Growing hops in wisconsin

Anyone from wisconsin growing hops for commercial sale. A small production maybe.
How difficult is it to start up. What the minimum amount of property you'd need. I'm really interested in starting something. Maybe starting small to supply home brewers.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Yep, sure do. I'm part of Gorst Valley Hops based outside of Madison. I haven't quit my day job but a couple of my partners have. So it is possible to make it. We are a private company that establishes contracts with other growers in a profit sharing agreement to help them grow. You may also want to check out the Wisconsin Hops Exchange.

To answer your question, its not easy. We require our growers to start at 1 acre but that is more because we need an acre out of them to justify the time and resources we put into helping them start.

You can start with less but keep in mind certain fixed costs. You will have a tractor, a tower/lift, a store room of tools and other costs that aren't really dependent on the size of your field. Of course the trellis and plants do scale. Smaller will mean an easier time picking but it also means less volume to help you get your foot in the door at homebrew supply stores.

Scan my previous posts and you'll see a lot of the things I've put up in the past or PM with specific questions.

On the other end of the spectrum, don't go above 2 acres if it is just you. Figure 20 hr/week of weeding and other work after the yard is built from March until harvest. Then the heavy hours really begin.

I read about gorst valley while doing a google search of wisconsin hops growing and that's what got me interested in possibly going larger. I'm surrounded by fields and would be able to rent an acre or 2 if I were to choose to do this. I'd like to till up a section of my yard and do a small test plot. I'm just stuck on how to do it. I'd like to visit an operation so I could construct a small scale. I'm in manitowoc county and don't know if there's any operations close to me. I have a lot of questions and a lot of planning I need to do before I can get started.

I'll search your previous post to get answers. Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Don't rent, buy. Or if you rent, sign a 99 year lease. Most of the cost is up front for a plant that lives 25 to 50 years. If you don't sign a lease correctly, someone could let you spend the money to put it in, get it up and running and then cancel the lease and walk away with it all. Obviously, I don't know your neighbors but stranger things have happened.

If you want an intensive tour, we are holding a "field day" event, more of a workshop, at our farm this weekend. Go to our website for details. Otherwise, we have a couple of growers up by Green Bay that I could get you in contact with. Also get a hold of the WI Hops Exchange. They have growers all over WI (many of ours are out of state) and could probably arrange something.

There is also a UW extension agent that is supposed to be specializing in hops. I think he is out of River Falls. I'll try to find his contact info. He should have more info for you.

GVH_Dan said:

Don't rent, buy. Or if you rent, sign a 99 year lease. Most of the cost is up front for a plant that lives 25 to 50 years. If you don't sign a lease correctly, someone could let you spend the money to put it in, get it up and running and then cancel the lease and walk away with it all. Obviously, I don't know your neighbors but stranger things have happened.

If you want an intensive tour, we are holding a "field day" event, more of a workshop, at our farm this weekend. Go to our website for details. Otherwise, we have a couple of growers up by Green Bay that I could get you in contact with. Also get a hold of the WI Hops Exchange. They have growers all over WI (many of ours are out of state) and could probably arrange something.

There is also a UW extension agent that is supposed to be specializing in hops. I think he is out of River Falls. I'll try to find his contact info. He should have more info for you.

Click to expand...

Carl Duley?

PapaBearJay said:

Carl Duley?

Click to expand...

Yeah:
Carl A. Duley
Agriculture Agent
Buffalo County UW-Extension
407 S. Second St.
Alma, WI 54610
(608) 685-6256 Voice
(608) 685-6259 Fax
[email protected]


Never met the guy or have even talked to him so I can't comment on his knowledge. I just know that I occasionally see e-mails from him about various workshops.

This is awesome. I appreciate it


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew