Meet the Board: Matt Enns, Rosthern, SK

Matt was elected again as Vice-Chair of the SaskBarley Board of Directors in January 2024

Matt Enns farms alongside his father in an 8,500 acre, multi-generational grain operation near Rosthern, SK. The Enns farm rotation includes canola, wheat, peas, lentils and barley. The Sask Valley area is well-known for producing malt-quality barley. Matt attended the University of Saskatchewan earning a degree in Physical Therapy while playing out his athletic eligibility with the Huskies, the highlight of which was a national championship in 2004. After convocation, Matt worked as a physiotherapist in Saskatoon and farmed with his dad for 10 years until he was able to join the farm full-time. 

In 2016, Matt happened upon the world of craft beer and saw an avenue to capitalize on their farm’s ability to grow premium malting barley. This dream led him to attend the Malt Academy at the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg, tour malting facilities across the country and conduct a feasibility study involving Saskatchewan’s end-users of malting barley. The result was the eventual founding of Maker’s Crafted Malts. Maker’s is located in Rosthern and is Saskatchewan’s only craft malting facility. Matt produced the first batch of commercial malt in January 2018 and, together with co-maltster Antoine Guiard, services brewers and distillers across the Saskatchewan prairies and beyond.

In January, Matt was elected again as the Vice-Chair of the SaskBarley board and sits on the boards of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre and the North American Craft Maltsters Guild. Matt is also SaskBarley’s representative at the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute. Matt is passionate about producing high-quality malting barley and believes there are many upcoming opportunities for Saskatchewan growers to do the same.