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Harvesting the new ‘it’ crop, hops
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- Pam Miller with Hopyards of Kent also serves on Hop Growers of Michigan board of directors.
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- Hopyards of Kent also processes hops as United Hops Brokerage.
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- Just one acre, or 800 plants, is all that is needed to become a commercial grower.
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- Hop vines take about three years to reach maturity and will last more than 20 years.
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- Vines are cut down and brought to the harvester for processing.
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- One of the few hop harvesters in Michigan, shipped from Germany and rebuilt in the Great Beer State.
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- Once seperated from the vine, hops spend a day drying before being pelletized.
Just 400 acres of hops production in Michigan has made it the fourth largest hops producer in the nation. Pam Miller with Hopyards of Kent, just north of Grand Rapids, says in the last four years they’ve grown to supply more than 10 states in the Midwest because of the growing demand for craft beer.
She tells Brownfield hops are more difficult to grow in Michigan because of the scale necessary for production and costs involved. “We can’t begin to supply what the 200 breweries that are here in our state now, what their needs are.” Miller says there is a great need in the state for local hops and that’s providing new opportunities for growers.
“We’re going to see a good eight to ten year push in creating a good market for Michigan grown hops.”
With a limited number of machine harvesters in Michigan, Miller tells Brownfield Hopyards of Kent also processes crops for area growers. “We will hold them for all of the brewer contracts and it’s shipped out from our United Hops Brokerage firm.”
Like with many other crops, the 2015 growing season has been a challenge thanks to cool and wet weather. Miller tells Brownfield, the window for hops harvest in Michigan is just 5 to 7 weeks. “We are in full harvest production right now in the middle of September and we’re putting 12-14 hour days right now, every day until it’s finished.”
Over 90% of this year’s hops will be pelletized and used by craft breweries throughout the next 15 months.
She says after harvest, things get pretty quiet in the hopyard. “Then it’s time to spend some post-harvest energy on taking care of the crowns of the plant.” Miller says continuously monitoring the health of the plant is the most important thing for hops growers. She says hops are perennials and everything they do this year for the health of the crown will create better yields next year.
Washington state leads the nation in hops production with more than 32,000 acres, Oregon is second with almost 7,000 acres and Idaho is third with just under 5,000.
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