hops feasibility study
DESCRIPTION
Hops Feasibility StudyTRANSCRIPT
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20092010FeasibilityandMarketResearchStudy
For
CommercialHopProductioninNewEngland
September30,2010
Preparedby
RosalieJ.WilsonBusinessDevelopmentServices
rosaliewilson.com
Withfundingfrom:
VermontAgencyofAgriculture,Food,andMarkets
MassachusettsDepartmentofAgriculturalResources
Four Star Farms hopyard, photo credit: r.wilson
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CommercialFeasibilityofLocalHops
2010
TableofContents
ExecutiveSummary............................................................................................................. 2
Background ..................................................................................................................... .... 3
Methodology....................................................................................................................... 6
Initialfindings...................................................................................................................... 7
MarketResearchSurveyDetails ....................................................................................... 10
ProductionFeasibility ....................................................................................................... 18
OtherIssuesAffectingGrowingCapabilityandCommercialProduction......................... 24
Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 35
NextSteps ......................................................................................................................... 42
AppendixA SourcesofInformation
Appendix
B
List
of
Persons
Consulted
AppendixC BrewerQuestionnaireTemplate
AppendixD CashFlowScenarios
AppendixE SampleHopyardDesigns
AppendixF HopyardEstablishmentCostsPerAcre
AppendixG LaboratoryAnalysisServiceProviders
AppendixH ExpiredHopHarvesterPatents
AppendixI FujiImpulseNitrogenFlush VacuumSealerProductInformation
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ExecutiveSummary
TheVermontAgencyofAgricultureFoodandMarketsandtheMassachusetts
DepartmentofAgriculturalResourcescommissionedthisresearchprojecttostudythe
economicandlogisticfeasibilityofcommercialhopproductioninNewEngland. The
goalistoexpandopportunitiesforNewEnglandgrowerstogenerateaprofitable
incomefrom
their
land.
This
report
has
determined
that
is
feasible
to
grow
acommercialhopcropinNewEngland:
A. Thereissufficientdemandfromthebrewingcommunitytosupportaminimum
of100acresinproduction.
B.
Thereissufficientpricepointelasticitytoaffordproducersanabilitytogenerate
aprofit,andareasonabletimeframeforreturnoninvestment.
C. Theinformation,technology,andequipmentnowexistforsmallerscale,110
acrecommercialhopoperations.
D. Asidefrompotentiallimitationsoftopsoildepthtobedrock,NewEnglands
growingclimateandconditionsarewellsuitedtohopproduction.
Thefourscenariosinwhichagrowercouldyieldapositivenetincomefromgrowing
hopsareasfollows:
Scenario1: ParticipatinginavaluesharegrowingprogramwithAtlanticHops
Scenario2: Sellingwholehops,minimallyprocesseddirecttobrewers
Scenario3: UsingAtlanticHopsforprocessingservicesandsellingpelletized
hopsdirecttobrewers
Scenario4: Sellingdoityourselfpelletizedhopsdirecttobrewers
IncomePotentialandReturnOnInvestment
Scenario1 Scenario2 Scenario3 Scenario4
AverageYield
PerAcre
1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs
AverageNet
IncomePer
Acre
$4,640 $5,090 $5,090 $12,910
AverageReturn
OnInvestment
for1stAcre
5years 5years 6years 4years
Levelof
IndividualRisk Low Moderate Moderate Highassuminga$10/lbpricepointforwholedriedhops,$15/lbforpelletizedhops,and$9/lbreturnfromthe
valueshareprogram
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Whilethepotentialtogeneratenetincomeperacreishighestinscenariofour,inwhich
thegrowercreatesthevalueaddedfinishedproductonsite,theultimate
recommendationistoadoptscenarioone,inwhichgrowersparticipateinavalueshare
growingprogramwithAtlanticHops. Thisisbecausescenarioonerepresentstheleast
riskwhilestillpresentingastrongpotentialforfinancialreturn.
Inallinstances,inordertoreachareasonableincomeandrateofreturnoninvestment,
acommercialgrowerwillneedtoutilizemechanicalharvestingandsorting. Inorderto
minimizeriskfromcropfailure,andtostaggerharvesttimesforlogisticalease,itis
highlyrecommendedthatthegroweralsodividethehopyardintothirdsandadopta3
varietyplanting.
Background
NewEnglandwashometoavibranthoptradethroughthebeginningoftheTwentieth
Century. Infactin1900,NewYorkwasthelargestproducerofAmericanhops,
generating49%oftheentireU.S.yield. BytheendofProhibition,however,muchof
thehop
industry
had
migrated
to
the
Pacific
Northwest.
This
was
due
to
advances
in
mechanizationthatmadelargerscalefarmingareality,complementingWestCoast
geography,andthedecimationoftheEasterncropsbyadiseaseknownasdowny
mildew. Downymildewisacripplingdiseasebecauseitcancauseshortandlongterm
damage,impactingaspecificyearsharvest,andpotentiallykillingtheplants
themselves.1 Thepotentialtokilltheplantisasignificantissuewithacropsuchas
hops,becausetheyareaperennialplantandtakethreetofouryearstoestablish.
WhyisthereaninterestinthecommercialviabilityofgrowingNewEnglandhops,and
whynow?
1. Thebeerindustryisamatureindustrywithdemonstratedlongevityandstable
consumption. Thistranslatesintostablemarketdemandforrawingredients
suchashops. Eveninthemidstofoneoftheworstrecessionsinhistory,2009
U.S.beersalesonlydecreased2.2%.2
2. Inthe1970sasegmentofthebrewingindustry,craftbrewing,begantodevelop
popularityintheNortheast,particularlyinNewEnglandandQuebec. Craft
brewers,originallyconsideredfringe,arenowacceptedinthemainstreambeer
1Barth,H.J.,Klinke,C.,Schmidt,C. TheHopAtlas. 1994. Nuremberg,Germany. Joh,Barth&Sohn.pp12
14.
JasonPerrault.PerraultFarms. GuestSpeaker. 2010WinterHopsConference. UVMExtension.
3/26/2010.2http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/businesstools/craftbrewingstatistics/facts
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industryandmakeup5%ofthetotalUSbeermarketshare.3 Notonlydoesthe
categorynowmakeuparespectableshareofoverallbeersales,itcontinuesto
riseastheshiftinconsumptiontrendsawayfromconsumingvolumequantities
ofmassmarketed,lowcostbeer,toselective,smallerquantitiesofhigher
qualityproducts.4
A2007
report
expressed
this
trend
as
follows:
TheBrewersAssociation,thetradeassociationthattabulatesindustrydatafor
craftbrewers,reportscraftbeersalesandgrowthcontinuetobreakrecords.
Thevolumeofcraftbeersoldinthefirsthalfof2007rose11%comparedtothis
sameperiodin2006anddollargrowthincreased14%.Forthefirsttimeever
craftbeerhasexceededmorethana5%dollarshareoftotalbeersales.
Overall,theU.S.beerindustrysoldonemillionmorebarrelsinthefirsthalfof
2007comparedto2006,with400,000ofthesenewbarrelsproducedbycraft
breweries.Thisequatesto3.768millionbarrelsofcraftbeersoldinthefirsttwo
quartersof2007comparedto3.368millionbarrelssoldinthefirsthalfof2006.
ScandatafromInformationResources,Inc.provideadditionaldatapointsthat
confirmstrengthforthesegment.Craftbeersalesinthesupermarketchannel
throughJuly15,2007showeda17.4%increaseindollarsalescomparedtothe
sameperiodin2006.Thisgrowthinsaleswashigherthananyotheralcohol
beveragecategory.
"The1,400small,independentandtraditionalcraftbrewersintheU.S.havehit
theirstride,"saidPaulGatza,DirectoroftheBrewersAssociation."United
Statescraftbrewersaremakingmanyoftheworld'sbestbeers,andthe
marketplaceisresponding."
Coupledwiththegrowthstatisticshasbeenatidalwaveofmediacoveragein
thefirsthalfof2007includingNBC'sTodayShowonJuly3stating,"Beeristhe
newwineandcangowithjustaboutanyfood."Additionally,Gallup,initslatest
pollonalcoholbeverages,announcedforthesecondstraightyearthat"Beer
AgainEdgesOutWineasAmericans'DrinkofChoice."
JuliaHerz,DirectorofCraftBeerMarketingfortheBrewersAssociation,
concluded,"Craftbeermarketshareissteadilyandconsistentlygrowing.A
grassrootsmovementisresponsibleforthissuccessasappreciatorscontinueto
tradeup."5
3http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Craft+Beer+Segment+Continues+to+Set+the+Pace+for+the+Beer+Categ
ory...a01676480254FranoisBiron. Agronomiste. MinistredelAgriculturedesPcheriesetdelAlimentationQubec.
GuestSpeaker. 2010WinterHopsConference. UVMExtension. 3/26/2010.5http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Craft+Beer+Segment+Continues+to+Set+the+Pace+for+the+Beer+Categ
ory...a0167648025
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Tofurtherexpressthispoint,whileoverallbeersalesweredown2.2%in2009,
craftbeersalesrose10.3%.6
3. Thenatureofthecraftbeerindustryisbuiltonproductdifferentiation,tradition,
innovation,quality,integrity,andcommunity.7 Thesequalitiesalllend
themselvesto
supporting
alocal
commercial
hop
production
effort.
Craft
brewersdesireforfreshnessandquality,theirsupportoflocaleconomies,their
interestinuniquenessasopposedtoubiquityallhelpinfluencetheirpurchasing
decisionmaking,andthustheyarenotsolelybuyingonprice. Thissupporthas
beenresearchedandquantifiedthroughthisfeasibilitystudy.
4. Thesizeandscaleofthemicroandcraftbreweries(theymustproducelessthan
2millionbarrelsperyear8)placetheminapositiontobeabletoworkwith
smallerscalelocalcommercialhopproduction. Theycanmoreeasilyadaptto
incorporatinglocalhopsintotheirproductionandrecipes,andtheirvolume
needs,oraportionoftheirvolumeneeds,areofasizeandscalethatwouldbe
feasiblefor
New
England
producers
to
attain
and
supply
on
aconsistent
basis.
Whathasbeendonetodate?
In1988,theVermontDepartmentofAgricultureinitiatedhopproductiontrialswith
CatamountBrewingCo.ofWindsor,Vermont. ThosetrialswereexpandedbyDr.
LeonardPerryattheUniversityofVermont. Reportsonthosetrialsareavailableat
http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/hops.html.
InSeptember2008,asmallteamfromVermontandMassachusettstraveledto
Germany,theCzechRepublicandBelgiumtolearnmoreaboutequipmentusedthere
forharvesting
and
processing
hops.
The
team
met
with
numerous
farmers
who
produced,harvested,andprocessedhopsandwithmanufacturersofhopharvesting
andprocessingequipment.9
In2009theVermontAgencyofAgricultureFoodandMarketsandtheMassachusetts
DepartmentofAgriculturalResourcessecuredUSDASpecialtyCropBlockgrantsforthis
feasibilitystudytobeconductedandforUVMExtensiontodevelopandestablishan
organichopyardtrialing20hopvarietiesanddifferentcovercroppingtechniques.
6http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/businesstools/craftbrewingstatistics/facts
7http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/businesstools/craftbrewingstatistics/craftbrewerdefined
8http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/businesstools/craftbrewingstatistics/craftbrewerdefined
9InformationprovidedbySteveJustis,VermontAgencyofAgriculture,FoodandMarkets,August2009.
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Methodology
Tocompletethefeasibilitystudy,thefirststepwastoresearchmarketdemandand
productspecificationsforthefinishedproduct. Craftbrewers,brewpubsand
homebrewsupplystoresinME,MA,NH,andVTwereidentifiedasthedirect
prospectivetargetmarketforaNewEnglandgrownhop.
Asurveyquestionnairewasdeveloped(seeappendices). Thequestionnairewas
availablebySurveyMonkey,asanemailattachment,andasatelephoneinterview. 72
brewerswerecontactedandrequestedtoparticipate. Followupwasmadeby
telephoneandemail. 47responseswerereceived,a65%responserate.
Theintentofthesurveywas:
todeterminewhatvarietiesofhopsthesebrewersuse
whatvolumeofthesehopstheyuse
whattheypay
how
these
prices
fluctuate
whatpurchasingrelationshipstheyareengagedin
whattheparametersorlimitingfactorsoftheserelationshipsare
whattheywouldfindmostvaluableininfluencingtheirpurchasingdecisionfor
NewEnglandhops
whatthefinishedproductwouldneedtobeforthemtoconsiderusingaNew
Englandhop
whattheywouldconsiderafairpriceforaNewEnglandhop
Afterconductingthemarketresearch,thestudyturnedtohopproductionfeasibility.
CouldhopsgrowinNewEngland,whatarethebottleneckstocommercialproduction?
Bottlenecksresearched
included:
accesstoandcostofrawmaterialsforhopyardestablishment
accesstoandcostofmechanizedharvestingequipment
accesstoandcostofsecondaryprocessing
growingconditions
issuesaffectingcropyield
Followingresearchonthebottlenecks,productionmodelsfora1to10acrehopyard
wereexplored. Fourproductionmodelsweredevelopedthatcouldpresentafinancially
andlogisticallyfeasiblecommercialhopgrowingventure.
Theinformationwasthensummarizedintothisfinalreport.
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Initialfindings
BrewerswhorespondedtothisstudywereuniversallyinterestedinbuyingNewEngland
hops: 94%,44outof47respondentsindicatedaninterestinpurchasingNewEngland
hops. Thisconclusionissupportedbyresearchconductedin2009byDuncanHilcheyof
NewLeafPublishingandConsulting,Ithaca,NY.10
Whilethebrewerswhorespondedtothisfeasibilitystudymaynotberepresentativeof
theentireNewEnglandbrewingcommunity,theirresponsesdidachievethemarket
researchgoalsofthestudywhichwereto
A. Determineifthereissufficientdemandtoabsorbaminimumof100,000
lbsofdried,NewEnglandaromahopsperyear,andatwhatpricepoint
B. Developahighlyqualifiedprospectlist
Thehighlyqualifiedprospectlistiscomposedofthosebrewerswhoaskedtoremain
involvedastheprojectasresearchanddevelopment,unfolds. Theyarehighlightedin
Boldunderthebrewersconsultedintheappendices.
Key
purchasing
decision
making
factors
Price
Brewersarehighlypricesensitive. Whiletheyareinterestedinbuyinglocal
hops,pricewillbeakeyfactor. Theprimarypricerangesconsideredas
acceptablepricepointsatwhichbrewerswouldpurchaselocalhopsiftheymet
theirotherrequirementswere:$5/lb,$810/lb,and$1015/lb. Atthe$510/lb
brewerswouldconsidersourcing100%oftheirhopsfromNewEngland
producersifthe
finished
product
was
interchangeable
with
their
existing
supply
intermsofproductdeliverable.
ProductQuality
Makingbeerisbothascienceandanartform. Therearemanynuancesthatcan
affectthefinalproduct. Becauseofthis,theultimateachievementofabreweris
whentheycanconsistentlyproducethesamefinishedproductintaste,aroma,
appearance,andmouthfeel,brewafterbrew,frombrewhousetobrewhouse.
Becausehopscreateasignaturearomaandflavorprofileforabeer,hopsarea
key
ingredient
in
any
beer
recipe.
Because
the
chemical
make
up
of
hops
may
changefromharvesttoharvestdependingongrowingconditionsand
geographicregion,themorethebrewerknowsaboutthemakeupofeach
10Hilchey,D. TheMarketPotentialforNortheasternGrownHops.NewLeafPublishingandConsulting,Inc.2009.
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11lbpouchesofvacuumsealed,nitrogen
flushedhoppellets.
Photocourtesyhttp://hopsextracts.com
shipmentofhopshereceivesthemorehecanadjusthisrecipesothattheend
resultwillbeconsistentwithpriorbrews.
Tomeetproductqualityrequirements,NewEnglandhopswillneedtobe
submittedtoalabforchemicalanalysisandachemicalanalysiswillneedto
accompanyeachhopshipment.
ProductSpecifications
Whilethebrewercantcontrolthechemicalmakeupofahopfromharvestto
harvest,hehascometoexpecthishopstolookandperformacertainway.
Inordertomeetproductspecificationstobeconsideredaviablealternative,a
NewEnglandhopwouldneedtobepelletizedtoaT90standard,packagedin
Nitrogenflushed,vacuumsealed,foillaminatedpouches,andencasedin
cardboardboxes. Therearetwostandardofferings,four11lbpouchestoa44lb
box,orone44lbpouchtoa44lbbox.
T90Pellets.
Photocourtesyhttp://hopunion.com
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PurchasingDecisionInfluencersinbuyinglocal(NewEnglandgrown)hops
Stablepricepoint
Brewersarefrustratedandincreasinglyvulnerabletovolatilepricepointsand
productscarcityofhopsonthespotmarket. Thisisespeciallydisconcertingto
themas
the
craft
beer
category
continues
to
grow
and
brewers
of
all
scale
and
sizecompeteforaccesstohopstomeettheirgrowingandexistingmarket
demand.
Personalrelationships
Brewers,similartobakersandchefs,taketheircraftseriouslyandpersonally.
Theyappreciatehavingconnectionstothoseprovidingtheiringredientsbecause
theyknowthatthequalityoftheingredientswillultimatelyimpactthequalityof
thefinishedproduct. Havinggrowersthattheycandevelopalonglasting,
personalrelationshipwithwillhelpsupersedepriceastheultimatepurchasing
decisionmaking
factor.
Environmentalawareness
NewEnglandscraftbrewersarewellawarethatthemajorityoftheinputsinto
theirproductscurrentlyoriginatefromtheMidWest,WestCoast,andEurope.
Anythingtheycandotohelpreducetheircarbonfootprintbybeingableto
purchaseinputsfromclosersourceswouldbeappreciated.
Localeconomicstimulation
NewEnglandcraftbrewersalsounderstandthenotionoflocaleconomy. Most
ofourcraftbrewersarelocalorregionalproducerswhoseproductsstayinNew
England,thereforekeepingtheirpurchasingdollarsinNewEnglandfurther
reinforcesthelikelihoodthattheirownproductswillbepurchased.
Marketing
Craftbrewersoftentightlywraptheirgeographiclocationsintotheircorporate
identity,leveragingasenseofplaceasadistinguishingattributeintheirsales
and
marketing.
By
purchasing
local
ingredients
they
can
further
strengthen
this
marketingmessage.
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MarketResearchSurveyDetails
Ofthe72brewers,brewpubs,andhomebrewsupplystoressurveyed,34responded,
foratotalresponserateof47%. Fromtheresponsesgiven,totalbarrels(bls)brewed
(from26respondents)cameto370,970blsperyear,withanaverageof14,268blsper
brewery.
Thesmallest
brewer
claimed
210
bls
per
year,
while
the
largest
brewer
cited
100,000blsperyear.
HopVarieties&Volume
ThemostprevalenthopusedbythebrewerswasCascade,followedbyHallertau,
Centennial,Golding,andWillamette,seechartbelow.
Totalvolumeofhopsusedannuallyby21breweriesreportingcameto126,482lbsof
driedhopsperyear,and2,600lbsofwethopsperyear.
NumberofBrewers
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ThetotalvolumeofCascadehopsusedby30reportingbreweriescameto81,860lbs
peryear. Volumesofthenextninemostprevalenthopswereasfollows:
Hallertau6,436lbs/yrfrom15respondents
Centennial5,400lbs/yrfrom16respondents
Golding5,250
lbs/yr
from
12
respondents
Willamette5,250lbs/yrfrom11respondents
Tettnang4,850lbs/yrfrom8respondents
Perle3,950lbs/yrfrom8respondents
Saaz3,550lbs/yrfrom9respondents
Magnum3,250lbs/yrfrom5respondents
Nugget:2,750lbslbs/yrfrom4respondents
NorthernBrewer2,650lbs/yrfrom9respondents
Columbus2,000lbs/yrfrom8respondents
Glacier1,850lbs/yrfrom3respondents
Inaddition
to
seeking
to
understand
the
brewers
current
hop
usage
and
volume,
the
studyaskedtheirpreferenceinwhatvarietiestheywouldbemoreinterestedinseeing
fromaNewEnglandsource,seechartonpage12.
Cascadetoppedthelistwith71%,22of31respondents,demonstratinganinterestina
NewEnglandCascade. Centennialwasthenextmostrequestedwith39%,12of31
respondents,askingforit. Thebrewerresponsespresentthemselvesfavorablyinterms
ofthelogisticalfeasibilityofbeingabletomeettheirvarietypreferencesbecause
CascadeandCentennialhappentobetwoofthevarietalsthatoutperformother
varietiesinNewEngland.11
11InformationderivedfromcurrentNewEnglandhopgrowersincludingEugeneLEtoile,1997UVM
ExtensionHopsTrials,andUVMExtensionGrowerSurvey.
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WholeLeafvsPelletizedHops
83%,25of30respondents,saidtheyrequiredpelletizedhops. 30%,9of30
respondents,said
they
use
or
could
use
dried
whole
hops.
23%,
7of
30
respondents,
saidtheycouldusewetwholehops. Thetotalvolumeofwet,wholeleafhopsused
annuallybythese7respondentscameto2,600lbs. Thetotalvolumeofdriedwholeleaf
hopsusedannuallybythese8respondentscameto3,750lbs,andthetotalvolumeof
pelletizedhopsusedbythe24respondentscameto122,732lbs(seechartonpage13).
Atthesevolumes,wethopscouldsupportlessthanoneacreofcommercialproduction,
drywholehopscouldsupportupto4acres,andpelletizedhopscouldsupportupto120
acres.
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AromavsBittering
ThefeasibilityofcommercialhopproductioninNewEnglandwillneedtofocuson
aromahops,ordualpurposehopsoverbitteringhopsfromNewEngland. Thisis
because:
1. Price:Bitteringhopsfunctionastheirnamesays,theyprovidebitternesstoa
beer,thebackboneuponwhicharomahopsthenlayercomplexity,flavorand
aroma. Becauseofthis,bitteringhopshaveevolvedintoahighlycommoditized
productwithanonelastic,pricepointaveraging$13/lb. Onlylargescale
operationsfocusedonefficienciesofscalecancompeteinthismarket. Aroma
hops,ontheotherhand,maintainproductdifferentiationcapabilitiesthatadd
valueandcancommandahigher,andmoreelastic,pricepoint. Aromahops
pricepointscanrangeashighas$25+/lb.
2.
Contracts:Brewerstypicallylockinmultiyearcontractsforbitteringhops. While
they
will
also
lock
in
contracts
for
certain
quantities
of
aroma
hops
they
know
theyneed,theytendtoreservesomeoftheirbudgetforunexpectedpurchases,
enablingthemflexibilitytoexperimentandinnovate. Thisopensthedoorfor
themtopurchaseaNewEnglandhop.
N
umberofBrewersResponding
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3. GrowingConditions:Bitteringhopsarehighalphaacidhopswhichareknownto
bedifficulttogrowinNewEngland. Havingahighalphaacidcontentisnota
prerequisitetoanaromahop.
4.
CraftBrewerAudience:Craftbrewersaremorelikelytoexplorewithnewbeer
offerings,andseekoutnew,differentorunusualaromahopvarieties. Craft
brewersaremorelikelytoappreciatethevalueofterroir,uniquetraitsinahop
thatare
derived
from
the
region
in
which
it
was
grown,
in
an
aroma
hop.
5.
ProductSpecifications:Becausearomahopscanbeaddedatdifferentstages
duringthebrewingprocess,thereareopportunitiesfornonpelletizedhopsso
evensmallscalecommercialgrowersinterestedinsellingwholedriedorwet
hopscouldparticipate.
6.
CertainaromahopvarietiesareparticularlywellsuitedtogrowinginNew
Englandandarealsoinhighdemandfromthecraftbrewingcommunity. These
includeCascade,Centennial,Willamette,Chinook,andNugget.
PricePoints
Interms
of
pricing
the
issue
is
complex.
The
historical
average
price
for
dried
hops
from
19912006was$1.80/lb,seechartbelow. However,in2007,failedEuropeancrops,
decliningacreageworldwide,aYakimawarehousefireandotherfactorsconspiredto
sendspotpricessoaringfrom$2and$3apoundto$30ormore.12
12Fayston,J. The2007hopsshortageisover,theglutof'09ishere...TheOregonian.10/28/2009.
(source:NASS)
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Brewersreactedbyenteringintomultiyearcontractsattheheightofthecrisissimply
toensuretheywouldbeguaranteedasupplyofhops. Insomecasesthishastied
brewersinto35yearcontractsata$1530/lbpricepoint,notnecessarilyincluding
shipping,eventhoughtheshortageisnowoverandthespotmarketpricingisback
downto$5/lb.
Becauseoftheseverevolatilityincommoditypricingandproductshortagethatthe
brewingindustryexperienced,themajorityofbrewerssurveyedreportedthatthey
wouldelectlongtermcommitmentswithlocalgrowersovercommoditycontractsand
spotmarketpurchasing,andwouldbewillingtopayaconsistentpriceforthisto
happenevenifthepricewerehigherthanthespotmarketprice,aslongasbothparties
felttheywerebeingwellserved.
Followingisachartdemonstratingwhatbrewershavesuggestedtheywouldconsidera
fairpriceforNewEnglandhops. Notethatthecurrentspotmarketpriceisaveraging
$58/lb.
Nu
mberofBrewers
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Afewofthebrewersconsidered$5/lbafairpricepointandbelievedthatwasstill
favorableeventhoughitsequivalenttocurrentspotmarketpricingbecausehistorically
spotmarketpricinghasaveraged$1.80/lbandthespotmarketcouldeasilyslipbackto
thislevel. Themajorityfeltthat$810/lbforNewEnglandhopswouldbereasonable.
NumberofBrewers
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Atthepricepointbrewersidentifiedasapricetheyfeltfairforlocalhops,thestudy
thenaskedhowmuchofthetotalpercentageoftheirhopneedstheywouldsource
locallyifitwereavailable. Themajorityofbrewerssaidtheywouldbeinterestedin
sourcing100%oftheirhopneedslocallyifthequalitymatchedtheirexpectationsand
theprice
point
fell
within
$5
10/lb.
Above
this
price
point
brewers
would
still
consider
buyinglocalhopsbutonlyasapercentageoftheirtotalhopneeds.
Percentageofabrewerstotalhopneedstheywouldconsidersourcinglocally
NumberofBrewers
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ProductionFeasibility
Thefirstquestiontoaskregardingproductionfeasibilityis,canaNewEnglandgrower
growwhatthebrewerswant? Asnotedearlierintheresearch,theanswertothisis:
yes. Cascadeisthemostrequestedhop,andisavarietythatgrowswellinNew
England.
Inaddition
to
Cascade
there
are
several
other
varieties
that
could
grow
well
hereandwouldbeofinteresttothebrewingcommunity. Brewershavealsoexpressed
aninterestinexperimentingwithanynew,uniquecultivarstheregioncancomeup
with. Havingahopuniquetoourregioncouldstrengthentheelementofterroir,
piquingglobalindustryinterest,andprovidingareasontojustifyapremiumpricepoint.
GrowingConditions
AccordingtotheHopsAtlas13
optimalconditionsforgrowinghopsareasfollows:
alatitudebetween3555degrees
averagetemperaturefromAprilthroughSeptemberbetween1019C
averageprecipitationfromAprilthroughSeptemberof64569mm
averagedaylightduringthesemonthsbetween1019hrs/day
Thesefindingswerederivedbytakingtheclimatedatafortophopgrowingregionsin
theworld:George,SouthAfrica;TasmaniaandVictoriaAustralia;RioNegroArgentina;
OregonandYakima,US;Hallertau,Germany;Saaz,Czech;andWyeEngland.
Inaddition,theatlasidentifiedwelldrainingsandyloamasthebestsoilforgrowing
hops.
Giventheseparameters,itlookslikeNewEnglandhaseverycapabilitytocompetefor
commercialhopgrowing. Fromaverybasicfeasibilitycapacity,therightgrowing
conditionsdoexist:
theaveragelatitudeisinthe40's
theaveragetemperaturefromAprilthroughSeptember15.5C(60F)
theaverageprecipitationfromAprilthroughSeptemberis525550mm
theaveragehoursofdaylightfromAprilthroughSeptemberis13.5hrs/day
theFarmlandClassificationsSystemforVTSoilshighlightsFranklin,Addison
andRutland
counties
as
counties
with
sandy
loam
soils.
Massachusetts
soils
inFranklinandWorcesterCountiesarealsoknowntobewelldrained,sandy
loamsoils.
13Barth, Joh Heinrich, Klinke, Christiane, Schmidt, Claus. The Hop Atlas. Joh Barth & Sohn, Nuremberg,
Germany. 1994.
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AkeycaveatforgrowinghopsinNewEngland,however,willbetheissueofbedrock.
Toerectthehopyardtrellis,thepolesneedtobeseatedatleast34intheground,
whichmeansoneneeds34oftopsoilbeforehittingbedrock. InmuchofNewEngland
thebedrocklieslessthan3belowthesurface. Whileitispossibletoadaptand
improveapoorgrowingmedium,itisnotsoeasyorcosteffectivetoblastthrough
bedrock.
Socare
will
need
to
be
given
to
evaluating
the
bedrock
situation
for
each
prospectivesitepriortoanydecisionbeingmadeondesiretoestablishahopyard.
Nowthatparametersrequiredforgrowinghopshavebeenestablished,whatwillitcost
tobuildahopyardandgrowhops,andisitcosteffective?
Infrastructure
AscommercialhopgrowingmovedWestintheearly20th
century,infrastructurefor
valueaddedprocessingofhopsintheNortheastdied. Inordertodeveloparesurgence
ofacommerciallyviablehopcrop,tools,techniques,equipment,andserviceswillbe
requiredto
help
growers
establish
their
hopyards
cost
effectively,
and
provide
them
withtheabilitytotransformtheirrawhopsintothefinishedproductbrewersneed.
Atpresent,therearefewhopyardsuppliersgrowerscanturntoforsmallscale
commercialoperations. Growersareoftenforcedtopayretailpricesforsuppliessuch
asrhizomes,cables,andthesimplethoughtofbeingabletosourceuptoonehundred
2224polescanbedaunting. Whileaccessibilityisalreadyaweakness,itcanbe
exacerbatedbytheissueofquality. Thesourcingofqualityrhizomesinparticularcan
beverydifficult,evenwhenbuyingfromsupposedlytrustedsources. Bothlocal
growersandUVMExtensionhavereceivedhopsthatwerediseased,infestedor
otherwiseof
less
than
ideal
quality.
14
Inadditiontothedifficultiesinvolvedinlocatingmaterialsandsupplies,thecostof
establishingahopyardcanvarydramaticallybasedonthedesignbeingused. Different
designswillrequiremoreorlesspoles,moreorlessrhizomes,andsoon. Toprovidean
exampleofthis,pleaserefertotheappendicesforacomparisonofthesupplies
requiredandcosttoestablishasamplingofdifferenthopyarddesigns.
InfrastructureSolution
GorstValleyHops,wasestablishedin2005inWisconsintoalleviatebarrierstoentryfor
small
scale
hop
growers.
The
business
has
focused
on
identifying
and
solving
the
bottlenecks,anddevelopingbestpracticesforsmallscalehopgrowerstoemployso
thattheycanbecommerciallysuccessful. GorstValleyHopshasbecomeareputable
sourcesmallmidwestgrowersinterestedincommerciallygrowinghopscanturnto.
