Establishment and marketing of hops production in the mid-Atlantic

Establishment and marketing of hops production in the mid-Atlantic

Summary

The recent lack of hop cultivation in the Mid-Atlantic has left this US region void of base-line information regarding best horticultural practices to optimize growth, yield and chemistry of this potential cash crop. Thus, the objectives of this study are to survey industry demand, initiate a demonstration hop plot and evaluate major hop varieties using a standard horticultural production system, record costs of such production, and establish a hop chemical analysis service for growers so they can obtain a measure of their hop bittering acid and essential oil content.

Preliminary studies undertaken in New Jersey by Rutgers University Cooperative Extension agents and staff suggest that this region is conducive to hop production though the economics and profitability of commercial production for this area is not well developed and thus, considered risky. One of the major constraints by growers is the production of a consistent high quality product. Industry standards such as the content of alpha/beta acid and essential oils in female flowers or cones must be understood and achieved by growers for them to develop a consistent product and improve economic feasibility. 

In 2016, year 2 of this project, we were able collect yield data after the first complete hop production season and compile a data set on total yield of each hop variety grown at the Clifford E. & Melda Snyder Research & Extension Center in northwestern part of the state (Pittstown, New Jersey). In addition, we analyzed the hop cones from each variety of the demonstration trial and continued to build and provide a hop analysis service through the Rutgers New Use Agriculture & Natural Products laboratory at the Cook College Campus, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. All the hop samples received from commercial growers were analyzed and results communicated back to them within a week.

Participating commercial growers have been involved in our project since inception and attended the several field days and twilight meetings, each being held at the Snyder farm demonstration plot. In addition, a digital film (http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/brewery-boom-could-revive-new-jersey-hops-production/20160626#.WGZpmH0nI34) was produced on this SARE project and which showed how science is used by agricultural researchers and extension specialists to support commercial growers and the strengthening of this new industry. This video was widely distributed among growers and even at a national trade show in Boulder, Colorado by one of our industry collaborators, Shimadzu Instruments. We have achieved nearly all of our timeline goals to date, and will continue to compile and analyze chemistry data from this past year.

In addition we will continue to develop and present the final survey to local breweries. A scientific presentation on this continued work will be delivered as a poster at the 2017 North Eastern American Society for Horticultural Science (NE-ASHS) meeting in Philadelphia, PA this January.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objectives/Performance Targets: The following objectives outline our proposed solution

1) Perform a survey of craft breweries Perform a survey of Mid-Atlantic (NJ and PA) craft breweries to assess current industry demand, preferences and needs not being fulfilled by current hop sourcing. A survey of craft brewers was drafted, reviewed and edited. Logistics of submitting the survey are still being worked out which we hope to achieve early in 2017. This survey will first be sent out to breweries throughout New Jersey, and will then be sent out to breweries though out the remainder of the Mid-Atlantic States.

2) Establish a demonstration hopyard A 0.25-acre demonstration plot was established during the 2015 growing season at the Clifford E. & Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown, NJ. Ten hop varieties from certified virus free hop plants obtained from Zerrillos Greenhouses (Syracuse, NY), and rhizomes obtained from Crosby Hop Farm LLC (Woodburn, OR) were organized and planted in a randomized complete block design. The plot has been maintained throughout two growing seasons using Oregon and New York Hop Growers manuals as references, hops were harvested, weighed, and saved for chemical analysis by the Rutgers New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products laboratory. In addition in 2016 a second more detailed video was developed to show, promote and describe this SARE funded project. This link to the video is pasted in the ‘dissemination of results’ section of the report.

3) Provide a chemical analysis service In 2017 chemical analysis of total alpha and beta acid was provided for free to 4 growers and additional grower samples will be tested early in 2017. The submission form that was developed is attached. The results of the alpha and beta acid analysis that have been compiled so far are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 in an additional attached document. Essential oil analysis data is currently being performed and will be compile in early 2017.

GROWER_SUBMISSION_Chemical_analysis_submission_JESedits_12_31_16

4) Determine effect of management practices and terroir on key agronomic and chemical hop quality measurements. Consistent and timely agronomic hop quality measurements from individual growers have been found to be more challenging to obtain than we first anticipated. Thus, we have focused on monitoring the demonstration hopyard for disease and insect pressure, survivability of the rhizomes and total yield data. Grower data has been limited to acid and essential oil analysis data. The information on yield and management practices has been presented to growers at the grower/twilight meetings. The total yield data is presented in the attached document in Figure 3. Additional data on aroma volatile characteristics are being conducted and will be completed by project end. Growers are now as interested in aroma compounds as in the alpha and beta acids analyses to guide and support their management decisions.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Project Timetable

Although a formal website was not established for this project. An additional article/video was developed for this project through the help of Rutgers University media relations http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/brewery-boom-could-revive-new-jersey-hops-production/20160626#.WGZpmH0nI34. This video/article has greatly promoted this project and the hop testing services, and thus helped to gain interest and support from hop growers in the region. This information will be added into a unique portal within the newly revamped New Use Agriculture & Natural Plant Products program web-site (http://newuseag.rutgers.edu).

Year 1 (March 1, 2015- March 1, 2016) March 2015- May 2015- Cones from the 2014 harvest will be collected from growers to analyze alpha and beta acids along with oil content. Hop samples were purchased from commercial sources to develop the lab protocol and with those results, hops from 2014 were also provided from one grower (Frank Hahola). The varieties obtained were analyzed for both alpha/beta acids and essential oil profiles. In the first growing season of this project, 2015 hop samples from six growers were received and have been analyzed for alpha and beta acid content and, when the appropriate amount of hop material was provided, essential oil content by GC/MS. Alpha/beta acid and essential oil content from our trial is currently being analyzed. This preliminary data will be collated with year 2 data and additional samples to build a database of hop quality over season, environment (growers) and variety. This coupled with more information about each variety and best practices will be prepared into a fact sheet for growers.

March 2015- Survey to brewers (as many as possible of the 309 local brewers) on which varieties they are most interested in sourcing locally. A survey has been drafted and we are now consulting our partnership growers for their input so that we may most effectively direct questioning to answer most important questions. We plan to disseminate the survey out to growers in January 2016.

April/May 2015- Trellis for demonstration plot will be constructed by a non-university company in collaboration with the Rutgers Snyder Farm staff. Hops rhizomes will be planted shortly after the trellis is constructed. The trellis was constructed by Rutgers Snyder Farm Staff under the direction of Ed Dager. The rhizomes of 10 varieties were transplanted into a randomized complete block design shortly after the trellis was built.

May-August 2015- Demonstration plot will be monitored weekly for disease, growth progression etc. Grower plots of collaborators will also be visited to monitor for similar disease issues and growth progression. Establishment of a database of information on Hops growing in NJ. The demonstration plot was carefully monitored weekly; this information was recorded, and is being used for the establishment of fertilizer and pesticide regimes for Mid-Atlantic hop growers. As is common in other perennial crops, first year growth of hops alone is not representative of hop growth habit in NJ, so we will continue to record this data through year 2, after which we will be in appropriate to report best IPM practices.

August 2015- Harvest will be performed at Snyder Farm plot. At this time samples will be collected from each of the grower plots. A boutique harvest was performed throughout August and September at the demonstration plot, and samples were also collected from collaborating growers plots for analysis.

September 2015-February 2016- Chemical analysis will be performed on all of the samples that were taken. Results will be immediately sent to growers. Data from both the grower surveys and chemical analysis will then be used to write up and distribute a report on year 1 establishment of a hops crop in the Mid-Atlantic region. Chemical analysis (alpha/beta acids) was conducted and completed on every hop sample growers provided. This free service assisted the six growers and results were provided back within two-three weeks of obtaining the samples. We expect to reduce this wait time in year two with a now standardized workflow established. A more extensive chemical analysis including essential oil analysis was performed on samples from farmers included in the grant. This information is currently being analyzed and will be sent back to those growers shortly. Chemical analysis of hops from our demonstration plot will begin shortly. The preliminary results will first be reported at the NE-ASHS Science Meeting in January 2016. A more detailed report of year 1 establishment of a hops crop in the Mid-Atlantic will be written up later in 2016.

Year 2 (March 2, 2016-February 28, 2017) March –September 2016- Demonstration plot will be monitored weekly for disease, growth progression etc. Grower plots of collaborators will also be visited to monitor for similar disease issues and growth progression. Weekly notes were taken on the overall health and growth progression of the hop yard throughout the growing season and this information was disseminated to growers at grower meetings and in the attached handout to growers (also used in 2015).

August 2016- Harvest will be done as was done as was done in August 2015, data on yield and collections of each hops variety will also be obtained in a similar manner at the collaborating farms. Harvest was done on the demonstration plots and yield data was compiled into the attached data file (Figure 3).

August 2016- A grower meeting will take place just before harvest to discuss management practices, harvest methods and post-harvest handling. Using the demonstration plot as a hands on example of best practices. A twilight meeting was held in July to discuss management of the hopyard, harvest, and post harvest handling. Special emphasis was given to fertilizer and disease control regimes for the hopyard this year. These are outlined in the attached handout from the meeting.

September 2016-February 2017- Chemical analysis will be performed on all of the samples that were taken. Results will be immediately sent to growers. Data from both the grower surveys and chemical analysis will then be used to write up and distribute a report on year 2 establishment of a hops crop in the Mid-Atlantic region. We are still in the process of working on the survey to brewers, but data from growers is continually building. The demand for the hop testing service was just expanded into NorthEast-hops alliance which should yield more data this upcoming year. SARE_2016_Hop_FInal_Figures

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Throughout the year we have provided information and support to all growers who have contacted us and expressed interest in the project. Several formal grower meetings have taken place at the Clifford E. &;Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm where the demonstration plot was used as a meeting point and hands on tool for discussing hop yard establishment and hop production. These meetings have included two public outreach events at the Snyder Farm. The first was “The great tomato tasting” where we demonstrated the technique used to extract oils from hop samples and were distilling the aromatic volatile oils from hops during the entire field day during which >400 growers came to our hops booth (2pm-7pm). In addition we participated in a Fruit and Vegetable twilight meeting at the Snyder Farm to generate interest and relay knowledge to NJ fruit and vegetable growers on production of hops in NJ. A factsheet (attached) was developed for this meeting which described all that was required to establish and manage a hop yard (i.e. supplies, costs, fertilizers, plant material). We have now been contacted with larger commercial hop growers in other states seeking to collaborate with us particularly on hop quality and supportive chemical analyses. The project/demonstration hopyard was also featured this past year in several newspaper/media videos/articles including ‘Rutgers Today’: SEE: http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/brewery-boom-could-revive-new-jersey-hops-production/20160626#.WGFOD_krLIU hopstwilightmeeting_2016_handout rev

Collaborators: