Now a thriving brewery ten years in the making, it’s hard to imagine that Screamin’ Hill was once the distant dream of two high school best friends. Bullock and his co-founder Ryan Cole, both avid homebrewers, would meet up on Friday nights after work and fantasize about opening a brewery of their own. Their vision became reality when Bullock returned to work at the family farm where he grew up, and inspiration struck.

The idea came to me—what if we grew the ingredients on this farm and used that to make beer? At the time, there were no farm breweries in New Jersey. New York State offered a farm brewery license, so there were some up there, but they were buying ingredients from other farms, they weren't growing it, Bullock explains.

Together, they founded the brewery in 2015, choosing the name Screamin’ Hill as a nod to the old local name for the area, one Bullock’s grandfather had often used.

Even though Bullock had a background in horticultural sales and Cole had expertise as a financial planner, building the business was still a steep learning curve. Even more so because the brewery gained instant local traction.

We grossly underestimated how much work it was and how hard it was going to be, Bullock recalls. When we asked my parents if we could put a brewery on the farm, I told them that it’d be two or three cars in and out, that it wouldn’t be a big deal. Opening weekend, there were a hundred cars at one time. That's how it started.

Both Bullock and Cole had already cultivated a keen interest in homebrewing, but large-scale brewing was a new frontier. 
They devoted themselves to research, reading every book they could find and diving deep into the science behind this complex process.

Bullock sees many parallels between his work in farming and brewing. Chief among them being the delicate balance of inputs and conditions needed to produce a great product.

It’s definitely a combination of science and art. That's one of the things I really love about it. I love the science of it. I'm not much of an artist, but I do love the art of brewing. The nuance of the little tweaks you can make to change the finished product is really fun. One of the most fascinating parts is how many things have to go right for this to taste good, Bullock adds.

By using ingredients grown on the Bullock farm, Screamin’ Hill’s brews can achieve unrivaled flavor and creativity. 
And they don’t limit themselves to the ingredients you’d expect in beer. Bullock experiments with a range of farm crops, 
from pumpkin to heirloom tomatoes, to make distinct and fresh combinations. Bullock and Cole workshop new recipes, 
then collaborate with master brewer Richard Bolster to add greater depth, refining and perfecting the taste.

Screamin’ Hill’s method of production gives them a unique level of control over all the possible variables that contribute to a flavorful final brew. From overseeing the crop harvest to fermentation to canning, Bullock takes great pride in preserving the integrity of the beer-making process from start to finish.

My favorite part is the fact that it's farm to glass. Seeing that whole process, being able to touch every part of it, 
from buying the seed, planting it, growing it, all the way up to harvesting it. Just connecting to the farm and that entire process is cool, Bullock adds.

For crops like corn and barley, the will to grow, adapt, and thrive is in their nature. Season after season, year after year, they replenish themselves with a reliable cadence. Bullock is the physical embodiment of that process, embracing change to ensure longevity and growth for his business.

Everyone in our family, over generations, has done something different. They didn't just do the same old thing, Bullock states. I've always said that's why we're still here, because we're willing to try new things, not just stuck in our ways. As long as we keep that going, we'll be all right.

A local microbrewery like Screamin’ Hill faces an uphill battle against the large-scale corporate breweries of the world. However, small also means nimble and quick to adapt. Bullock sees their willingness to break new ground as pivotal to their success. 
We couldn't have done this without being innovative and trying new things and being willing to spend money and invest in new equipment. But we try to stay grounded in the fact that we're a farm. Our focus is still on making sure that the beer we're canning is grown on this farm.

Bullock grew up watching his dad tackle the unceasing work of running a 175-acre farm. He recalls admiring his father’s industrious and autonomous nature from a young age, hoping to emulate that one day himself.

I got my work ethic from him, Bullock says firmly. My cousin and I remember sitting on the back porch in our early twenties saying man, I just want to be able to do all the things our dads can do. Because they are plumbers, electricians, farmers…they do everything. They don't really call people; they just do it. They fix it.

Bullock’s father still plays a dynamic role on the farm, single-handedly hefting augers and climbing grain bins despite being well into his seventies. When Bullock founded the brewery and started working through the endless list of tasks, the sense of purpose deeply ingrained in his DNA served him well.

My family taught me to work hard. You stay busy and work hard—that's the reason my dad's still racing up grain bins and moving augers by himself. It’s because he just never stops, Bullock says.

Bullock often reflects on the brewery’s success, attributing it not just to the efforts of recent years, but to the century of history and generations of Bullock’s family who have devoted themselves to preserving this farmland. Together, Bullock and his father represent the fifth and sixth generation of the Bullock family legacy.

The only reason we're here is because all my ancestors, my dad, and my grandparents did what they did to keep this place going, Bullock says. It's pretty unique that we're still here doing this. I try to step back and consider that as often as I can. 
I always feel insanely grateful that this is what we get to do. It's an awesome way to raise a family and be connected to the 
land—it’s something that's generational and different.

Bullock’s parting words of wisdom for anyone thinking of getting into the farm brewery business? Better love it and not be looking to make easy money.

I always say, if you don't have a passion for it, it's not worth it, Bullock advises. You're going to work more than you could ever think, and it's not going to be worth it. Unless you have passion for it—then it's super worth it. That's the payoff.