Place to buy plants? (Yakima, WA)

I am looking for a place to buy hop plants around Yakima County, Washington. With all these hops grown around the county, I can't believe no one I know here knows where to get the plants.

I'm pretty sure Hops Direct carries them, but it's not up on their website yet. It's a bit early to buy rhizomes right now.

You might find that your local brewing stores will carry them when it get's closer to the season. Additionally, it might not hurt to contact the major growers and see if any of them sell direct.

One thing to keep in mind is that with quarantine restrictions, you can't order from out of state in WA.

If you use Fuggles Hops at all, I have a big axx plant in a pot that I can get a cutting off for you.

McKBrew said:

I'm pretty sure Hops Direct carries them, but it's not up on their website yet. It's a bit early to buy rhizomes right now.

You might find that your local brewing stores will carry them when it get's closer to the season. Additionally, it might not hurt to contact the major growers and see if any of them sell direct.

One thing to keep in mind is that with quarantine restrictions, you can't order from out of state in WA.

If you use Fuggles Hops at all, I have a big axx plant in a pot that I can get a cutting off for you.

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Thanks for the offer. I am not for sure what hops I will grow yet. I grew Chinook and Cascade when I lived in Puyallup. I got them in Tacoma at a brewing store. We do not have a brewing store here. Stien's Ace hardware has some brewing supplies but not like the brewing stores on the west side.

I will be staying a my brother's in Kent for the Puyallup 4x4 Swapmeet next month. I will have to see if Larry's Brewing Supply has any if I can't find some here. I wonder if there is a quarantine restriction from Kent to Yakima?

Ceg said:

I will be staying a my brother's in Kent for the Puyallup 4x4 Swapmeet next month. I will have to see if Larry's Brewing Supply has any if I can't find some here. I wonder if there is a quarantine restriction from Kent to Yakima?

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As far as I know there are no quarantine restrictions in state. You just can't import form out of state.

I have some Centennial and Cascade plants too, They are only a year old, but I might be able to pull of a cutting for you. I might run over to the swap meet just for the heck of it anyway.

Ceg,

Maybe check with the Ice Harbor Brewery in Pasco.. I was in there not too long ago and they were doing a group hop order and taking orders from customers for rhizomes. I know it's 90 miles away, but that may be as close as you can get. When I lived in Yakima it always pissed me off that here I was in the heart of the one the worlds greatest hop growing regions, and I couldn't seem to find anywhere to buy hops!

Turned out to be cool though 'cause I got a job as a hop inspection supervisor with the WSDA, and for three or four years in the early 2000's, I had hops coming out my ears! You could always "acquire" some rhizomes.. you know, at night, with a shovel and a flashlight from a nearby field?? Course you'd have no idea what they were and you'd probably be shot.

I posted this in another thread to the OP, but it belongs here too I suppose...

"I think Hops Direct in Mabton sells rhizomes to homebrewers. Probably best to go through someone semi-local like that because of restriction on "importing" plant material from out of state. You also may want to buy more rhizomes than you want plants to get them going quicker. For instance, when we go to plant a new yard, we will use anywhere from 2-8 rhizome cuttings per hill (plant) which will help your success rate early on. Growing baby hops is a bit of a challenge, but fortunately for you, you live in the only area in the world that can get a decent crop in year 1! Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions."

Do you know what varieties you'll be growing?

Mountain Homebrew is on the Westside in Kirkland. Perhaps too far, but they will ship in state. They are taking orders now.

http://mountainhomebrew.com/hoprhizomes-2.aspx

McKBrew said:

As far as I know there are no quarantine restrictions in state. You just can't import form out of state.

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Actually, I can confirm from working with SS Steiner that their is a quarantine for shipping hop rhizomes out of the state:

"Unfortunately, we are no longer digging hop roots commercially due to WA State Department of Agriculture quarantine issues and regulatory burdens. This policy became official at our recently concluded meetings held during the annual Hop Convention in Yakima, WA."

This quote was from an email I received on 2/2/2010 ...

So the largest producer of hops in the US has a quarantine on shipping rhizomes OUT of state? I find that hard to believe. I know Freshops based out of Philomath OR won't ship to WA addresses due quarantine laws.

Thanks for all the great info.

At this time I have no plants and will not be picky on what I get. I plan to grow as many different varieties I can get. I want to try different ones. I have 2 acres so I have the room.

McKBrew, I will be at the ORV Trail Watch Booth at the Swapmeet if you want to come by and say hi. Hop plant clipping would be great if you can spare them.

EvilTOJ said:

So the largest producer of hops in the US has a quarantine on shipping rhizomes OUT of state? I find that hard to believe. I know Freshops based out of Philomath OR won't ship to WA addresses due quarantine laws.

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That does seem odd. I don't see any official proclamation from the state of Washington, so that means it would be a self imposed ban by the existing growers?

GVH_Dan said:

That does seem odd. I don't see any official proclamation from the state of Washington, so that means it would be a self imposed ban by the existing growers?

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Believe it or not, that's what they (SS Steiner) are telling me.

Oh, I'm not doubting you, Matt. It just seems odd that in a year when hop prices are down, they would volunteer to quarantine a potential product they could sell. I understand there are infestations of powdery mildew and possible other virus in the root stock, but that seems to be pretty prevalent.

GVH_Dan said:

Oh, I'm not doubting you, Matt. It just seems odd that in a year when hop prices are down, they would volunteer to quarantine a potential product they could sell. I understand there are infestations of powdery mildew and possible other virus in the root stock, but that seems to be pretty prevalent.

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Right on. I agree with you too, it is strange isn't it. IMO - its no secret that the diseases and pests are a natural part of living on this earth, their mono-crop practices leave them with an unnatural environment for these hops (like the rest of our industrialized ag world) - of coarse they have disease issues. Don't get me fing started. :rockin:

Thank God for other rhizome suppliers like Freshops, Thymes, Gorst the local growers I know (around here) and others!

http://agr.wa.gov/plantsinsects/PlantQuarantines/PlantQuarantines.aspx

My post was actually related to shipping rhizomes in state, which unless things have changed many rhizome growers will still do.

I too am going to be buying rhizomes this year so this thread is great for us in Washington. I'm signed up for the email that Hops Direct sends out when they start selling.
On a weird note - I just got an email from Williams Brewing and they are selling rhizomes and it looks like they have NO restrictions on shipping to Washington???

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/HOP_RHIZOMES_FOR_PREORDER_C253.CFM

I found that a bit strange since I was under the impression that you cannot import hops from out of state but they only list 2 counties in Idaho that they cannot send them to.

Either way I think I'll be buying from HD.

Heya Ceg,

I live in Yakima, and recently joined the homebrewing club. It's a Yahoo club, if you're interested in looking into it.

Anywho, the club has a member who is selling/ordering some rhizomes soon, and will be taking orders next Thursday (2/18). I believe they're $2.90 apiece, and have the following varieties:

ascade
centennial
chinook
columbus
fuggle
glacier
golding
hallertau
horizon
nugget
tettnang
willamette

Man, I love living in Yakima.

Budger

Budger said:

Heya Ceg,

I live in Yakima, and recently joined the homebrewing club. It's a Yahoo club, if you're interested in looking into it.

Anywho, the club has a member who is selling/ordering some rhizomes soon, and will be taking orders next Thursday (2/18). I believe they're $2.90 apiece, and have the following varieties:

ascade
centennial
chinook
columbus
fuggle
glacier
golding
hallertau
horizon
nugget
tettnang
willamette

Man, I love living in Yakima.

Budger

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I am guessing he is with the Yakima Brewers Club. They have a meeting next Thursday. I am thinking of going but I am not sure I can get a baby sitter yet.

"Man, I love living in Yakima. "
I think you're the only one
(A little humor from up north)

Ceg-
just make good friends with one of the local farmers and you'll have too many hops to brew with every year plus you'll have too many rhizomes to plant....if there is such a thing.

If you weren't able to get any roots last year, I think the order is going to be going in again in the next couple of months. Let me know if you're interested.

Hopsdirect is just down the road in Mabton ...they don't start selling until March but it's an easy place to get hops. The Yakima Brewers Club (as mentioned), http://www.yakimabrewers.org/ is another great place to get hops.