14PhoneconversationswithGeneLEtoile,FourStarFarm,andRosalieMadden,UVMExtension,August,
2010.
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ThecommercialmodelGorstValleyhasdevelopedworkssuchthatallthreeparties the
brewer,theprocessor,andthegrower benefit.15
TheGorstValleymodelisbasedona
valuesharechartergrowerprogram,inwhichthegrowersagreetosendtheirannual
hopsharvesttoGorstValley. Inreturn,GorstValleyprovidesthemwiththeir
researchedandtestedhighdensityhopyarddesign,technicalassistancetoimplement
it,ongoingtechnicalsupportduringthegrowingseasonforthefirstfouryears,direct
sourcingand
wholesale
pricing
of
all
the
source
materials
required
to
establish
their
hopyard,accesstoequipmentinnovationsandresearchanddevelopment,anda
marketingoutletthatstrivesforafairandprofitablepricefor100%oftheirharvest. In
thismodelGorstValleysharestheproceedsofthehopsales6040with60%goingback
tothegrowers.
Theabilityforgrowerstohaveaccesstoareplicable,provendesignforoptimalyield
andproductivityforasmallscalecommercialhopyard,completewithaccessto
commerciallyavailablesourcematerialsatwholesalepricing,withqualityassured
rhizomesisthefirstrequirementtocreatingacommerciallyviablehopcrop. Tothis
end,AtlanticHops,anewventurebeinglaunchedbyMichaelRoffman,inpartnership
withGorst
Valley
Hops
will
be
opening
in
the
Northeast
in
2011.
Atlantic
Hops
intends
toestablishaNortheastvaluesharegrowerprogramandactasadistributorofGorst
ValleyproductsandservicestoNewEnglandcommercialhopgrowers.16
SecondaryProcessing
Evenwithbarrierstoentryremovedfromthegrowingoperation,issuespersist. Access
tosecondaryprocessingisthenexthurdle. BrewersarelookingforaT90pellet
product,packagedinvacuumsealed,nitrogenflushedfoillaminatedpouches.
Whatis
aT90
Pellet,
how
is
it
made,
and
how
is
it
packaged?
T90Pellets(are)amilledandpelletizedpreparationfromwholeleafhopsT90hop
pelletsarepreparedfromleafhopswhichhavebeenhammermilledintoapowderand
thepowdersubsequentlypelletizedbypassingthroughaconventionalpelletdie. They
containallthevegetativeandlupulinmaterialofrawleafhopsandcanbeusedasafull
replacementforleafhopsinthebrewingprocess. Baledhopsarebrokenupandpassed
intoanairstreamwhichdeliversthemtoahammermill.Heavyforeignmaterialsdrop
outandmetalfragmentsareremovedusingmagnets.Theconehopsaremilleduntil
theypassthroughasievewhichiscommonlyofa912mmmesh.Thepowderfrom
manybalesismixedandhomogenizedinablenderandthenconveyedtoapelletdie,
mostcommonly
4or
6mm
in
diameter.
The
pellets
are
immediately
cooled,
normally
to
atemperatureofbetween1 7C. Cooledpelletspassoverashakerwheredustis
removedandrecirculatedthroughtheplant. The"clean"pelletsarepackagedin
15PhoneconversationwithJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,September7,2010.
16PhoneconversationwithMichaelRoffman,founder,AtlanticHops,August,2010.
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2010
laminated,plastic/aluminumfoilpouches,evacuatedandboxed. Thepacksmaybe
backflushedwithcarbondioxideornitrogengastoproduceasoftpackcontainer.17
Whileitispossibletoconductthissecondaryprocessingonfarm,manyfarmsmaynot
beinterestedindoingmorethangrowingthecrop,andmanyarefindingitdifficultto
sourceandobtainsatisfactoryresultswiththeirsecondaryprocessingequipment.18
AtlanticHops
will
provide
commercial
processing
of
New
England
hops
that
will
ensure
secondaryprocessingisnolongerabarriertoentry,andthatNewEnglandcanproduce
aconsistent,professionalgradefinishedproduct. AtlanticHopswillofferitsvalueshare
growerprogramforgrowerswhoaresimplyinterestedingrowingthecrop,itwillalso
offersitservicesforhiretogrowerswhowouldliketogrowandselltheirownhopsbut
wouldliketopayforthesecondaryprocessingservices.
CriticalMass
EvenifeachfarmproducesitsownT90pelletizedproductthathasbeenchemically
analyzed,andpackagedinanitrogenflushed,vacuumsealedfoillaminatedpouch,the
factremainsthatmostgrowerswillbelookingatanaveragesizeofaoneacrehopyard,
atleastinitially. Aoneacrehopyardisexpectedtoyieldanaverageof1,500dried
poundsoffinishedproduct. Thisyieldwilllimittheprospectivetargetmarketbecause
largercraftbrewerswillrequiremoreproductthanasinglefarmercanproduce. Given
theproductofasinglevarietalwilldifferfromfarmtofarm,abrewercannoteasily
combinethem,evenifheadaptshisrecipe. AccordingtoMichaelGerhart,headbrewer
atOtterCreekBrewing,Wetrytobuyallourhopsatonetimeandfromthesamecrop
soweknowtheinformationperhopswillbestandardforthewholecropwearebuying
andtherecipewewillbemakingforthatyear.19
Bycombining
hops
from
multiple
New
England
farms
together,
Atlantic
Hops
will
be
abletodevelopcriticalvolumeofeachvarietalitofferssothatcraftbrewersofallsize
andscalecanpurchasefromahomogeneousproduct. Incombiningmultiplefarms
hopstogether,idiosyncrasiesfromeachgrowerarealsominimized,thuscreatinga
productthatismoreconsistentlyinlinewiththestandardprofileforthathopvariety.
Byhavingcriticalmass,andaregionalproductthatbrandstheregionfirstandforemost,
AtlanticHopscanattractawarenessfortheregionsefforts,whichintheendwill
facilitatethemarketingeffortsofindividualproducers.
17http://www.hopunion.com/hoppowderpellets.html
18ConferenceCallwithRogerRainville,BorderviewFarmandAgResearchFacility,9/17/2010.
19ConferenceCallwithMichaelGerhart,HeadBrewer,OtterCreekBrewingCompany,7/6/2010.
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2010
Cashflow
Thefinalrequirementiscashflow. Oncetheinfrastructureisinplace,canthehopyards
operateinamannerthatisfinanciallyfeasible?
Toassistitsgrowersinbecomingfinanciallyviable,GorstValleyHops,hasresearched
growingand
harvesting
techniques
to
optimize
yield,
and
is
developing
equipment
for
smallscaleacreagethatoptimizesefficiency. Inthesummerof2010,forexample,Gorst
ValleyHopsconductedharvestingstudiestodeterminethemostadvantageous
techniquesforhandharvestingonacommercialscale. Theyalsobegantestinga
mechanicalpickertheydesigned.
AccordingtoestimatesprovidedbylocalNewEnglandgrowers,UVMExtension,anda
commercialgrowerinWashington,manualharvestingonaverageyields1lbofdried
hopsperhour,20
seetablebelow.
Manualharvestingestimatesgiven
RickPedersen,
Pedersen
Farms,
NY
1lb
dried
hops
(1
bine)
per
hour
(1lb/hr)
JasonPerrault,PerraultFarms,Inc,WA 100people,30days,13acres(1.08lbs/hr)
GeneLEtoile,FourStarFarm,MA 1lbdriedhops(1bine)perhour(1lb/hr)
LeonardPerry,UVMExtension,VT 24manhourstopick5lbsofdriedhops,
(0.21lbs/hour)
Atarateof1lbofdriedhopsperhour,itwillbeneartoimpossibletogeneratea
positivecashflowforacommercialhopventure.
IntheGorstValleyHopstrials,however,theydeterminedthatifthegrowercutthe
entirebine
but
only
harvested
the
top
one
third
of
the
bine,
where
94%
of
the
hop
conesresided,thegrowerwouldreducepickingtimeby42%,to35minutesperdried
lb. Bygoingastepfurtherandstrippingthebine,andsortingtheconesonamesh
screen,thegrowercouldreducepickingtimeto20minutesperdriedlb. Usinga
mechanizedpickerandmechanizedsorter,thegrowercanreducethetimeto3
minutesperdriedlb,a95%efficiencygain.21
IfagrowerweretoemployGorstValleyHopsharvestingtechniques,andutilizea
mechanicalharvesterandsorter,thehopfeasibilityequationcanbetransformedinto
afinanciallyrewardingoutlookforcommercialhopgrowinginNewEngland. Please
referto
the
attached
cash
flows
for
details.
20InformationprovidedbyRickPedersen,PedersonFarm,NY,3/26/2010,JasonPerrault,PerraultFarms,
WA,3/26/2010,GeneLEtoile,FourStarFarms,MA,8/20/2010,and
http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/hops.html.21
EmailcommunicationfromJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,9/14/2010.
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Notethatinallfourscenariosofsalesanddistribution(participatinginthevalueshare
program;sellingwholedriedhops;usingAtlanticHopsprocessingservices;ordoing
onfarmpelletizing),onlythecashflowmodelsthatemploystrippingandsortingand
mechanizedharvestingofferapositivereturnoninvestment,andonlythe
mechanizedharvestingcashflowmodelsofferthepossibilityofasubstantialannual
netincome.
Todevelopthecashflows,thestudyassumedthefollowing:
Income
pricepointsfordriedwholehops:$10/lb
pricepointforpelletizedhops:$15/lb
incometogrowerfromvalueshareprogram:$9/lb(60%of$15/lb)
Expense
operatingexpensesnotincludinglaborandprocessing:$2,500/acreperyear22
InfrastructureExpense
Growersinvolvedinthevalueshareprogramcanexpecttopayapproximately$10,000
toestablishaoneacrehopyard. Growersnotinthevalueshareprogramcanexpectto
payapproximately$12,000toestablishaoneacrehopyard,seeappendicesforsample
hopyardinfrastructurebudgets.
Yield
Ayieldof1,500driedpoundsperacrewasusedastheaverageexpectedyield. This
numberwasderivedfromhistoricaverageyieldsfromGorstValleyHopsgrowersfrom
averageyieldingvarieties.
22ConservativeestimatedderivedfromhistoricactualdatafromGorstValleyHopsgrowers
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OtherIssuesAffectingGrowingCapabilityandCommercialProduction
Accordingtoexperiencedgrower,RickPedersen,PedersenFarms,NY,whilehopsmay
beahighmaintenancecrop,thisistrueofanyfieldcrop. InRicksexperience,hops
aresimilartofieldcorn. Ifyouknowhowtogrowfieldcornsuccessfully,youshouldbe
ableto
do
well
with
hops.
