Best helpful internet reply EVER. Thank you so much. I would grow mostly for my own use to see. Then maybe expand to do a 'self pick' kinda think like orchards and pumpkin patches do. Not sure I'd go full time, but definitely considered volunteering/seasonal at a hop farm in MI.
A true "self-pick" wouldn't (hasn't yet) work because of the very limited window. You would have to do massive advertising blitzs to get people interested and to get them to come out several times as varieties have different peak times.
Now linking up with a local homebrew club would probably be worth your time. Get with the group and tell them you want experience growing hops before you get into it...you'll grow up to 5 or 6 varieties they want (depending on plant material)...you will take care of growing them...they are on the hook to show up for several different picking events...you'll dry them, unless they want them wet...you/they will be responsible for splitting them up, packaging, etc.
On this, you make no money. Only grow 5 plants of each variety to keep it at 30 plants or less. Tell them you want honest feedback from them and maybe some help weeding, etc.
So for a little bit of work, they get free hops to use as they please.
What you get is a dedicated group of beer geeks ready to tell the world of how your hop yard...that THEY helped build...has progressed. They will see improvement. First year plants don't taste the best and don't produce. So they will see as the years go by how much bigger and better your product is. Now when you are ready to go commercial, they will be sitting in brewpubs around your area telling the brewmasters how awesome sablesurfer hops are and why they need to use them. When a regular barfly/beer geek makes a request of a brewer, they will listen.
So in three years, here's where you sit:
- You understand how they grow and have an idea of how much work it is
- You know which varieties will succeed
- The third crash should have occured so you can pick up affordable picking equipment
- you have a dedicated group of FREE salesmen out pushing your product
- You probably have been drinking all the free homebrew you want as these guys want you to try out the results
- You've had 3 years to save the cash you need for start up costs
Dang, I wish I had thought of this plan a decade ago