“I don’t think anyone else is growing this type of rye in Pennsylvania,” said John Urbanchuk, the University’s chair of agribusiness. “The purpose of this project is to revive a heritage variety of rye.”
Rosen rye started to disappear from Pennsylvania’s fields partly because of Prohibition.
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“Rye whiskey was once a primary distilled spirit of the U.S.,” said Urbanchuk. “When Prohibition came, that pretty much shut down the industry.”
Urbanchuk said that by the time Prohibition ended rye whiskey had fallen out of favor with many Pennsylvania consumers. Recently, rye whiskey has made a comeback as a popular drink.
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Dad’s Hat Founder and Distiller Herman C. Mihalich approached Urbanchuk about growing Rosen rye on campus after Urbanchuk toured his distillery.
“I am very excited to try some of this Rosen rye in a small batch at the distillery,” said Mihalich. “The best Pennsylvania Rye Whiskeys of the past were made with Rosen rye, and we are doing our best to make the best rye whiskeys available today.”
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READ THE STORYIn 2015, Urbanchuk obtained less than a handful of seeds from a USDA seed repository for the project. By planting and harvesting this tiny amount of seeds in greenhouses and high tunnels on campus, the University was able to get enough seeds to plant the batch that sprouted up this year. From the start, with that tiny amount of seeds, the project has provided a learning experience for DelVal students.
“The biggest tasks the students have are preparing the ground for growing and planting and harvesting,” said Urbanchuk. “The whole effort has to do not just with planting the seed, but how to identify diseases and pests that might impact the crop. It’s a good practical example that is a little unusual for them to get to see.”
Mihalich visited campus to see the harvest of the first batch of Rosen rye to be grown outside on the University’s campus. What he doesn’t use for his first test batch of Rosen rye whiskey will be dried out so that the seeds can be preserved for the next planting.
Urbanchuk said he hopes to create many more partnerships like the one with Dad’s Hat.
“We’re looking to build relationships with the commercial sector,” said Urbanchuk. “This project ties in agriculture and agribusiness, and it’s a great practical example of a value-added product.”