23
Following
are
certain
specific
elements
of
the
operation
thatcanaffectthesuccessofcommercialhopgrowers.
Disease&Pests
Hopshavebeennotoriousasacropthatgrowswellinthewildbutwhosecommercial
cultivarstendtobeproblematic. Hopsareeasilysusceptibletodownymildew,
powderymildew,aphids,andspidermites. Arigorouspestanddiseasemanagement
regimewillbearequiredelementofanycommercialgrowingoperation.
Nutrients
Nutrientsandsoilamendmentscanbothboostaplantsproductivityandalleviate
diseaseandpestpressure. HopspreferapHof6.06.2,oramildlyacidicsoil.
Growersshouldtesttheirfieldsannuallyandamendtheirsoilstoprovidetheideal
growingmediumfortheirplants. Notethatamendingsoilsbasedontheirspecific
needsiscriticalbecauseoverapplicationofNitrogenbasedfertilizerwillcausesappy
growththatisparticularlysusceptibletodiseaseandpests.24
Inadditiontoamendingthesoilforfertility,therearealsoamendmentsbeing
designedtoassistwithdiseaseandpestcontrol. AnewproductfromGermanyfor
example,Biplantol
Mykos
V,
is
an
organic
amendment
that
is
absorbed
by
the
capillary
rootsystemandfortifiesaplantsresistancetobacteriaandfungalinfestation
includingpowderyanddownymildew. Theresultisahealthyandvitalplant,which
canmorereadilywithstandpestanddiseasepressure.25
UVMExtensionistrialing
othersoilamendmentsandgroundcoverstobeabletoprovidefurther
recommendationsforNewEnglandhopgrowers.
Irrigation
Hops,similartoCucurbitaceaeenjoy,andrequire,watering,butoverheadwatering
will
encourage
and
spread
disease.
Therefore
installation
and
use
of
drip
irrigation
is
recommendedforcommercialgrowers. Thebinesalsoneedgoodairflowandspacing
betweenthemtoencourageadry,diseasefreeenvironment. Hoprootspreferawell
23HoppingtoIt!Conference,RickPedersenPresentation,March26,2010.
24Kneen,Rebecca.SmallScaleOrganicHopProduction. LeftFieldsBC.2004.
25https://www.biplantol.com/produkte.php?content=3
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drainedsoil. Ifagrowerhasheavysoil,installingadrainagesystemwillbean
importantfactortohelpensureasuccessfulhopyard.
TimingofEventsintheGrowingSeason
Hopsrequirespecifictimelyattentiontoplantpruning,irrigation,andharvesting.
Hopsmust
be
picked
when
fully
ripe.
Early
harvesting
can
hinder
lupulin
development
andloweralphaacidcontentbyupto20%. Lateharvestingcanlowerthembyas
muchas10%.26
Inessencethisistypicalofanyfieldcrop. Experiencedgrowerslearn
tounderstandthenuancesofeachcroptheygrow,andwithalittleexperienceand
effort,especiallybeingabletobenefitfromtheknowledgeofothersmallscalehop
growingexpertswhohaveundergonerecenttrialanderrorsuchasthegrowersfrom
GorstValley,bringingourNewEnglandgrowersuptospeedispossible.
Yield
Yieldcanvarygreatlybyvariety,byweatherconditions,andbyindividualfarm
growingpractices,
philosophies,
and
goals.
As
an
example,
aplants
individual
yield
canvarybyasmuchas40%dependingonwhattimetheirrigationwasrunpriorto
harvest. Becauseofthis,James,atGorstValleyHops,hasfounditbeneficialforfarms
todevelopproductiongoalsandproductionmetricsbasedonindividualplant
productivityinsteadofoverallyieldperacre. Whenfarmsfocusonhelpingeach
plantreachitsfullpotential,theyseeanincreaseinoverallyieldbecausethey
identifiedwitheachplantgrowthstage,workingtomaximizethepotentialateach
step,whichinturnequatestomoreconsistentyield. Whengrowersmeasurecrop
inputsandproductionbasedonpoundsperacretheytendtooverlookthenuancesof
productivity. Atoursizeandscale,afocusonefficiencyoverproductivitynegatively
impactsfinancial
return.
27
AtGorstValleyHops,anaverageproducinghopvarietycanproducealowyieldof
1,000lbsofdriedhops;anaverageyieldof1,500lbsofdriedhops,andastrongyield
of2,000lbsofdriedhops. UsingtheGorstValleyHopshopyarddesignand
participatingintheAtlanticHopsvaluesharegrowerprogramitislikelyNewEngland
growerscanachievesimilarresults.28
ExistingNortherngrowerRickPedersen,
PedersenFarm,NYaverages8001,200lbsofdriedhopsperacre(4,0006,000wet
hops),howeverheacknowledgedthathisgrowingsystemisnotfullyoptimizedand
hehasnotbeenabletoprovideindividualizedplantattention.29
GeneLEtoile
26Virant,Majda,Majer,Dusica. HopStorageIndexIndicationofaBrewingQuality.InstituteofHop
ResearchandBrewingZalec.January2006.27EmailcommunicationwithJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,9/27/2010.28ConferenceCallwithJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,9/7/2010.29HoppingtoIt!Conference,RickPedersenPresentation,March26,2010.
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2010
harvested100lbsofdriedhopsfrom70plants.30
Ifthisisextrapolatedtothe1,283
plantsperacrethatGorstValleyHopsrecommends,thiswouldextrapolatetoayield
of1,832driedpoundsperacre,whichisinlinewithGorstValleyHopsyield
projections.
Inestimatingwettodryyields,expectashrinkageratioof1:5,thereforeeverywetlb
harvestedwill
yield
1/5
th
of
apound
of
dried
hops.
31
TimetoMaturity
Whenwillhopplantsreachfullmaturity?
Ittakesapproximatelyfouryearsforahopbinetoreachfullmaturity. Inthefirstyear
expectnoharvest,inthesecondyearexpect40%ofafullharvest,inthethirdyear
expect90%,andinthe4th
yearplanonfullproduction.32
1styear = 0%harvest
2nd
year = 40%harvest
3rdyear
=
90%harvest
4th
year = 100%harvest
LowTrellisSystems/CurbAppeal
Anotheranglethisresearchwastoinvestigatewastheinterestorneedforgrowing
lowtrellishopsandthefeasibilityofdoingso.
Traditionallygrownhopsaretrainedupstrandsoftwineriggedacrossan18foothigh
trellissystemandthenhandtiedatthetoptoaseriesofoverheadcrosswires. Come
harvest,the
hop
bearing
vines
are
cut
and
hauled
to
picking
and
cleaning
stations.
Withlowtrellissystems,plantstrainthemselvesupandacrossplasticmesh,or
netting,ona10foothightrellissystem. Hopsareharvestedinthefieldbyhandor
usingamobilelowtrellishoppicker. Thevinesareleftonthemeshwheretheydie
offoverthewinterandregrowthenextspring.
Thepotentialbenefitsofalowtrellissysteminclude:
1. Bettercurbappealespeciallyforfarmslocatedinmoreurbanenvironments
suchasMassachusetts. Alowtrellissystemwouldbelessvisiblefroma
distance
and,
being
shorter
in
height,
any
spraying
activities
would
draw
less
attention.
30ConferenceCallwithGeneLEtoile,FourStarFarm,7/13/2010.
31HoppingtoIt!Conference,RickPedersenPresentation,March26,2010.32
EmailcorrespondencefromJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,9/23/2010.
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2. Loweroperatingexpenses. Lowertrelliseseliminatetheneedforstringing,in
whichtwineistiedtothetrelliswires,andtraining,inwhichthestrongest
shootsofeachhopplantaretrainedupthestring. Theycanalsobeeasierto
harvest. Thesechangescouldreduceannuallaborexpensebyupto30%per
year.33
Annualsuppliesexpensecanalsobediminishedbecausethemesh
netsremainintactfromyeartoyearwitha10yearlifespan,unlikecoirtwine
whichneeds
to
be
replaced
each
year
at
an
average
cost
of
$125/acre.
34
Low
trellisproductionsystemsalsoenablegrowerstoapplypesticideswith
directedorcoveredsprayersthatlowertheamountofpesticidesrequired,and
theyuselessfertilizer,furtherreducingoperatingcosts.35
3. Environmentalbenefits. Giventhepesticidescanbeappliedinamore
targetedanddirecteffort,aloweramountofpesticidesisrequired,thus
lesseningtheamountofpesticideaddedtotheenvironmentandtheriskfor
pesticidedrift.36
Conversely,however,thistheoryisquestionedbyEdward
Pagewhonotesthathigherchemicaluseisrequiredfortillingandpruning.37
4. Lowerstartupexpenses/easiertoestablish. Itiseasierandlessexpensiveto
sourceandinstall1012polesandnylonmeshthantopurchaseandinstall20
24poles
and
steel
cabling.
According
to
Edward
Page,
who
did
acost
comparisonbetweenhightrellisandlowtrellis,itcostsabouthalfasmuchto
setupalowtrellishopyard,$6,000/acre.38
Despitetheseexcellentbenefitsthereareseveralissuesaffectingthecommercial
feasibilityofgrowinglowtrellishopsinNewEnglandatthistime.
1.
Commerciallowtrellisharvestingequipmentiscostprohibitive,ranging
between$200,000$400,000perharvester.
2. Increasedincidenceofdisease. AccordingtoJulienVenne,ProjectManagerat
QubecsCentre
de
Recherche
et
de
Dveloppement
Technologique
Agricole
deLOutaouais,thereisstrongconcernthatintheNortheastsrainy,humid,
anddiseaseproneclimate,havingbinesoverwinterwouldencouragedisease
ifthesporesoffungaldiseasesoverwinteronhopcrownsandligneous
tissues. Thiscouldkeephighlevelsofdiseaseinoculumsinthefieldand
exacerbatethediseasecontrolprocess.39
InthePacificNorthWesttheyare
33USDAARS.LowerHopTrellisesforHigherProfits. CropManagement. 21January2008.
34Ward,L.YakimaHeraldRepublic. Someplasticmeshcouldsavestatehopfarms. Newtechniquehas
potentialforthebeermakingcrop.May30,2005.35
USDA
ARS.
Lower
Hop
Trellises
for
Higher
Profits.
Crop
Management.
21
January
2008.
36http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan08/hops0108.htm
37Page,E.B.HopTrellising&Budgets.7/26/2008.
38Page,E.B.HopTrellising&Budgets.7/26/2008.
39EmailCommunicationJulienVenne,ProjectManageratQubecsCentredeRechercheetde
DveloppementTechnologiqueAgricoledeLOutaouais,5/25/2010.
