After 120+ years of farming, the folks at Port Farms will be adding a brewery and taproom to their 200 acre farm in Waterford, PA. Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales will officially open their 10 barrel brewery on Wednesday November, 22nd at 2055 Stone Quarry Road.
Earlier this year we visited the site of the future brewery and met with fourth and fifth generation family members Jerry Port (Owner) and Casey Port (Chief Operations Officer) about how the plan to open their own brewery and taproom came to life. As the story goes the goal has been over a decade in the making as the idea of a brewery has always been something owners Jerry and Kelly Port have dreamed of starting.
Port Farms first started in 1897 as a traditional crop farm. Roughly 20 years ago they entered the “agritainment” space where they have become a popular destination for festivals, seasonal celebrations, and so much more. Several years ago the farm began selling beer to guests as a part of their many different offerings. Beer from a variety of local breweries would be available for purchase and soon the Port family realized the interest in locally made craft beer was here to stay.
Fast forward all these years later and Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales will soon become a reality. The family is opening the taproom in an existing 6,000 square foot building on the farm which was originally an old potato storage barn dating back to the 1970s and more recently has housed offices and machine storage.
Port Farms gave the building an intense makeover to house brewing operations and a taproom for onsite consumption and entertainment. Half of the building will house their 10 barrel brewhouse with the other half being dedicated to retail space. The taproom will offer guests an industrial feel with exposed steel, concrete floors, open rafters, large windows overlooking the farm, and an open-air concept to look into the production side. There will even be indoor turf to function as an indoor/ outdoor beer garden.
The taproom will also feature a full kitchen while being family, dog and kid friendly. On the outside will be a large outdoor bar with individual fireplaces lining the patio. Included in this layout will be enough space for cornhole and other outdoor games. A private outdoor patio space with large tables will also be available to accommodate guests looking to book large, private events.
As Port confirmed with us the goal is for the brewery to have its own identity. While it will be a part of the Port Farm, all brewing related activities will fall under the “Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales” brand. The brewery earned its name from Port’s great grandmother referring to the plot of land as “Poverty Knob” due to the lack of crop production from the soil and groundhogs eating any crops that were grown there. This is why you will see two groundhogs (named Tater and Spud) regularly featured in any imagery.
You can see all of the activities the property has to offer from our visit:
As the name suggests the brewery will offer a Farmhouse Ale as its core beer, but will also continue to offer a wide variety of ales, lagers, porters, and more. Poverty Knob will also brew beers to coincide with the many different seasonal festivals that occur at Port Farms. All beer production will go to support the taproom, to-go sales, and farm activity; the plan is to not distribute beer beyond the farm with how much demand they expect from their property. Future plans also include installing a canning line for four packs to go.
To achieve these goals the Port family underwent an in depth search for a brewmaster who could make their vision a reality. Sean Lally was hired as the Poverty Knob head brewer. Originally from Ohio, Sean honed his skills in the Carolina’s and has since moved back to the area to bring a beer drinking experience that lives up to the decades of success that Port Farms has experienced.
With 200 acres of farmland overlooking the brewery Poverty Knob is sure to be one of the top destination breweries Pennsylvania has to offer. The property boasts activities such as paintball, handmade food across multiple food stands, play areas for children and seasonal shopping throughout the year. After 20+ years of hosting thousands of guests, the brewery is positioned to offer one of the premier experiences in Pennsylvania craft beer.
Be sure to visit the brewery once they are open and be sure to check out their website, and follow the brewery on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with their latest news.
