A name like Mother Earth Brewing demands that a ribbon of green run through every aspect of our company. Owners Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring say it was easy to build a first-rate brewery while staying true to their name. Mooring explains, "Being green can be easy, and making simple, educated product decisions during our design phase was critical to our overall objective of a low-impact brewery." He adds that "research and education will continue to be key elements" in deciding what green technologies to implement in the future. Curious about what dear old Mother Earth may be smiling about? Here's a snippet of what we've done to make her happy.
It all began with selecting the building that would house the brewery. After much investigation, we found just what we were looking for, right here in Kinston, NC: a beautiful (yet needy) old building, located in a downtown area that's excited about revitalization. Rather than construct a new building, we envisioned renewing the old, uncared-for brick structure with the spirit of mother earth herself. We dove into a thorough study of environmentally friendly construction material. Less than a year later, we reached their goal. Various building materials color the brewery green from top to bottom.
A six-kilowatt solar array stands on the roof as a tribute to the authority of that great star we orbit, known as the sun. Blue jean insulation, a 100% recyclable product, was used to insulate the walls. In addition to being a recyclable product, it also has outstanding sound barrier qualities. Soy-based spray foam insulation protects the second story ceiling. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint covers the walls. The flooring wasn't ignored, either. Mother Earth Brewing's corporate offices will sport eco carpet partially made from renewable resources. Eco flush valves on toilets know just the right amount of water needed for "the job" and reduce water needed for flushing by 30%. Eco faucets in both bathrooms offer an unimaginable savings in water compared to conventional faucets. A state-of the-art tankless water heater heats water on demand, instead of using needless energy to keep hundreds of gallons of water heated at all times.
We've just covered the building...there's more.
Mother Earth Brewing employs green brewing procedures as well. One example grabbed the interest of local farmers. Rather than send spent grain used in the brewing process off to the landfill, it is given to local farmers as top quality feed for their animals-a win-win for all involved. Our celebrated "hop project" resulted in 25 hop rhizomes penetrating the soil right here in Kinston. Mother Earth evidently gave her nod of approval, as the first growing season offered unfathomable growth, far exceeding expectations. Soon, locally-grown hops will infiltrate our beer.
Mother Earth Brewing's specialty tap handles, coming to your favorite watering hole soon, are made from bamboo. Head Brewer Josh D. Brewer even gave up driving four wheels, and now peddles two, riding his bike to work each day instead of driving. While we're thrilled with our progress so far, our quest to please Mother Earth is far from realized. Stay tuned, we'll keep you up-to-date.