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experimentingwithusingdiseaseresistantvarietiesandbeatingthebinesoff
themeshoncetheyhavefrozenoverinwintertocounterthisissue.
3.
Limitedvarieties. Notallhopsaresuitedtolowtrellismanagementandmany
ofthelowtrellisvarietiesthatdoexistarenotinhighdemandbythe
brewers.40
4. Patents. Manylowtrellissystemandhopvarietiesarepatented. Thismay
presentmore
difficulties
and
expense
in
sourcing
varieties
and
hopyard
supplies.
5.
LowerYields. AccordingtoresearchconductedbyJasonPerrault,Godin&
Page,andJohnHenning,hopsgrownonalowtrellissystemwillhavealower
yieldthanhightrellisedhops. Yieldscouldrangeanywherefrom2050%less.
4142 Becauseofthis,geneticistJohnHenningisresearchingwhatgeneorgenes
areresponsibleforshortergrowthtoaidinselectionofhopsvarietiesthatmay
respondmorefavorablytolowtrellissystems.43
Theconclusionregardinglowtrellissystemsisthatwhileitwouldbeinterestingto
investigate,theclearpathtowardsanimmediatecommerciallyviablehopcropwould
beto
continue
down
the
traditional
high
trellis
hops
path.
The
advent
of
more
commerciallyavailablemobileharvestingmachinerycoupledwithmoreresearchinto
lowtrellishopvarietiesandthevalidationorrefutationwithrespecttodiseaseissues
giventheoverwinteringofhopcrownsandligneoustissuesinNewEnglandwinterswill
helpfurtherthediscussiononthelongtermpotentialofalowtrellissystem. Inthe
appendicesisanexpiredpatentforamobile,lowtrellisharvester.
OnFarm/DoItYourselfTechniques
GivengrowersinNewEnglandhavehadtorelyontheirowningenuity,trialanderror,
andpersonal
expense
to
grow,
harvest,
and
process
hops
in
recent
decades,
several
do
ityourself,lowcostsolutionshavebeendevelopedtosolveproductionbottlenecks.
DoItYourselfHopPickers
Atpresenttherearenocommerciallyavailablehoppickersfor110acrehopyards.
SomefarmshavetriedimportingoldermachinesfromEasternEurope,butaccessto
partsandreliabilityareanissue. Because1 10acrecommercialhopyardswere
commonintheearlytwentiethcentury,Germanyalonehad80,000100,000hopyards
thatwereoneacreorless,andNewYorkandOregonoperationsofthetimewere
40EmailcommunicationwithRosalieMadden,UVMExtension,5/25/2010.
41Page,E.B.,Godin,R.HopyardConstruction:BudgetingandEconomics. CSUAgExp.Station.
42EmailcommunicationwithRosalieMadden,UVMExtension,5/25/2010.
43http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan08/hops0108.htm.
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comparableinsize,yield,andproductiontothesefarms,44
severalpatentsformachines
doexistforthesescaleoperations. Thisstudyresearchedandrecirculatedthese
patentsinhopesnewdesignsormachinistswouldbeinterestedinbuildingprototype
machinesthatcouldbetested,andifeffective,replicatedandsoldtoday. Copiesof
thesepatentsareattachedasappendicestothisreport. Threedesignsdidemergefrom
thiseffort,twobylocalfabricatorHugoGervais,andathirdbyJefferyCox. These
designswould
range
in
price
from
$3,900
to
$27,000,
the
lower
cost
models
handling
approximately1/3ofanacreandthemoreexpensivemodelsbeingabletohandle
multipleacres. GorstValleyHopsisalsodesigningandtestingasmallscalepickerthat
willbeabletomanageuptoanacreperhopvariety,thereforeatotalofthreeacresif
followingthethreevarietyhopplanting. Theyplantohavethehoppickerandahop
sortercombinationavailableforsalethroughAtlanticHopsby2012for$15,000orless.
Alloftheseoptionsarewellunderthe$250,000expenseofapickerdesignedforthe
largefieldsoutWest,andallabletoprovideareasonabletimeframeforreturnon
investment,of5yearsorless.
Note: Whenevaluatinghoppickersitisessentialtosearchforadesignthatwill
minimizeshatter
or
damage
to
the
hop.
The
average
rate
of
damage
experienced
duringhandharvestinghoversaround2%. Ideallyonewouldwantamechanizedpicker
toequalorimproveonthatrate. TheGorstValleyHopspickeriscurrentlyexperiencing
ashatterrateofbelow2%.45
DoItYourselfOasts
Oastscanbebuilteconomicallyfrommaterialsaroundthefarm. Afivegallonpailwith
a3diametercomputerfanandameshscreencandryuptoahalfpoundofdriedhops
atatime(~2hoursworthofhandpicking). A30gallonbarrelgarbagecanwitha6fan
wouldfurther
increase
the
volume
of
drying
capacity;
and
a16x24x8
rectangle
built
outofwoodorothermaterials,withan18to2fanandanylonmeshsecuredmidway
downcoulddryuptoofanacreatatime.46
Inadditiontoselfmadeoptions,AtlanticHopswillofferGorstValleyHopsoastdesigns
andoastkitsforNewEnglandhopgrowers. ThecostofaGorstValleyHopsOastwillbe
highlydependentonthefansizeneededastheirdesignusesaninverseblowing
technique,ratherthanblowingairintothehops,itissuckingairthroughthehops. An
oastforaoneacrehopyardoastwillrunapproximately$5,000,anoastfor25acreswill
runapproximately$10,000andanoastfor5+acreswillrunapproximately$17,500.
44Barth,JohHeinrich,Klinke,Christiane,Schmidt,Claus. TheHopAtlas. JohBarth&Sohn,Nuremberg,
Germany.1994.45
PhoneConversationwithJamesAltwies,founder,GorstValleyHops,9/7/2010.46
PhoneConversationwithNewEnglandhopgrowerJonathanBlumberg,August8,2010.
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Insideofahomemadeoast,notethemeshscreeninstalledpartwayuptoallow
airtocirculatebelowandabovethehops. Notetheseriesofoastsinthe
background,enablingmorevolumetobedryingsimultaneously. Pictureof
GeneLEtoilesFourStarFarms,MA. Photocreditr.wilson
Exteriorviewofahomemadeoast. Suppliesaresimple2x4stocreatetheframe,
1x2stoaffixthescreen,a4x8screen,tyvektoformthewalls,andacircularfan.
PictureofGeneLEtoilesFourStarFarms,MA. Photocreditr.wilson
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DoItYourselfSorting
Sortingmechanismsenableagrowertogofromhandpickinghopsonebyoneoffthe
bineto
stripping
them
into
apile
on
asorting
table
and
quickly
extricating
the
hops
from
thechaff. Sortingisanareaoftheharvestingprocessthatcangreatlyincreasea
growersefficiency. JamesAltwies,founderofGorstValleyHops,notesthattobe
commerciallyviable,growerscantoverlyconcernthemselveswithremoving100%of
thestemsandleaves. AccordingtoAltwies,thenationalindustrystandardsallowforup
to2.5%ofstemandleafsubstancetoremainattachedtoahopandstillbecalledhops.
Soonecanleaveuptoaninchofstemattachedtoahopandhaveitstillapprovedasa
hop. Ahomemadesortingsystemcanbeachievedthroughcreatingaseriesofsorting
tablesoutofmeshedscreensaffixedtoarectangularframe. A1screenwouldbeused
firsttosortoutbigleaves,allowingthehopstofallontoasecond.25meshscreenthat
canthenbeusedtosortoutfinaldebrisandallowasortertoremoveanyexcess
detritusfrom
ahop
before
ushering
the
cones
into
boxes
that
can
then
be
sent
to
dry.
Foroptimalefficiency,mechanizingonessortingsystemisadvised. GorstValleyHops
offersamechanized,angled,oscillatingsortingsystemthathascapacityforoneacreper
hopvariety. TheGorstValleyHopssortercombinedwiththeGorstValleyHopshop
pickerisexpectedtobeavailablefromAtlanticHopsin2012atatotalpricepointof
$15,000orless.47
DoItYourselfCompacting
Ideallyhops
should
be
compacted
down
to
10lbs
per
cubic
foot
and
bailed.
This
will
makethemeasiertotransportandhelpretaintheirstoragequality.48
Oncecompacted
andbailedthehopscanremaininrefrigeratedstorageuntilsoldorpelletized. At
presenttherearenoknowncommerciallyavailablecompressorsspecificallydesigned
forsmallscalehopgrowers. Existinggrowershavesuggestedusingatrashcompactor,
orpressingdownonabagofhopsusingascrewaugerplate,asrelativelyeffective
meanstocompresstheirhops.49
GorstValleyHopsiscurrentlyinvestigatingtheneedforcompressingmechanismsfor
smallscalehopgrowers.
47ConferencecallwithJamesAltwies,Founder,GorstValleyHops,9/7/2010.
48PhoneConversationwithNewEnglandhopgrowerJonathanBlumberg,August8,2010.
49PhoneConversationwithNewEnglandhopgrowerJonathanBlumberg,August8,2010.
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DoItYourselfPelletizing
Asdemonstratedinthemarketresearch,anoverwhelmingnumberofbrewerspreferor
canonlyusepelletizedhops. Alowcostsolutiontocreatingonesownpelletsisto
grindhopsintoapowderusingakitchenmeatgrinder,50
orideally,ahammermill,and
sendingthemintoasmallscalepelletmillequippedwithadie. Adiewillproduce
the6mm
(T
90)
pellet
that
brewers
are
accustomed
to.
Smallsizedhammermillscanbepurchasedfor$1,700orless,andsmallscalepellet
millscanbefoundforunder$2,400,seePelletProsunderadditionalpersonsconsulted
formoreinformation.5152
50ConferencecallwithRogerRainville,UVMExtensionhopresearchfarm,9/17/2010.
51http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/hammer_mill_pulverizer.aspx;
http://www.meadowsmills.com/forsalehm.htm 52
http://www.pelletpros.com/id68.html
SmallScalePelletProsHammermill. 130lb/hrcapacity
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Note:Thekeyconcerntorememberwhenpelletizingisthatheatcreatedduringthe
processcandamagethehops. Takecaretoprocessslowlyandstopasoftenasneeded
toallowthemachinestocooldown. Thehopsandhoppelletsshouldnotreacha
temperaturehigherthan112F. Tokeepaneyeonthetemperatureyoucanusean
infraredthermometer,
which
can
be
found
at
most
hardware
stores,
for
approximately
$20. Youcanalsoalleviatehowquicklythepelletsheatupbypouringfewerhopsinata
time. AccordingtoRogerRainville,ifyoukeepthefeedslowyoucankeepthe
temperaturedownandprocessanaverageof10poundseveryfewminutes.53
DoItYourselfChemicalLabAnalysis
Severallaboratoriesofferchemicalanalysisservices,aninexhaustivelistisprovidedin
theappendices. Ataminimum,growerswillneedtohaveananalysisforalphaandbeta
acidscompletedontheirhops. Informationonmoistureandoilcontent,willalsobea
requirement
from
some
brewers.
