hops in north carolina?

i live in the foothills of north carolina. is this a good climate for hop growing? our soil has alot of clay in it. it'll get really hard unless it is constantly worked. was thinking of getting some rhizomes and giving it a try. any suggestions?

Get a bag of Gypsum from your local garden store. It works wonders on clay soils. All you have to do is spread it on the clay and water it. It takes a few weeks for it to really start to soften up the clay but once it does you can mix in some store bought soil or compost and that should take care of it.

As for climate, I cant help you much there. All I can say is hops are pretty hearty plants and I think they can grow just about any place (Antarctica excluded).

You're right at the 35th parallel, which is considered the southern limit for commercial hops growing. Fuggle & Cascades are probably your best bets, but any of the early maturing varieties are worth trying.