewing By Vickie Holt In 2014, husband and wife team, Herb Atwell and Peggy Donivan were getting tired of the hustle and bustle of the rat race in Richmond. Peggy was a safety manager for a large corporation while Herb was in IT, as well as an electrician by trade. After so many years, however, the seven-day-a-week schedule was wearing thin. It was time for a change. Peggy landed a good job in Henry County and the couple began looking for a new home. They investigated several properties before ultimately deciding on the farm at 4220 Mountain Valley Road in Axton. At the time, they had no intention of becoming brewers. They didn’t even have any thoughts about farming. But as fate would have it, some home-brewing hobby friends in Richmond had given them some hop seeds a year before. Once in their new farm-home, the couple decided to plant the seeds to see if they’d grow. Little did they know they were planting the seeds for a future they would never have expected. When those perky little hop seeds began to grow, the couple’s original thought was to use what they needed for their own brewing, then sell the surplus to local breweries and other home-brewing hobbyists. Inspired by the growth of those first seeds, Herb turned to the Old Dominion Hops Cooperative where he learned a great deal about growing and harvesting. More recently, he became a Board Member of that organization. One thing led to another. With the success of the original plants, Herb and Peggy became more serious about growing the best hops they could, and about branching out into different varieties. Mountain Valley Hops officially became Henry County’s first hops farm in 2014, and now grows Cascade, Chinook, Zeus and Nugget hops. Herb had retired by this time so he could focus on the development Mountain Valley. He says they love to experiment with the different flavors that fresh hops bring to all types of beer. In addition to growing hops, Herb and Peggy are also dedicated to growing the hop-farming industry in the region. Herb says hops are a viable crop for Southwestern Virginia. Through education, the couple hope to help other local hop farmers, just as they received advice when they were getting started. “With the exception of seasonal brews,” say Peggy and Herb, “fresh hops are rarely found in craft beer. With our own hop farm, we can keep fresh hops year-round.” With a third-acre of their 10-acre farm dedicated to the 25-foot, towering plants, Herb and Peggy had all the hops they needed for their home brewing. They also had their
own supply of untreated, natural well water, as well as honey, fruits, grains and barley from neighboring farmers. With a combination like that, Herb and Peggy are proud to say, “When we say ‘we grow beer’ we mean it. It just can’t get any fresher than that!” As of last year, the couple are using all the hops they grow, and encourage others to grow, as well. It wasn’t long till the farmbrewing duo began thinking about making their delicious brews available to the public. In May of 2017, their dream of having hopyard tours and cold beer brewed onsite not only became a reality, it became Mountain Valley Brewing; Southwestern Virginia’s first family-owned, farm brewery. To prepare for that day, Herb and Peggy had joined Train Wreck Brewers: a Danville-based home-brew club. Peggy says there were a lot of talented people there, and they learned a lot. In addition to other accolades, the feedback always included remarks about how smooth their natural well-water beers always turned out. The fresh hops were also a significant factor in the success of their brews. The club offered a wealth of resources, including fellow club-member, Karl Herzberg, who now brews for Mountain Valley. Overlooking a beautiful valley and a neighboring, 450-acre farm, Mountain Valley Brewing was built in what used to be a 400 square foot storage building on the property. Offering a one-and-a-half barrel system, and a 50-capacity tap room, Mountain Valley Brewing celebrated its grand opening with a packed house on April 15, 2016. Peggy says it rained like crazy! But despite the weather, visitors were lined up outside the doors, happily drinking fresh craft beer in the downpour. It was quickly decided to add a deck for extra space. Not only does the deck provide additional seating, it’s the place to be for enjoying craft beer under the stars while listening to amazing live music. Both Herb and Peggy love to support local music and have a particular interest in giving new artists a chance to play. Because of their size, they feature lots of solo musicians and duos. With this type of music, it keeps things low-key and soft enough so everyone can still enjoy conversation with friends. Despite the welcome for newcomers and locals, Peggy says Mountain Valley is gaining a reputation among out-ofstate artists as a great place to stop and play while travelling. They’ve been getting bands from as far away as Tennessee and Georgia. These phenomenally talented, travelling acts love the small venue because it offers a more intimate experience where people really pay attention. On February 9, Mountain
6 03.01 March/April
2019
BrewHubMagazine.com