Gorst
Valley
also
does
a
physical
exam
of
their
hops
usingtheguidelinesprovidedbytheAmericanSocietyofBrewingChemistsandthe
USDA. Acopyofthecompletedanalysisshouldaccompanyeachpackageofhopssold.
53ConferencecallwithRogerRainville,UVMExtensionhopresearchfarm,9/17/2010.
SmallScalePelletProsPelletMill. 80lb/hrcapacity
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FujiImpulseVG402/602SeriesMicro
Computer
Controlled
Nozzle
type
Vacuum
andGasFlushingImpulseSealer. Indvacnozzletypeflushingandsealingmachine.
DoItYourselfVacuumSealPackaging
Whileitwillbedifficulttoachieveanitrogenflushonabudget,onecanataminimum
vacuumsealtheirpelletizedandwholedriedhopsathomewithsimpletoolssuchasthe
FoodSaver,homeusefoodgradevacuumsealsystems,thatcostunder$200,54
orby
usingvacuum
seal
Space
Bags
that
are
alarger
solution
and
could
meet
the
brewers
requestsfor11lband44lbpackages.55
Note:Packagingandequipmentneedstobefoodsafe.
DoItYourselfNitrogen/CO2flushingandVacuumSealing
Foramoreprofessionalandcommercialoperationonecaninvestinafoodgrade
nitrogenflushing,vacuumsealingmachineforlessthan$30,000. Severalmodelsof
smallscalemachinesthatcombineflushingwithnitrogenandvacuumsealingare
availablefromIndia,suchasthetwoshownherebyFujiImpulseAmerica56
and
Indvac57.
Theproviders
of
the
machines
can
also
supply
the
foil
laminated
pouches
requiredforpackaging. TheFujiImpulseVG602whichcanprovideuptoa600mm
lengthseal,rangesfrom$21,00024,000andasetof200foillaminatedpouchesthat
wouldfit11lb/pouchrun$330/order. ThecompleteproductspecificationsfortheFuji
ImpulseVG402/602seriesarelocatedintheappendices.
54http://www.foodsaver.com/Category.aspx?id=c&cid=87
55https://www.spacebag.com/10/PriceList.dtm
56http://fujiimpulseamerica.thomasnet.com/viewitems/impulsesealersvacuumgasflushsealing/
controllednozzletypevacuumgasflushingsealer57
http://www.indvacindia.com/nozzle typeflushingsealingmachines.htm
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DoItYourselfClimateControl
Hops need to be kept between 2632F. This can be achieved through any regular
household
freezer,
or
growers
can
invest
in
walk
in
freezer/cooler
storage
units.
Growerscanalso leasespace fromcommercialclimatecontrolledwarehousessuchas
VermontRefrigeratedStorage.58
Conclusions
ThisreporthasdeterminedthatisfeasibletogrowacommercialhopcropinNew
England. Thereissufficientdemand,thereissufficientpriceelasticity,andthereisnow
theinformation,technology,supplies,andequipmentavailabletomeettheneedsofa
110acrecommercialhopyard.
Thereare
four
ways
that
appear
commercially
feasible
for
growing
hops
in
New
England:
Scenario1: ParticipatinginavaluesharegrowingprogramwithAtlanticHops
Scenario2: Sellingwholehops,minimallyprocesseddirecttobrewers
Scenario3: UsingAtlanticHopsforprocessingservicesandsellingpelletized
hopsdirecttobrewers
Scenario4:
Selling
do
it
yourself
pelletized
hops
direct
to
brewers
Inallinstances,thebestpotentialforreturnoninvestmentandnetincomeexistswhen
thegrowerutilizesmechanicalharvestingandsorting.
58For contact info see Barney Hodges, Vermont Refrigerated Storage, under additional persons consulted.
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IncomePotentialandReturnOnInvestment
Scenario1 Scenario2 Scenario3 Scenario4
AverageYield
PerAcre
1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs 1,500driedlbs
AverageNet
IncomePer
Acre
$4,640
$5,090
$5,090
$12,910
AverageReturn
OnInvestment
for1stAcre*
5years 5years 6years 4years
Levelof
IndividualRisk Low Moderate Moderate High
Whilethepotentialtogeneratenetincomeperacreishighestinscenariofour,inwhich
thegrowercreatesthevalueaddedfinishedproductonsite,theultimate
recommendationistoadoptscenarioone,inwhichgrowersparticipateinavalueshare
growingprogramwithAtlanticHops. Thisisbecausescenarioonerepresentstheleast
riskwhilestillpresentingastrongpotentialforfinancialreturn.
1.
BestSolution:ParticipateinAtlanticHopsvaluesharegrowingprogram
Benefits:
LeastInfrastructureExpense
UnlimitedaccesstoGorstValleyHopsTechnicalAssistanceandResources
ApplicabletoAllGrowers
Nosecondary
processing
or
sales
and
marketing
required
of
the
grower
LowestRisk
EncouragegrowerstoparticipateintheAtlanticHopsvaluesharegrower
program. TheAtlanticHopsValueShareGrowerprogramwillseektominimize
risktoitsgrowersateverystageinthegrowing,production,andsalesand
marketingprocessbyprovidingthemwithtechnical,logistical,andinfrastructure
support. Farmsinthevalueshareprogramwillbenefitfromwholesalepricing
onhopyardsupplies,complimentarytechnicalassistance,triedandtested
hopyarddesignsandproductiontechniquestheseeffortsasdesignedtoassist
inoptimizing
production
efficiency
and
yield.
Then
Atlantic
Hops
will
use
its
expertiseandequipmenttoprocessahighqualityfinishedproductthatmeets
theproductspecificationandvolumeneedsofthebrewingcommunity,and
marketandselltheproductatapricethatreturnsafairprofittoitsgrowers.
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Hopyard:
Recommendstartingwithoneacreandexpandinguptotenacres. Usea3
varietyplanting,with1/3ofhopyardpervarietytostaggerharvesttimesand
minimizethreattoentirecropfromweather,pestordiseaseissuesthatmay
affectaparticularvariety.
Economicfeasibility:
Anticipatedhopyardinfrastructureexpenseperacre: $10,000
Anticipatedharvestinginfrastructureexpense:
Oast(Year2): $5,000for1stacre
$10,000for25acres
$17,500for5+acres
MechanicalPicker(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
MechanicalSorter(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
TotalInfrastructureExpenseforFirstAcre: $25,000
TotalOperatingExpensePerAcre: $8,860
TotalGrossIncomeat100%Production: $13,500
(assumingreceiving$9/lbforwholedriedhopsfromAtlanticHops)
NetIncomePerAcre: $4,640
ReturnonInvestmentforFirstAcre: 5years
2. GoodSolution:Sellwholehops,minimallyprocesseddirecttobrewers
Concerns:
LimitedaccesstoGorstValleyHopsknowledgeandresources
Marketdemandcanonlysustainafewgrowers
Growerswillneedoutgoingsalespersonality
Growerswillneedtomaketimeforsalesandmarketing
Lackofsufficientclimatecontrolledstorage spacecouldbeanissue.
Moderaterisk
Encouragegrowerstoinvestinmechanicalharvestingandsorting,useahigh
hoptrellissystem,sendhopstoalabforchemicalanalysisandselldried,whole
hopsdirectlytobrewers. Thissolutiondoespresentasolidpotentialforprofit
andreturnoninvestmentwithminimalsecondaryprocessingrequired. The
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issueswillbepotentialissueswithqualityofthefinishedproduct;limited
demandforawholehopproduct;limitedstoragespaceunlesstheproductis
compacted,orsignificantclimatecontrolledwarehousespacecanbeleased;and
relianceonthegrowersabilitytosecuresalesofhisproduct.
Hopyard:
Recommendstarting
with
one
acre
and
expanding
up
to
ten
acres.
Use
a3varietyplanting,with1/3ofhopyardpervarietytostaggerharvesttimesand
minimizethreattoentirecropfromweather,pestordiseaseissuesthatmay
affectaparticularvariety.
Economicfeasibility:
Anticipatedhopyardinfrastructureexpenseperacre: $12,000
Anticipatedharvestinginfrastructureexpense:
Oast(Year2): $5,000for1stacre
$10,000for25acres
$17,500for
5+
acres
MechanicalPicker(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
MechanicalSorter(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
TotalInfrastructureExpenseforFirstAcre: $27,000
TotalOperatingExpensePerAcre: $9,910
TotalGross
Income
at
100%
Production:
$15,000
(assumingsellingwholedriedhopsat$10/lb)
NetIncomePerAcre: $5,090
ReturnonInvestmentforFirstAcre: 5years
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3. GoodSolution:UseAtlanticHopsprocessingservices,sellpelletizedhopsdirect
tobrewers
Concerns:
LimitedaccesstoGorstValleyHopsknowledgeandresources
Individualfarmvolumecouldbealimitationonmarketdemand
Growerswill
need
outgoing
sales
personality
Growerswillneedtomaketimeforsalesandmarketing
Moderaterisk
Encouragegrowerstoadoptmechanicalharvestingandsorting,utilizeahigh
trellishopssystem,andcontractprocessingandpackagingoftheirhopsfrom
AtlanticHops. Retrievethefinishedproductandsellindividualfarmhops
directlytobrewers. Inthissolutiongrowerscantakeadvantageofprocessing
servicestoproducethefinishedproductbrewersarelooking. Thisenablesthe
growertofocushisattentiononhiscorecompetency growingtherawproduct,
and
engaging
others
for
their
core
competencies.
This
helps
ensure
everyones
timeisbestused,andthatrisktoqualityofthefinishedproductisminimized.
Hopyard:
Recommendstartingwithoneacreandexpandinguptotenacres. Usea3
varietyplanting,with1/3ofhopyardpervarietytostaggerharvesttimesand
minimizethreattoentirecropfromweather,pestordiseaseissuesthatmay
affectaparticularvariety.
