A Bustling Brewery in Huron County

In Huron County, River Road Brewery and Hops received support from the Community Futures Program through Community Futures Huron, which allowed the company to grow its business. This support has helped owners Nikki and Dave Andrew make their dream a reality while providing jobs in their community as well as continuing to stay sustainable.

Years of careful planning have created a bustling brewery with the concept of small-batch beers focusing on sustainability, from the wood-fired boiler to the local ingredients to livestock that consume the spent grain and produce manure for the fields.

“We’ve been very intentional in making decisions that create sustainability for our business,” Nikki said.

The family-run brewery is a short drive northeast of Bayfield, a popular summertime tourist destination, on a rolling country road. Its paved laneway is flanked by a fenceline separating it from fields with trellised hops and barley and a collection of livestock, including long-horned, shaggy-haired Highland cows.  Visitors to the tap house are welcome to wander the fields, sample flights and pints of beer and purchase some for home.

Community Futures Funding Partner:

Rural businesses, organizations, and communities are the cornerstone of Canada’s economy. To ensure rural Canadians are positioned for success, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), has partnered with the Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) across southern Ontario to provide access to the tools and support these businesses within their communities need to succeed.