100 years ago, New York growers had a lock on the hops business, and New York’s “International Hop Stock Exchange” controlled prices worldwide.
Then downy mildew struck. This devastating disease ravaged hopyards throughout the East and Midwest. Now the Pacific Northwest is the hops capitol of the world.
But as appreciation of craft beers and microbrews has surged, so too has interest in locally grown hops. For growers, half the battle is choosing the right cultivars — cultivars resistant to downy mildew and other diseases. The other half? Hops aren’t your regular “inch by inch and row by row” crop — these tall-growing, long-lived vines need sturdy trellises that can go the distance. Building them is a project in itself. And hops roots like to go deep — upward of 15 feet where conditions allow. Also: harvesting and drying techniques are critical. Fresh hops are 70 to 80 percent water, but you gotta reduce that to five to 10 percent. Otherwise your cones could rot, and who wants that?
IPM’s first workshop of the season, held on the shores of Lake Erie on June 15, was a sell-out — the instructors had to move outside to a rented tent to accommodate the crowd. But there’s more to come, thanks to cooperative extension experts around New York and the Northeast. Here’s the summer schedule; for fall events (think NYS Fair!) click here:
Hops Session, Onondaga County Saturday, June 22, 2013: Tully Library, Tully, NY. Contact: Erin Hull at (315) 424-9485 xt. 224 or email at elh233@cornell.edu
Cornell Fruit Field Day (including Hops too!) Thursday, August 1, 2013: Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY. Contact: Debbie Berth at (585) 798-4265 or email at dib1@cornell.edu PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!
Hops 101, Dutchess County – Hudson Valley Saturday, August 17, 2013: Farm and Home Center, Millbrook, NY. Contact: Jennifer Ervin Fimbel, CCE Dutchess County at (845)677-8223 xt. 118 or email at jlf20@gmail.com www.cce.dutchess.org
Hops Field Day – Long Island – August 19, 2013: Condzella’s Farm Monday, Rt 25A Wading River, NY Contact: Sandra Menasha, CCE Suffolk County (631) 727-7850 xt. 316 or email at srm45@cornell.edu