The Skagit Valley Herald has an interesting story about a company called Skagit Valley Malting, which was "originally conceived in collaboration with the Port of Skagit to increase the value of local grain."

The story notes,

Farmers have to grow wheat or barley every few years to recondition the soil, but the wheat and barley earn only commodity fee prices.

[Founder Wayne] Carpenter and others came up with the idea to pay farmers a premium price for that rotation crop for malting and germinating purposes. That adds value to agriculture in Skagit County.

The company's

machines are capable of malting types of grains others can't.

For instance, brewers use about 10 varieties of grains among the 21,000 available. Skagit Valley Malting's machines can malt thousands of varieties of grains.

The result is that "brewers and distillers can unlock new flavors, and bakers can produce food with better flavor and more nutrients." Everyone wins.

(See also this post about how the climate in Skagit County is ideal for growing barley for single malt whiskey.)