Celebrating 100 Years: Root Shoot Malting’s Olander Farms Earns Colorado Centennial Farm Designation!

Olander Farms in Loveland, Colo., where Root Shoot Malting and Root Shoot Spirit’s award-winning grain is sown, grown and malted, has officially been recognized as a Centennial Farm by the Centennial Farms & Ranches program. The Centennial Farms & Ranches program, a partnership between History Colorado and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, honors farms that have remained in the same family for at least 100 years while continuing to operate as a working agricultural farm.

Founded on April 23, 1926, Olander Farms has weathered droughts, changing markets, evolving technology and five generations of farm stewardship. Today, that same land grows the barley, wheat, rye and corn that become Root Shoot’s award-winning craft malt and the grain behind Root Shoot Spirits, producer of the world’s most celebrated American Single Malt whiskies.

“This recognition is about honoring our family who came before us while making sure this land continues producing food, grain, beer and whiskey for the next 100 years. If you love the land, it will love you back,” says Todd Olander, fifth-generation farmer and founder of Root Shoot Malting.

Through practices like crop rotation, reduced tillage, cover cropping and soil-first farming, the Olander family has focused on building healthier soils and a more resilient future.

In 2022, the family’s original 112-acre homestead was permanently conserved, ensuring the land will remain farmland forever.

Today, the grain grown on Olander Farms, just steps outside Root Shoot Malting, is earning international recognition. Root Shoot Spirits’ American Single Malt Whiskey (50% ABV) was named Spirit of the Year, Whisky of the Year and American Single Malt Whiskey of the Year at the international London Spirits Competition, demonstrating that world-class whiskey starts long before the still.

“It's incredibly rewarding to see grain grown on our same family farm for a century receive recognition on the world stage,” Olander said. “Every bottle tells the story of this farm.”

Experience a taste of Colorado’s agricultural heritage by finding Root Shoot Spirits’ award-winning American Single Malt Whiskey throughout Colorado using the Whiskey Finder at rootshootspirits.com.