Homebrewers in Ohio may soon (soonish) have a source for locally-grown hops, if Brent Osborn gets his way.
Osborn, owner of Monroe, Ohio homebrew shop Osborn Brewing has launched a Kickstarter campaign for locally-grown hops. He’s in the process of converting 86 acres of land into a hop farm in southwest Ohio
Why start a hop farm?
I am a longtime homebrewer myself, 16+ years. My motivation for anything at the store starts with “What would I want to see from a homebrew store?” and builds from there. As a homebrewer I liked to see stores that were involved in the beer community. So this enables me to insert Osborn Brewing into the beer community in a way that could really help out. Also, as a home brew shop owner, I have access to the hops that are left over after the commercial brewers buy theres. I do not know when they have been harvested, what wharehouse they sat in nor for how long. Helping farmers get hopyards started in return for access to the harvest, will allow to carry a line of hops equivalent to what the commercial brewers are using.
What does the $10,000 go toward?
The 10 grand is going toward sourcing ingredients from regional farmers. I currently have 1 deal in place, working with a farmer to establish hops on his 86 acres. I am helping acquire the rhizomes and trellising. This will position Osborn Brewing as the main purchaser and I will have ‘Right of Refusal’ on the crop from year to year. Whatever I feel I can sell to homebrewers and brewers I will purchase, the rest he will sell.
Do you have any Ohio breweries planning to utilize your local hops?
My primary target is home brewers, so I want to fill out the shelves for the store first, and if other stores are interested source to them as well. I have made contact with Yellow Springs Brewery. There are a couple others as well but it is too soon to name anything.
Isn’t about a two year process to get your first hop crop?
That is part of dealing with hops. We have some Cascade and Centennial rhizomes in the ground for this year. So we can have a 2014 harvest. And grow from there.
Is the Ohio climate good for hop growth?
Ohio is at the same latitude lines as the German hop farms that originally produced hops. Prior to prohibition the areas that are now Mason, Liberty Township, Monroe and beyond were all hop yards and did quite well. A mold took over, and wiped out a better part of the main crops. By the time the solution was presented prohibition was passed and the farmers changed out crops.
If you’re in favor of Ohio-grown hops you can back the project on Kickstarter.
