Lugene Sas quietly works his corner of creation as an organic dairy farmer. So he was as surprised as anyone when Odell’s Brewery named a beer after him. “Why me? I didn’t want to offend anybody,†he said. “The only thing that matters is God be praised.
was released on January 6.
Sas’s rusty blue Chevy pick-up is a familiar sight at the brewery. For 15 years, Sas, a member of , Fort Collins, Colo., has picked up spent hops from the brewery to feed the 18 Guernsey, Holstein, and Brown Swiss cows that he calls his “girls.†Sas owns Taft Hill, a raw milk dairy that sells only to people who buy shares of a particular cow and its milk.
Taft Hill Dairy and Odell’s Brewery both benefit from the relationship. The brewery is happy to have its spent grain taken away; Sas is delighted at a source of high-protein grain to mix into the feed for his cows. It’s a win-win situation.
Recently an employee at Odell’s followed Sas for a day to document the process the hops follow from beer to cow feed to milk. “Lugene has been an extended part of our brewery family for over a decade. His smiling face and kind spirit permeates our walls. We have a great appreciation for his work and role in the cycle of our business,†said Amanda Johnson-King, marketing and branding manager at Odell’s.
Odell Brewery describes Lugene’s Chocolate Milk Stout as “a full-bodied stout . . . reminiscent of a glass of chocolate milk.â€
Sas is not a big beer drinker himself, but he has come to appreciate the business. “It’s a craft for them,†he said.
On the release date, members from Immanuel CRC went to the brewery to get some of the first of the beer and T-shirts. Many others offered their congratulations. “It has only been positive,†said Sas.
“I think it is such a good example of our Reformed theology, of ‘every square inch’ belonging to Christ. Lugene sees his work very much as a calling,†said John Terpstra, pastor of Immanuel CRC.
About the Author
Heidi Wicker is a freelance writer.