Economicfeasibility:
Anticipatedhopyardinfrastructureexpenseperacre: $12,000
Anticipatedharvesting
infrastructure
expense:
Oast(Year2): $5,000for1stacre
$10,000for25acres
$17,500for5+acres
MechanicalPicker(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
MechanicalSorter(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
Anticipatedprocessinginfrastructureexpense:
2Chest
freezers
(Year
2):
$2,000
TotalInfrastructureExpenseforFirstAcre: $29,000
TotalOperatingExpensePerAcre: $17,410
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TotalGrossIncomeat100%Production: $22,500
(assumingsellingpelletizedhopsat$15/lb)
NetIncomePerAcre: $5,090
ReturnonInvestmentforFirstAcre: 6years
4.
RiskySolution:
Selling
do
it
yourself
pelletized
hops
direct
to
brewers
Concerns:
LimitedaccesstoGorstValleyHopsknowledgeandresources
Issueswithprocessingcouldimpactsuccess
Volumeandproductqualitycouldbealimitationonmarketdemand
Growerswillneedoutgoingsalespersonality
Growerswillneedtomaketimeforprocessing,salesandmarketing
Highrisk
Encourage
growers
to
adopt
mechanical
harvesting
and
sorting,
utilize
a
high
trellishopssystem,purchaseahammermill,pelletmillandvacuum,nitrogen
flushsealingmachine. Thissolutionrepresentsthegreatestpotentialfor
incomeandreturnoninvestment,andalsothegreatestrisktothegrower. The
growerwillbeonhisownforallaspectsofgrowing,harvesting,producing,and
sellingafinishedproductthatmeetstheproductspecificationsofthebrewing
community,atavolumeandpricepointthatgeneratesapositivereturn. Ifthe
growercanmaintainanaverageyieldof1,500lbsofdriedfinishedproduct,
achievethequalitystandardsofthebrewingindustry,anddevelopthesalesand
marketingskillstomarkettheproduct,thegrowercanstandtogenerateupto
$12,910innetincomeperacre.
Hopyard:
Recommendstartingwithoneacreandexpandinguptotenacres. Usea3
varietyplanting,with1/3ofhopyardpervarietytostaggerharvesttimesand
minimizethreattoentirecropfromweather,pestordiseaseissuesthatmay
affectaparticularvariety.
Economicfeasibility:
Anticipatedhopyardinfrastructureexpenseperacre: $12,000
Anticipatedharvestinginfrastructureexpense:
Oast(Year
2):
$5,000
for
1
st
acre
$10,000for25acres
$17,500for5+acres
MechanicalPicker(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
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MechanicalSorter(Year3) $5,000forupto3acres
Anticipatedprocessinginfrastructureexpense:
2Chestfreezers(Year2): $2,000
VacuumNitrogenFlushSealer(Year2): $24,000
PelletMill(Year2): $2,400
HammerMill(Year2): $1,700
TotalInfrastructureExpenseforFirstAcre: $57,100
TotalOperatingExpensePerAcre: $9,590
TotalGrossIncomeat100%Production: $22,500
(assumingsellingpelletizedhopsat$15/lb)
NetIncomePerAcre: $12,910
ReturnonInvestmentforFirstAcre: 4years
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NextSteps
Itisevidentthereisstrongdemandforlocalhops,andgoodpotentialfortheabilityto
growhopsprofitablyinNewEngland. Theinfrastructure,whichwasoriginallyakey
barriertomarket,isnowbeingdevelopedtosupportsmallscalecommercialgrowersin
NewEngland.
Ifproducersgothroughtheeffortofinvestingtimeandcapitalintostartinga
commercialhopventure,butlackthesupporttheyneedtodeveloptheirbusinessplan
andgainaccesstonecessarytechnicalexpertise,theeffortmaywellbelost.
FollowingisarecommendationforhowVermontAgencyofAgriculture,Foodand
MarketsandtheMassachusettsDepartmentofAgriculturalResourcescouldensurethat
suchanendeavorisgivenitsbestopportunityforsuccess:
1. AssistAtlanticHopsinestablishingitsoperation.
NewEnglandneedstheprocessingcapabilitiestoproduceaprofessionalproduct
thatwillmeetmarketexpectations. Italsoneedsaccesstotheequipment,andtechnicalexpertiseGorstValleyHopshasalreadydevelopedandtestedforits
smallscaleMidWestfarmers. Havingaprocessingfacilitythatiswillingto
processtheproductandpartnerwiththefarmswithamissionofprovidinga
goodproductatafairvaluetobrewersandreturningafair,profitableincometo
theproducersisawinwin.
2.
Outreachtoexistinggrowers/farmers
Theagencieswillneedtoreachouttoexistinggrowers. Someofthemany
reasonshopsarecitedasdifficulttogrowarebecausetheyarebeinggrownby
peoplewhodontgrowcropsforaliving. Mostofthebasicissueswithhopsarethesamebasicissuesyouwillfindwithanyothercrop(theyneedwelldrained
soil,theyneedfertilizer,theyneedpestcontrol,theyneeddedicatedtiming the
harvestiseverything). Producerswhogrowacresofcorn,vegetables,and
grainsalreadyknowandunderstandthefundamentalelementsofwhatittakes
togrowacropsuccessfully. Existingandexperiencedgrowersandfarmersneed
tobethetargetaudienceifgrowinghopsistodedevelopedasacommercial
enterprise.
3.
BusinessPlanning&CoordinationwiththestateFarmViabilityPrograms.
Witheach
farm,
given
this
is
anew
venture
and
unexplored
territory
for
them,
andalsoanewcropfortheregion,havingthemgothroughthebusiness
planningprocessforimplementingthenewcropandevaluatingitsimpacton
thefarmbusinessandfamilyqualityoflifewillbeessential. Thiswillhelpensure
thateachfarmcanmapoutonpaperhowtheywouldgoaboutimplementing
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thenewcrop,understandwhatitwouldtakeontheirparticularfarm,whatit
wouldcost,andwhatthepotentialreturnwouldbe. Theymustbeableto
understandandevaluatehowitmightimpactotherareasofthefarmand
whetherthenetreturnwouldbebetterthancontinuingwiththeircurrent
productionornot. Itisimportantthatthisstepbedonewhilestillinplanning
mode,soadecisiononwhetherimplementingtheplanisintheirbestinterestor
notis
made
before
any
additional
resources,
time,
and
effort
have
been
allocated.
4. ImplementationandBusinessPlanningTechnicalAssistance
Provideongoingsupportforthefarmsfor4yearsafterinitialimplementationto
helpassistwithanalyzing,planning,anddecisionmakingforthenewventure
andtheoverallfarmoperation. Thisincludesbusinessplanreview,analysisand
updating,andtechnicalexpertisespecifictoareasofconcern production,
processing,salesandmarketing,etc. Thisthirdparty,objectivesupportwillhelp
ensureconcernsareaddressedproactivelythusprovidingalargerdegreeof
likelihoodof
success
for
each
farm,
and
their
long
term
commitment
to
the
project.
ActionItems
1.
Identify10growersinMA&VTwhowouldbeinterestedinparticipatingin
AtlanticHopsValueShareGrowerProgram
2. Vetfarmsites
a. Conductasitevisittoevaluatethelogisticalfeasibilityofeachfarm. Ata
minimumthesitewillneed3oftopsoilbeforereachingbedrock.
AtlanticHops
will
also
assess
each
farms
site
for
additional
attributes
suchassoilstructure,waterholdingcapacity,andseasonalwindloads.
3.
Workwiththegrowerstoexplaintheopportunity,andenrolltheminthe
program. Thiswillrequireacommitmentofestablishingaoneacrehopyardat
anexpenseof$10,000andthepurchaseofapicker,sorter,andoast,foran
additionalexpenseof$15,000overyearstwoandthree.
4. Potentiallyfindingfundingtooffsetcostofcapitalinfrastructureexpenseforthe
firsttengrowers,orfordairyfarmerswishingtoparticipate.
5.
BeginFarm
Viability
business
planning
and
Atlantic
Hops
Value
Share
Growing
Programtechnicalassistancewitheachfarm.
6. AtlanticHopswillprovideoversightandguidancewithTechnicalAssistance
duringestablishmentofthehopyard,andgrowingandharvestforfirstfour
years.
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7. Maintaincommunicationloopwiththebrewingcommunity. Letthebrewersin
thehighlyqualifiedprospectlist(seebrewersinBoldintheappendices)know
oftheplan,engagethemintheR&Dphase,andleveragetheirinputand
feedbacktodevelopafinishedproductthatwillmeettheirapprovalandbe
readyforsalebyyear3.
8. ProvideongoingFarmViabilitybusinessplanningandtechnicalassistance
services
a. Provideanannualbusinessplanreview,analysisandplanforthe
upcomingyear. Forfirstfouryears
b.
ProvideongoingannualTechnicalAssistanceinspecificareasofexpertise
asneededforeachfarm. Forfirstfouryears
Budget
10farms
Year1 PerFarm #Farms Total
HopyardInfrastructure $10,000 10 $100,000
BusinessPlan $4000 10 $40,000
TechnicalAssistance
inAreasofExpertise $3000 10 $30,000
TotalBudgetYear1 $170,000
Years24 PerFarm/Year#Farms Years Total
Harvest/DryingInfrastructure $15,000 10 $150,000
AnnualBusinessPlanReview
andAnalysis $2000 10 3 $60,000
AnnualTechnicalAssistance
InAreasofExpertise $2000 10 3 $60,000
TotalBudgetNextThreeYears $270,000($90,000/year)
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AppendixA SourcesofInformation
Barth,H.J.,Klinke,C.,Schmidt,C. TheHopAtlas. 1994. Nuremberg,Germany. Joh,Barth&Sohn.
Fayston,
J.
The
2007
hops
shortage
is
over,
the
glut
of
'09
is
here...
The
Oregonian.
10/28/2009.
Hilchey,D. TheMarketPotentialforNortheasternGrownHops.NewLeafPublishingandConsulting,Inc.2009.
Kneen,Rebecca.SmallScaleOrganicHopProduction. LeftFieldsBC.2004.
Neve,R.A.Hops.Champman&Hall.1991.
Page,E.B.HopTrellising&Budgets.7/26/2008.
Page,E.B.,Godin,Ron.HopyardConstruction:BudgetingandEconomics. CSUAgExp.Station.
Tomlan,M.TingedWithGoldHopCultureInTheunitedStates.UniversityofGeorgiaPress. Georgia. 1992
USDAARS.LowerHopTrellisesforHigherProfits. CropManagement. 21January2008.
Virant,Majda,Majer,Dusica. HopStorageIndexIndicationofaBrewingQuality.
Instituteof
Hop
Research
and
Brewing
Zalec.
January
2006.
Ward,L.YakimaHeraldRepublic. Someplasticmeshcouldsavestatehopfarms. Newtechniquehaspotentialforthebeermakingcrop.May30,2005.
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http://www.youtube.com/u