After years of exponential growth, craft breweries are now ubiquitous to beer drinkers in every corner of the country. Now these same craft lovers are starting to take notice of the craft ingredients that make their beer special.<\/p>\n
Hops, perhaps the key flavor component of most brews, grow throughout the U.S. Dozens of small craft growers supply small breweries with local, high-quality hops. These farms are often family-run, community-centered, and count their acreage in double-digits vs. thousands.<\/p>\n
As with craft brewers and drinkers, the relationship between farmer and customer is key. Craft breweries support buying local because they want flexibility and uniqueness in what they put in their beers. Chris Basso, brewmaster at Newburgh Brewing in Newburgh, N.Y., explains, \u201cWe have the ability to really know the producer and be able to talk with them on a personal level as well as discuss any brewing-related topics that might arise in regard to the hops.\u201d<\/p>\n
Basso buys from Crooked Creek Hops Farm in Addison, N.Y. Crooked Creek owner Chris Holden believes that some of the biggest advantages of being a craft farmer are loyalty and relationships. \u201cI think that from a farmer\u2019s standpoint, we want to look at it from the German model: we have a customer base who we work with from year to year and we have people who rely on us for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also appreciates the independence of having a small farm. Crooked Creek grows eight acres of primarily Cashmere, Michigan Copper, Triumph, and Cascade. Smaller growers have the ability to focus on a few varieties that thrive on their unique plot of land versus being expected to grow every variety a brewer desires. \u201cIf we can plant a single variety per plot, that\u2019s what we want,\u201d says Holden.<\/p>\n
Holden is also the director of sales and marketing for the New York Hop Guild. The guild is critical in supporting a variety-focused farming approach. It consolidates hops from smaller New York growers and distributes to craft breweries. Brewers get the convenience of buying from one distributor, while farmers can focus on what they do best.<\/p>\n
Chris DellaBianca of Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose, Colo., also values his craft connections. \u201cThe relationship with the brewers is why we got into it,\u201d he says. \u201cI was working for a brewery before I got into hop farming and it\u2019s still nice to be involved.\u201d He currently distributes directly to about 75 breweries in the southwest U.S., as Colorado lacks the same grower support network as New York.<\/p>\n
At 32 acres, Billy Goat is the largest hop farm in the Southwest. DellaBianca takes pride in growing several varieties of Neomexicanus, a hop native to Colorado and New Mexico, along with more traditional varieties.<\/p>\n
The farm\u2019s small scale means DellaBianca gets direct feedback and sees the fruits of his labor first-hand. \u201cI know exactly where my hops are going because I\u2019m the one bringing them there. I know exactly which beers my hops are going into.\u201d<\/p>\n
Its size also means Billy Goat can be flexible with customers. If a brewer needs a hop ASAP for a brew, DellaBianca can help. \u201cWith our proximity, we can get it out in the mail that day. You call and you\u2019re talking to me or [DellaBianca\u2019s partner] Audrey\u2014 there\u2019s no middleman.\u201d On the growing side, he adds, \u201cIt\u2019s easier to keep track of 30 acres and what\u2019s going on in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bridging the gap between very small craft farms and larger growers, Gooding Farms in Parma, Idaho, has a family farming history going back to 1895. Acreage has fluctuated with brewing demand, but hops have always been in the ground. Today, three sisters\u2014Diane, Michelle, and Andrea\u2014run the farm along with their father, Mike.<\/p>\n
Local connections motivate the sisters in the same way as other craft growers. \u201cWe really enjoy the spirit of craft brewing and being part of that community,\u201d says Diane Gooding. \u201cBecause we\u2019re a little smaller and family-oriented, it lends itself well to that culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like many farmers, the sisters enjoy their connection with the land. In recent years, they\u2019ve undertaken environmentally friendly initiatives to help keep the land healthier by moving to a regenerative model. Among other things, it involves growing seed to plant cover crops and raising livestock to eat those crops and fertilize the soil. \u201cWe\u2019re really trying to get off the chemical-based fertilizers. We\u2019re trying to have a lighter footprint and be better stewards for the environment and locally,\u201d says Gooding.<\/p>\n
The Gooding sisters have also built up the farm\u2019s research and development capacity and now sell their own proprietary strain of hops called Idaho Gem\u2122.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to understate the Goodings\u2019 passion for hands-on farming. \u201cIt\u2019s a unique process. Hops have a vibe. Experiencing that in person\u2014you can\u2019t replace that,\u201d said Gooding.<\/p>\n
