I remember the first time I saw hops growing in Ohio. I was like that dude from the movie 10 — mesmerized by the beauty and surprised that something so magnificent could be seen in such a regular place.
Less the dreadlocks and the exotic sandy beach you have to admit hops are pretty darn sexy. Most hops in America is grown in either Oregon, Washington and Idaho. According to our friends at the Ohio Hop Growers Guild growing Hops in Ohio is a booming crop. The organization already has over 70 hop growers that represent over 50,000 hop plants in the ground of which there are over 30 hop varieties.
The demand is necessary to meet the growing need by craft brewers here in Ohio. The number of craft breweries in Ohio is quickly pounding on the door of 200 in operation. Those breweries support nearly 100,000 jobs, with a combined economic impact of over $10 billion. Each job created in a brewery in the state is estimated to impact 45 additional jobs in agriculture, retail, business services and distribution.
The rise of the local food and drink movement has led to a surge in beer made with items like local honey, fresh fruit and “wet” (green) hops. There also are an increasing number of breweries trying to source items such as local barley, and that’s helping to fuel production of these plants.
We’ve talked (written) before about the wine industry in Ohio and how many of them have worked hard to make everything with locally grown resources. Many grapes used in Ohio wines are grown on local estates, yet the ingredients in beer often come from a catalogue. It can be difficult to find locally grown hops, barley and other key ingredients. But not anymore!
The beauty about hops is getting more and more people involved in growing hops and for many breweries finding creative ways to get patrons involved. For example, Fat Head’s might be one of the only breweries in the state to crowd source a crucial ingredient. In spring of 2013, the brewery handed out 75 baby hop plants to customers on a first-come, first-served basis. They were given care and feeding instructions and told when and how to harvest the hops. Those fresh hops were collected at the brewery and used to craft Hopportunity Knocks IPA. Of course, those grassroots growers were the first to sample the brew when ready.
The total agricultural impact if the craft brew industry in Ohio goes beyond the hops explosion. Local agricultural products like honey and maple syrup — produced in abundance in Ohio — in addition to low-hanging fruit have made its way into the production process and thereby increasing the demand and profitability for Ohio farmers.
It has been a challenge to sample the many different craft brews made in Ohio but I promise you that I will do my best to keep up with the ever increasing production of this product in an effort to keep you informed with news and information you can use to decide what to try yourself. Or you can simply join me in my endeavor and together we can conquer the challenge.
It’s a tough job — but someones got to do it!
Here’s seeing you, in Ohio Country!
