Well it sounds like I should go to the local feed and seed and see if I can get a 50lb bag of malted grain cheap. Plenty of farmers around here.
well, it's not just the farming of barley grain. You need to malt it properly and monitor temperature, humidity etc. They are experts at starting germinating and then stopping it altogether. This requires drying the grain, then adding water/moisture, than rapidly drying it again at precisely the right moment. That's a skill where a lot of experience can go a long way. I am actually surprised how cheap malted barley and other (e.g. roasted) grains are, considering the amount of effort and knowledge that goes into the process. $1 a pound is a steal.