In the process of researching the requirements to get a 1 acre hop farm off the ground. I was hoping someone with experience in setting up such a compact operation could help me with a list of what we would need such as tools, & equipment. As well as any available NY government incentives available for agriculture businesses. Any help would be appreciated!
1 Acre Hop Farm Requirements?
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Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
I don't know where Inwood is, but there are several small hop farm projects operating around Rochester. They put on a tour last summer and SWMBO and I went and had a good time. They are much larger than an acre though. I was thinking about giving it a try until I found out how many hops could be grown on an acre. lol
I'll be interested to see what you find out.
I'll be interested to see what you find out.
Nassau County, Long Island. But would be probably looking somewhere else for the land. What were the names of the farms in Rochester, I'd be down for a road trip
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
Sorry, but I have a severe case of CRS. The wife found it listed in local events page on the web somewhere. I'll dig around and see what I can come up with.
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
One was Bluebell Hopyard LLC. If you Google that and get a hold of them, they would know the others, as they put the event on in concert.
Here's an operation on LI: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1498739112/condzella-hops-unites-li-farmers-and-local-breweri . This organization should also be able to help: http://nehopalliance.org/about-2/
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Cornell Cooperative Extension, big push right now for them.
Can you elaborate here a bit. I just went to the site, and wasn't sure exactly what to look for here. Any help would be appreciated.
It cost around $12000/acre for a hop farm setup. This is for plants, trellis, and basic irrigation lines only. This does not include equipment rentals for installing the 1 acre nor purchases of equipment that can add up into the thousand depending on what you currently have. Plus water supply, land purchase, harvesting equipment etc. sometimes this number turns people off quickly (gut check for yourself) and for others it becomes a challenge.
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broadbill
Well-Known Member
You want to get in touch with your county's Cornell Cooperative Extension Agent. Call your local office on the phone and talk to them. They are there to support you as a farmer.
If you are in NY, get a hold of NeHA as others have said. They are a grower's organization.
For Cornell/extension help, contact Steve Miller at (315) 684-3001x127 or email at <sgm6 "at" cornell.edu>.
As far as what you need? Cruise through my past posts and you will find a lot of information but here's a quick list for a 1 acre hopyard:
- 1+ acre of suitable land
- $10,000 for poles, hardware, cable, plant material, fertilizer, irrigation, coir twine, etc.
- a well or other water source (up to $8,000)
- tractor or other method for dragging around the mobile tower you will need to access the top of the twine
- shovels, hoes, a strong back and other implements of destruction to weed
- about 20 hours a week from March until harvest to weed, apply nutrient, scout for pests, etc. After two years, the cover crop should be established and weeding will be easier
- At least 6 friends to help harvest the first year, 10+ friends to help harvest the 2nd year
- An oast to dry the hops. Figure $1,000 to $2,000 for lumber and fan.
- By year 3, a lot of labor or a mechanical harvester (if you are buying, figure $10,000 or more)
- Patience. Even if you do everything right, it will be at least 3 to 4 before you break even.
And the most important thing you will need is customers. The days of "buy these just because they are local" are over. If you don't provide a properly packaged and tested product in a form brewers want to use, you probably won't make the sale.
For Cornell/extension help, contact Steve Miller at (315) 684-3001x127 or email at <sgm6 "at" cornell.edu>.
As far as what you need? Cruise through my past posts and you will find a lot of information but here's a quick list for a 1 acre hopyard:
- 1+ acre of suitable land
- $10,000 for poles, hardware, cable, plant material, fertilizer, irrigation, coir twine, etc.
- a well or other water source (up to $8,000)
- tractor or other method for dragging around the mobile tower you will need to access the top of the twine
- shovels, hoes, a strong back and other implements of destruction to weed
- about 20 hours a week from March until harvest to weed, apply nutrient, scout for pests, etc. After two years, the cover crop should be established and weeding will be easier
- At least 6 friends to help harvest the first year, 10+ friends to help harvest the 2nd year
- An oast to dry the hops. Figure $1,000 to $2,000 for lumber and fan.
- By year 3, a lot of labor or a mechanical harvester (if you are buying, figure $10,000 or more)
- Patience. Even if you do everything right, it will be at least 3 to 4 before you break even.
