Standing up for Oregon's breweries (and more than a few jobs)
Oregon is world-famous for the hundreds of small craft breweries, cideries, and wineries in our state. In addition to making great beer, cider, and wine, these industries support nearly 50,000 Oregon jobs.
But when the federal government tried to stop brewers from sending their spent grain to farmers for cattle feed, Senator Wyden listened to local farmers and brewers -- and stood up for Oregon's small businesses.
Breweries in Central Oregon produce millions of pounds of spent grain a year, most of which they sell to local ranchers as an inexpensive source of food for their cattle. In some cases, the ranchers sell their beef back to the pubs. ...
“The alliance between one of Oregon’s oldest industries, agriculture, and one of the newest, craft beer, is at risk of being torn apart by federal regulators,” Wyden said.
And it worked:
The FDA reversal was welcomed by breweries nationwide, including in Oregon.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who pressed the FDA to back down on the proposal in April, joined brewers on Friday in welcoming the reversal, saying "Oregon brewers selling or even giving spent grains to Oregon farmers would no longer face the threat of a last call."
Oregon breweries can continue to ship their spent grain to cattle farmers (not landfills). Farmers have a reliable source of quality feed. Beer lovers everywhere can enjoy their beer knowing that farmers and brewers are working together to reduce waste and keep costs low.
And everyone wins.