Craft farming naturally presents challenges not faced by larger operations. From financing, staffing, economies of scale, and limited recovery ability from pests and weather, craft hop growers are always on their toes. \u201cYou end up wearing a lot of different hats as a smaller producer,\u201d says Gooding.<\/p>\n
The bottom line, however, is that it\u2019s about the bottom line. Economics are the number one challenge for any craft producer, whether brewer or farmer. \u201cWe can\u2019t grow all the different varieties. We\u2019re trying to preach to brewers that we have to have a certain scale to make the economics work,\u201d says Crooked Creek\u2019s Holden. Fortunately, he and his fellow growers have the support of the New York Hop Guild. \u201cIt frees the farmers to focus on the varieties that thrive on their terroir.\u201d<\/p>\n
Working small simply dictates a different cost structure. \u201cWhenever you do stuff in a big way you can just do it cheaper per pound or per acre. It costs us a little more money per acre to raise a crop,\u201d explains Billy Goat\u2019s DellaBianca. Growers must pass this along to breweries, which face similar struggles with economics.<\/p>\n
DellaBianca also contends that breweries have an incentive to purchase from larger brokers because they can buy all their hops from a single place under one invoice. Using various craft growers to source different varieties creates extra work for the brewery.<\/p>\n
But despite the added work or cost, many breweries choose craft hops. Some do it altruistically out of community solidarity, but most do it for practical reasons; uniqueness, quality, and service.<\/p>\n
Holden defines the draw for brewers. \u201cThey want to differentiate their beer, so they\u2019ll work with us on selection of hops. They want to make those one-offs or seasonal beers special.\u201d Billy Goat\u2019s customers buy for similar reasons. \u201cWith our hop,s you know what you\u2019re going to get. You can create a recipe around it and it brings consistency to your brewing,\u201d says DellaBianca.<\/p>\n
When trying to make the next great beer, brewers thrive on predictability and quality. According to Michael Thomas, brewer at Colorado Boy Pizzeria & Brewery in Montrose, Colo., \u201cEven though Billy Goat grows some common varieties like Nugget, Crystal, and Cascade, they have much better aroma and flavor profiles than what I can get from the national market.\u201d<\/p>\n
DellaBianca attributes some of this to his small operation\u2019s faster processing ability. \u201cWe can get hops from the field and into a pellet and vacuum sealed Mylar bag within weeks as opposed to months,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it stays fresher. It remains more vibrant and has more pop to it. There\u2019s less oxidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Colorado Boy uses Billy Goat hops in every one of its beers. Says Thomas, \u201cI\u2019m always trying to make a better beer and source more locally. I\u2019m happy to support another local business that supplies a great product and aligns with our brand\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to eventually make all of my beers 10-mile beers, where all my ingredients are sourced as local as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Service is also a big part of why brewers go with craft providers. Being small gives hop growers a certain edge. Gooding describes her farm\u2019s approach as \u201cfocusing on what our customers are wanting. How can we improve our processes to improve quality?\u201d Holden feels similarly. \u201cOur customer service is a little better. We have it more in tune with our customer base.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, being a craft hop grower is much like being a craft brewer. Both face challenges posed by economies of scale and larger competitors. However, their small size allows them to develop relationships with their customers, focus on quality, and be an integral part of their local communities.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Billy Goat\u2019s website best sums up what craft hop growers do. \u201cThe definition of craft is \u2018an activity that involves making things skillfully by hand, often in a traditional way.\u2019 Our hands are dirty every step of the way\u2014every new shoot, every cone, every moisture reading, every pellet, we\u2019re there with care and honesty creating an authentic product.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dozens of U.S. growers supply breweries with high-quality hops. These hop farms are often family-run, and count their acreage in double-digits vs. thousands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7038,"featured_media":112219,"sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sticky_collection":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[676,4812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-picks","category-full-pour"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n