"Farm to glass" is not an expression you hear often, but Bill Weller is living proof that you can make anything possible. A fourth-generation farmer in a town of 450 people in Northern California, Weller turned a hobby into a full-fledged business – Farmers Brewing Co.
What started in his garage in 2011 has grown into a full working brewery, built alongside a farming operation that's expanded from 700 to 6,000 acres of rice, almonds, walnuts, and wheat. They are one of the few brewing companies in the country that can say they use their own rice in their brewing process.
Weller studied mechanical and agricultural engineering technology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before returning home to run the family farm with his brother. When he launched the brewery in 2020, he wanted something versatile rather than experimental, and he wanted to use the California medium grain sushi rice grown on his own farm, despite it being notoriously difficult to brew with. What began as a garage operation moved into a dedicated shop after, as Weller puts it, he "got kicked out of the garage" by his wife.
The timing brought its own challenges. Just as the brewery got its first draft product to market, COVID hit, and sales dropped to zero. A mobile canning operation helped the business pivot into packaged product during a period when demand for canned beverages was high, a shift that ended up shaping the business going forward. More recently, Farmers Brewing Co. has expanded into hard cider.
Running both a farm and a brewery means constant equipment upkeep, and Weller doesn't cut corners. "We don't fix anything partway. We fix it all the way," he says, a philosophy carried over from farming. Reliable equipment means the operation can move fast during peak periods without losing time to breakdowns.
At the end of each season, tractors are brought in for a full cleanup. Using a pressure washer, the team applies Simple Green Heavy Duty Precision Cleaner to strip away heavy buildup before cleaning the interiors and giving each machine a full once-over.
Beer spills are a daily reality on the canning line, working into belts and equipment throughout the day. Left uncleaned, spilled product turns sticky and attracts pests overnight. The team uses Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser for this. A no-rinse, non-fuming formula that lets staff clean without protective suits or strong chemical odors.
Throughout the week, floor spills are sprayed down and rinsed into the drain. On Fridays, the whole team pitches in for a deeper clean by scrubbing floors with Crystal Simple Green and brushes throughout the facility.
Cold storage areas present their own challenge: condensation buildup around the base of the building leads to mold growth. That's also tackled during the Friday cleaning, with Crystal Simple Green handling mold removal effectively.
Beyond cleaning, sanitizing is critical to brewing safely. Every part that touches the brewing process, including clamps, gaskets, elbows, and custom fittings, is sanitized before use and before connecting to fermentation tanks, ensuring no bacteria is introduced into the tank. Farmers Brewing Co. relies on Simple Green d Pro 5 for this step as well.
Farmers Brewing Co. has been able to grow from a garage hobby into a full-scale operation without letting equipment downtime slow production.
Simple Green is proud to support a family-run business like Farmers Brewing Co.
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