This week on Beer Sessions Radio it's all about Vermont beers. Joining host Jimmy Carbone in the studio is Jay Steinhauer of American Beer and Todd Hardie of Caledonia Spirits. They talk about the rise of Vermont as a state that has become dominant in the craft beer world by being home to breweries such as Lawson's Finest, Shelton Brothers, Captain Lawrence, and McNeill's, all of whom are putting out award winning beers. Tune in as the Vermont brewmaster himself, Sam McNeill, calls in to talk about his very careful research and development in crafting his beers as well as enlightening us to what exactly a decoction mash is. This episode is sponsored by GreatBrewers.com

"I would try to educate myself on beer styles as well as I could before I tried to make something"

--Ray McNeill on Beer Sessions Radio

Joe Bossen is the founder of Vermont Bean Crafters. Originally interest in renewable energies while attending Green Mountain College, Bossen found an opportunity in agriculture to make an impact on how we relate to energy consumption through promoting locally available, sustainably grown foods lower on the food chain, like beans. After working several years on a variety of farms, Joe realized he wanted to grow staple food crops like beans and grains but being unable to capitalize a farm operation, he turned to value-added products as a more financially accessible means to that same ends of engaging with food in a way that looks to build soil and beget joy via less energy intensive foods. This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"I chose this path through life because after working on many farms, I realized I wasn't going to be in a position any time soon to access land." [3:55]

-- Joe Bossen on Greenhorn Radio

Jessie Schmidt is a coordinator for the UVM Extension New Farmer Project and the Vermont Women's Ag Network. The Vermont New Farmer Project is a collaborative of organizations around Vermont that serves new farmers. The project aims to streamline access to resources and services that shorten the timeline between start-up and success for beginning farmers. For more information, please visit www.uvm.edu/newfarmer. Today's episode has been brought to you by HeritageRadioNetwork.org.

"Talking to new farmers, I've heard amazing stories about communities coming together to support them, either through offering them land, offering support, or helping farmers find new locations." -- Jessica Schmidt on Greenhorn Radio