Family + Farm

Five generations of farming.
100 years working the land.
Tradition passed down in every grain we sow, grow, and malt.
right here on our own farm.

Root Shoot team playing in a field at Olander Farms

Heritage

The Olander family’s roots in Colorado agriculture run deep. In 1887, Swedish immigrants August and Hannah Olander, purchased 362 acres near Longmont for $1,935. There, they raised nine children who all went on to farm across Northern Colorado. Later, their descendants purchased additional farmland in Loveland, growing sugar beets and peas, and raising sheep and cattle. Through the decades, the Olanders continued farming, adapting to new crops, new markets, and new challenges. Five generations later, the land they settled nearly a century ago remains the foundation of Olander Farms today.

Growth

From the 1980s through the early 2010s, Olander Farms grew malting barley for Coors and Budweiser, supplying grain for some of the largest breweries in the country. That experience built a deep understanding of barley quality, variety performance, and consistency, and it became the foundation for the next chapter. In 2016, with the goal of bringing that in-depth knowledge of barley to businesses closer to home, Todd Olander, now the 5th generation farmer, established Root Shoot Malting, an estate malthouse designed to supply Colorado’s craft brewers and distillers with locally-grown, high-quality malt. By growing and malting on the same land, Olander Farms remains connected to every step of the process, from grain to glass.

Evolution

Agriculture has changed greatly since August and Hannah Olander first arrived in America. Today, the Olander family farm is less than half the size of the original 362-acre homestead. Challenges abound, from urban development to a changing climate, but as each generation before us has done, we are evolving to meet them. In December 2022, Olander Farm’s 112 acres were permanently conserved to ensure the land will remain farmland forever. Regenerative practices that restore soil health and improve water efficiency are now standard on our land and Root Shoot is working toward a self-sustaining, zero-carbon operation that closes the loop between farm and malt. Five generations in, the farm continues to grow with the same purpose: to protect the land, produce quality grain, and preserve the family legacy for generations to come.