And the most important thing you will need is customers. The days of "buy these just because they are local" are over. If you don't provide a properly packaged and tested product in a form brewers want to use, you probably won't make the sale.
Kirkwooder
Emperor of all things nobody cares about
Not for nothing, but have you at least tried to grow a few plants just to start? I grew 1 plant of 4 different varieties this year. They grew great and were covered with hops. It took me several hours to harvest them, then a couple days on a rack in the garage, and I ended up with less than 4 pounds of hops. I could have mail ordered them for under $100. including the shipping! lol Ad to that the fact that I have know idea of the AA content for figuring quantities in any recipe, and it really makes me wonder how any body can make any money on a small scale.
Now having said all that, I have brewed several beers using just my home grown hops and they have been great!
I still have a freezer full and am looking to trade some hops for something brew related, before this years crop comes on. lol 
I am also thinking of doing a couple more, different varieties this year. I have fun growing them. But if I were going to put the time and money into an acre of hops, I would do a few bines first just to get an idea of the investment in time involved.
I could have mail ordered them for under $100. including the shipping! lol Ad to that the fact that I have know idea of the AA content for figuring quantities in any recipe, and it really makes me wonder how any body can make any money on a small scale. Now having said all that, I have brewed several beers using just my home grown hops and they have been great!
I still have a freezer full and am looking to trade some hops for something brew related, before this years crop comes on. lol I am also thinking of doing a couple more, different varieties this year. I have fun growing them. But if I were going to put the time and money into an acre of hops, I would do a few bines first just to get an idea of the investment in time involved.Dan is always a great source of knowledge on these forums. His prices are pretty spot on, depending on where you cut corners to save some cash. We aren't that close to long island, but if you wanted to get some hands on experience we are putting in about 3/4 of an acre this spring. We're in Halifax, PA, close to Harrisburg. We source the logs/posts locally ($12 a pole which is just a hardwood tree 6-12" in diameter - about $800 an acre - or free if we can find someone who has a lot of black locust), we use bailing twine instead of coir, and only use one wire on the trellis rather than the grid that most large farms use. Irrigation through irrigation direct $100 for 1000' and around .25 for each emitter, wire from Steve at Schmidt Farms (Steve -Schmidt Hops 585-869-6801) around $700 for wire $40 for 200 wire rope clips, use posts for anchors , rhizomes from our planted hops that are old enough to produce rhizomes (or buy through the NeHA - 1.50 a rhizome or plant start, I can't remember right now) and rent all the equipment besides our two tractors. Harvesting is a bi*ch, but until you have enough to justify a $12k picker, you'll just have to get friends and family to endure the process of handpicking or pay for labor, drying (use the plans on University of Vermont's site and modify to your preference). Then if you can find a buyer for whole hops you'll be in a good position, if you need to pelletize you'll have other things to worry about. I haven't looked into equipment, but at the NY hop conference a company was pelletizing and bagging for $3 a pound. That was high quality, nitrogen flushed, whole 9 years (I was told at least).
Send me an e-mail if you want to ask about anything or come down to get hands on experience. [email protected]
Derrick
Central Penn Hops
Send me an e-mail if you want to ask about anything or come down to get hands on experience. [email protected]
Derrick
Central Penn Hops
Oh yeah, and the biggest problem is weeding, unless you are a freak and like that sort of thing. We are trying out a clover cover crop that seemed to take very well last year and smothered out some of the more annoying weeds. Clover is the hardest thing to hand weed though, if you need to pull any around your bines - FYI.
PleasantValleyHops
Well-Known Member
Like Dan said. It truly varies on your situation. If u don't have equipment. Water source or area to start this then you could spend 20k real quick. Having said that. The cost to jump from an acre to 2 or 3 does get smaller. U get better deals on poles and cable once you buy more. Also like Dan mentioned. Once you have that acre planted. Now you need to be able to care for them and then when it comes time to harvest either have lots of friends. Then make new friends bc people that help pick will most likely only want to do it once. I'd honestly say without 15k I wouldn't feel safe doing an acre.
Pleasant Valley Hops inc.
Carroll Brewing Company
Frederick Md
Pleasant Valley Hops inc.
Carroll Brewing Company
Frederick Md
