Contributed

Three Rivers Land Trust, Cabarrus Brewing Company and Carolina Malt House have partnered together to create the Three Rivers Blonde Ale — a local beer, brewed with locally sourced grains, made in support of the Land Trust’s mission to conserve rural landscapes, family farms and river corridors.

Three Rivers Land Trust is working to raise approximately $16 million in hopes of conserving approximately 4,700-acres of publicly accessible land and 76 miles of undeveloped shoreline along the Yadkin River.

This land has been publicly accessible for hiking, hunting, fishing and paddling for decades. If Three Rivers Land Trust is successful in raising these funds, this land will be owned by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and public access will remain in perpetuity.

If Three Rivers and its partner the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are unsuccessful in raising the necessary funds, these lands could be sold on the open market, which could affect the future water quality of the Yadkin River.

The Yadkin River is the central link to this partnership between the Three Rivers Land Trust, Cabarrus Brewing Company and Carolina Malt House. Both Rowan and Cabarrus counties pull municipal water from The Yadkin.

Carolina Malt House, in Rowan County, harvests all of its barley within a 30-mile radius of its facility and then hydrates the grains using local water.

Cabarrus Brewing Company, in Concord, uses these grains and more local water to brew its beer.

Every time a 4-pack of the Three Rivers Blonde Ale is sold, Cabarrus Brewing Company will donate $1 to Three Rivers Land Trust in support of its local conservation efforts. This beer is available at the Cabarrus Brewing Tap Room, local bars and restaurants and select Food Lions, Harris Teeters and Lowe’s Foods across the piedmont of North Carolina.

— Three Rivers Land Trust