Photos : hayley katzenberger
Beautiful inside and out , Stone Silo ’ s shaded patio and handsome tasting room are inviting places to gather with family and friends .
san has an innate design sense . And for the tasting room she imagined warm and welcoming , allowing the universally beloved barnwood to do the rest . And it works . “ I have to say that when people come in here everyone says they feel that warmth ... and I love that .”
In the middle of our sit-down we are joined by Donna Moxley Isaacs , the previous owner of the farm who sold it to the Katzenbergers in 2020 . Susan , smitten with the history of this property , happily confirms that it was Donna ’ s great-great-great-great-great grandfather , Nehemiah Moxley , who bought the original land parcel in 1790 . Paying homage to the Moxley family patriarch with a signature brew , Don recounts that “ ironically the Nehemiah Nectar is our number one selling beer , day after day .” Don and Susan are always checking in with Donna as they envision new ideas for the brewery out of respect for the land and its family legacy .
Selling family farmland is never easy and often fraught with deep emotion and turmoil . For Donna Isaacs , her relationship and fondness for the Katzenbergers seems like the perfect fit . “ My dream when I sold it was that whoever bought it would fix it up and it wouldn ’ t just fall apart . And that ’ s exactly what happened . People are amazed about how gorgeous Stone Silo is , and the fact that Susan and Don preserved as much as they could from the original barns .”
Don and Susan bought the farm because it was next to their family home , and as Don says , “ For the love of beer , farming and the agritourism part of it .” Susan adds , “ And we love the hospitality end of it .” A full circle for Don who bartended for four years in his twenties . At some point , if allowed , he may actually take another shot behind the bar !
Handcrafted farm beers are a combination of discovery , risk taking , let ’ s-try-this , uh-oh , and wow-that-worked . It ’ s the unend-
ing fun and playful part of the business . Stone Silo ’ s brewmaster BJ Pagnotta is the wizardly alchemist joyfully conjuring new recipes with Susan ’ s creativity and input . Picking fruits , produce and plantings from their garden , fields or foraging , the journey from field-to-glass is the always-exciting process to see what might become the next popular beer .
Going forward , Susan and Don ’ s commitment to regenerative farming practices is locked in and will demonstrate the importance of healthy soils . Recently , 20 peach trees were planted to eventually go into their peach sour brew . Other plantings like the 25 new blueberry bushes and lemongrass for flavoring are all part of the mix . “ Don and I picked a big bowl of honeysuckle recently ; I made a simple syrup and BJ did his magic on that one . And then there was the roasted sunflower and honey brew called “ The Local Buzz .” Don adds , “ We ’ re putting jalapenos in our beers , too !”
36 plenty I autumn harvest 2024