New Kentucky commercial hop farm

[lump42]

If your looking for some additional funding assistance. You might check with your county extension office or with the KY Ag Development Fund program through the Gov's Office of Ag Policy. There are some grants and cost share options available within the state to help farmers diversify their operations, stemming from the state tobacco settlement. The extension service will be able to help also with production issues (soil testing, disease and pest ID). I know the agent in that county. Andy's a good guy and very helpful.

Henderson Co Extension Office: https://henderson.ca.uky.edu/

If you want to turn it into a more formal business, Ky Center for Ag and Rural Development (http://www.kcard.info/). Can help with creating business plans, cost analysis, marketing plan development. I believe most of their services are either free or at cost.

 

[B-Hoppy]

Who's that?

Folks I know who are growing & processing hops a little way west of Ottawa. They've been at it for 5 or so years and thought you may have been referring to them as 'experts'.

 

[dlaramie08]

If your looking for some additional funding assistance. You might check with your county extension office or with the KY Ag Development Fund program through the Gov's Office of Ag Policy. There are some grants and cost share options available within the state to help farmers diversify their operations, stemming from the state tobacco settlement. The extension service will be able to help also with production issues (soil testing, disease and pest ID). I know the agent in that county. Andy's a good guy and very helpful.

Henderson Co Extension Office: https://henderson.ca.uky.edu/

If you want to turn it into a more formal business, Ky Center for Ag and Rural Development (http://www.kcard.info/). Can help with creating business plans, cost analysis, marketing plan development. I believe most of their services are either free or at cost.

Thanks for the kcard link, I'll check that out. Iv asked at the extension office and talked to Andy there and didn't get much from him other than a couple documents that I had already found with a google search.

 

[Wesmando]

Dlaramie08, i got into the same mess. I thought i was far enough along to plant a 1/4 acre so i ordered plants. The rain this spring put me behind and i have been running every since. I got them in the ground but it seemed like it was gonna kill me doing it. No to mention the trellis is still under construction.

 

[dlaramie08]

Dlaramie08, i got into the same mess. I thought i was far enough along to plant a 1/4 acre so i ordered plants. The rain this spring put me behind and i have been running every since. I got them in the ground but it seemed like it was gonna kill me doing it. No to mention the trellis is still under construction.

My tractor was unexpectedly put into the shop so I couldn't till. So I got a late spring start on one line and hopefully I'll be able to put in three more lines for next spring.

 

[Apimyces]

Folks I know who are growing & processing hops a little way west of Ottawa. They've been at it for 5 or so years and thought you may have been referring to them as 'experts'.

That's quite an assumption.

 

[Wesmando]

What are you using to combat mildews? Have you tried the natural stuff, neem oil, mineral oil, copper? I got ridomil gold but dont want to use it if the organic stuff works.

 

[dlaramie08]

What are you using to combat mildews? Have you tried the natural stuff, neem oil, mineral oil, copper? I got ridomil gold but dont want to use it if the organic stuff works.

Haven't made it that far yet. I haven't had any mildew issues on my personal hops near where the new line is in 5 years so I haven't thought about it.

 

[Wesmando]

If your looking for some additional funding assistance. You might check with your county extension office or with the KY Ag Development Fund program through the Gov's Office of Ag Policy. There are some grants and cost share options available within the state to help farmers diversify their operations, stemming from the state tobacco settlement. The extension service will be able to help also with production issues (soil testing, disease and pest ID). I know the agent in that county. Andy's a good guy and very helpful.


Henderson Co Extension Office: https://henderson.ca.uky.edu/

If you want to turn it into a more formal business, Ky Center for Ag and Rural Development (http://www.kcard.info/). Can help with creating business plans, cost analysis, marketing plan development. I believe most of their services are either free or at cost.

Have you received funding help from the ag department/government. I have been turning over stones and beating the bush for 18 months looking for subsidies and help.

 

[stan1007]

Great news and good luck to you! I'm about 90 miles away near Cadiz, KY.

 

[lump42]

Have you received funding help from the ag department/government. I have been turning over stones and beating the bush for 18 months looking for subsidies and help.

I've gotten cost-share money from the Tobacco settlement funds, but each county handles the cost-share differently. Cost shares seem to be the easiest to get approved. If you contact your county extension office they would be able to tell you who manages it. In Franklin Co, it's our cattleman's assoc.

Our Farmer's Market got funds from KADF to construct a market pavilion.

If you are in Kentucky and looking for additional funding for a farming options. I would check with your Co. Ext office, Governor's office of Ag Policy, KDA, local Farm farm Bureau office, or look at KADF.

 

[Wesmando]

Great news and good luck to you! I'm about 90 miles away near Cadiz, KY.

Have you got a secret on how to squeeze cash out of the government?

 

[Wesmando]

[QUOTE=dlaramie08;7551020]I am in Robards, just south of Henderson. I have personally grown chinook, cascade, mt hood, galena, nugget, northern Brewer, and Columbus with success. I have failed with saaz and centennial. My hallertau rhizome came up this year from last year's small growth so we'll see about this year.[/QUOTE]

I was contemplating growing some centennial, then remembered that you said you didnt have any success. Do you have any theories on what went wrong? Perhaps it was one of those years when this family of plant just wouldnt make it.

 

[dlaramie08]

Yeah I'm not sure what was going on. I tried multiple rhizomes from multiple sources. Could have just been my soil, but I have heard that it does really well in other farms in the commonwealth.