October 20, 2026
That’s the question driving the Virginia Heritage Grain Project (VHGP), an initiative through the Common Grain Alliance working to revive historic grain varieties while creating new opportunities for farmers, distillers and producers across the commonwealth.
Led by Shelley Sackier, the project brings together Virginia’s agricultural and distilling communities to explore how historic grains could find a place in today’s markets. By connecting growers with craft distillers, VHGP is working to preserve agricultural history while discovering new possibilities for locally grown ingredients.
“The Virginia Heritage Grain Project is finding extraordinary flavors in forgotten grains ... We are working to bring these grains back into the field and into the glass and onto the plate, and we’re doing that by connecting farmers with distillers and researchers and other grain artisans.”
At the heart of VHGP is collaboration. Through research, cultivation and distillation, the project examines how heritage grains perform in the field and the unique characteristics they can bring to the finished product.
One of the project’s initiatives, the Revival Series, connects Virginia farms with Virginia distilleries. Each partnership centers around a specific heritage grain variety, following its journey from cultivation to the creation of a unique barrel of spirits.
For Sackier creating unique and uncopiable products begins with the soil. No two square inches of soil are the same, producing unique, nutrient dense grains. Soil is the first author of flavor and the VHGP helps to bring back what Virginia tastes like.
“The Virginia Heritage Grain Project is finding extraordinary flavors in forgotten grains,” said Sackier. “We are working to bring these grains back into the field and into the glass and onto the plate, and we’re doing that by connecting farmers with distillers and researchers and other grain artisans.”
By bringing these communities together, VHGP is helping explore new markets for growers while giving distillers opportunities to experiment with unique, locally sourced grains.
“I would tell other farmers that they really should try to do this just to diversify and try something different ... I feel like there’s an end use for this product. I don’t have to worry about it like selling for a low price or something.”
One of those partnerships is between Oliver Farms and Mean Spirits Distillery, which are working together through the Revival Series to bring Reid’s Yellow Dent Corn from field to glass.
A historically significant corn variety, Reid’s Yellow Dent became one of the foundational varieties behind modern American corn breeding. Now, the partnership is exploring its potential in Virginia’s craft spirits industry.
During a recent visit to Oliver Farms, farmer Tyler Oliver shared his experience growing the heritage variety and participating in the project.
“With the Reid’s Yellow Dent Corn, I thought it was going to be like growing a totally different crop,” said Oliver.
However, he found that the heritage variety grew similarly to the conventional corn already produced on his farm, while offering a distinct advantage in flavor.
“We were able to sit there and see that corn grow just about the same as our normal corn that we grow,” Oliver said. “Growing this corn has much better flavor.”
His experience offers a closer look at what VHGP is working to demonstrate, that heritage grains could provide farmers with new opportunities without necessarily requiring an entirely different approach to agriculture.
Beyond the growing process, the project has also helped create new opportunities for farmers by connecting them with distillers seeking locally grown ingredients. For Oliver, having an intended use for his crop offers a promising alternative to the uncertainty of traditional commodity markets
“I would tell other farmers that they really should try to do this just to diversify and try something different,” said Oliver. “I feel like there’s an end use for this product. I don’t have to worry about it like selling for a low price or something.”
Through his partnership with Mean Spirits Distillery, Oliver is exploring a new market for his crops while also getting the opportunity to see his harvest transformed into a finished bottled spirit.
While preserving agricultural heritage is an important part of VHGP, its ambitions extend beyond the past.
The project evaluates heritage grains based on their performance in the field, flavor characteristics and potential commercial applications. Through partnerships with farmers, researchers, distillers and other food producers, VHGP aims to identify varieties that can become viable crops in Virginia’s regional grain economy.
For distillers, these grains offer opportunities to develop spirits with unique flavors and a stronger connection to the land where their ingredients were grown. For farmers, they represent the possibility of new markets and partnerships.
And for consumers, the resulting products offer a chance to experience a piece of Virginia’s agricultural history in an entirely new way.
As partnerships like Oliver Farms and Mean Spirits continue to develop, the Virginia Heritage Grain Project is demonstrating how collaboration can connect the commonwealth’s agricultural past with the future of its spirits industry.
To learn more about the Virginia Heritage Grain Project and its participating partners, visit the projects website.
Whether you are a farmer interested in growing heritage varieties, a distiller exploring unique grain opportunities, a food maker looking for new ingredients, or someone who believes in preserving agricultural diversity, VHGP is building a community around the future of Virginia grains.
