Peace, Love, & Beer!

Right in the heart of Kinston, North Carolina, Mother Earth was born. A lonely, worn-down brick building was given a second chance. Trent Mooring and Stephen Hill, brought together by their shared passion for home-grown vegetables and hand-crafted beer founded Mother Earth Brewing Co. in 2007. They envisioned a sustainable brewery, researched sustainable building materials and techniques, and Mother Earth was born the following year.

Not only is the location and structure of the building recycled itself, but sustainable materials were used for building almost every additional detail. To start, this sustainable brewery contains a six-kilowatt solar array on the rooftop, right off the bat reducing their emissions. The building also contains blue-jean insulation, which is a 100% recyclable product and has great noise-barriers. Soy-based spray foam insulation was used on the second story ceiling, eliminating the use of harmful chemicals, low Volatile organic compounds (VOC) paint was used on the walls, and eco carpet made from renewable resources was installed. They also invested in eco valves and eco faucets to reduce water use by 30%, a tankless water heater that heats almost instantly and only when it is needed, and a rain catcher to provide outside irrigation.

There’s just no way a business could possibly become any more sustainable than this, right? Well, think again! The Mother Earth brewing process in itself is sustainable! When grain is done being used for brewing, it is sent to local farmers as top quality feed for their animals. In addition, their “hop project” involves planting hops locally and organically. Even the tap handles are made from one of the most sustainable resources, bamboo – the most rapidly growing plant on earth – taking in a greater amount of carbon dioxide and taking pressure off of traditional hardwood forests. Even the employees are sustainable! Mother Earth’s very own brewer, Josh D. Brewer traded in his car for a bicycle to reduce his emissions during his commutes to and from work, as well as his travels elsewhere.

Mother Earth Brewing Co. is in the process of becoming Gold LEED Certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) through the U.S. Green Building Council, which will make them the first brewery in the U.S. to earn this level of certification. This Brewery is a leading example for up and coming sustainable businesses everywhere. Mooring and Hill’s heart and soul not only went into the planning and building process, it went into their brewing recipe as well! Word on the street is their beer is quite tasty, so give back to Mother Earth and check it out for yourself! There will be more sustainable technologies to come as Mooring and Hill continue to please Mother Earth by keeping her close to home.