Simple Earth Hops in Wisconsin for Midwest brewers

Brewing Up a Community Commercial Hops Webinars

2012-01-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

Simple Earth Hops is proud to present the Brewing Up a Community Hops Webinars

Get tickets @ http://hopsontap.eventbrite.com/
View the Hops Webinars Schedule @ http://www.mattsweeny.com/hops-webinars/

Read the press release!

A MONTHLY EVENT on the
3rd SATURDAY OF MARCH-APRIL-MAY

2 Hops Webinars per day on:

Saturday - March 17
Saturday - April 21
Saturday - May 19

The cost for each webinar is $20 and each webinar is 2 hours long.

Commercial Hops Webinar Choices

Morning Hops Webinar: [10am - 12pm CST]

Q&A, Marketing & Processing Commercial Hops Webinar / This Hops Webinar is dedicated to just answering your questions with a focus on marketing and processing hops.

SOLD OUT!
Afternoon Hops Webinar: [2pm - 4pm CST]
Marketing & Processing Hops Webinar / Whether you are selling hops to your local brewmaster down the street or setting up a website to sell your hops online to homebrewers, you will want to know what do with your hops once they are done growing right?

Late Night Hops Webinar: [9pm - 11pm CST]

Q&A, Hopyard Establishment & Sustainable Growing Webinar / This webinar is dedicated to answering your questions about how to setup a small scale commercial hopyard and how to use earth-friendly growing practices while still providing a profitable yield.

You can also buy tickets for a Personal Hopyard Tour which exists to give us with time to answer your questions in person, share a beer together and walk around the hopyard to see the small scale commercial hopyard in Dodgeville, WI.

Get tickets @ http://hopsontap.eventbrite.com/
View the Hops Webinars Schedule @ http://www.mattsweeny.com/hops-webinars/

Place multiple ticket orders if you'de like to attend webinars on different days. The individual webinars are presented independant from each other. The tickets offered for the Brewing Up a Community Hops Webinars give you a 2 hour session to talk with Matt Sweeny, ask questions and hopefully learn some too. A requirement for attending the Hops Webinars is that you must have a beer in hand!

Have a question about this event?

Ask Matt Sweeny directly at http://www.vcita.com/matt.sweeny
Post your question on the Hops Webinars Facebook Event Page

Hops Webinar Marketing Partners

Brookston Beer Bulletin
Commercial Hops Webinar press release [Google Docs]
Commercial Hops Webinars Press Release on PRLog.org
madison.Craigslist.org
Hops Webinars promo video
Hops Webinars event on Linked In
Fatty Matty Brewing blog

Wholesale Hop Rhizome Pre-ordering ends Jan. 15, 2012

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

You can now pre-order (wholesale quantities only) hop rhizomes for 2012 at http://hops.goodsie.com/

Pre-ordering ends Jan. 15, 2012. Don't wait, pre-order now!

As of Jan. 5, 2012, these hop rhizome varieties are available at http://hops.goodsie.com/ :

Brewer's Gold
Cascade
Centennial
Chinook
Columbus
Galena
Nugget
Mt. Hood
Perle
Sterling
Willamette

As you make plans to grow hops at home (to brew with in your own beer), to grow hops on the farm or expand your current commercial hopyard), Simple Earth Hops is proud to offer a 2012 hop rhizome pre-ordering option for hops which may grow best in the Midwest.

As you make choices about which hops to by you can review our Hop Variety Profile spreadsheet available on Google Docs at http://goo.gl/Oa5Av

** These hop rhizomes ARE NOT necessarily certified Organic! **

Hop Rhizome Sources
Most of these varieties do not come directly from our hopyard in Wisconsin but rather, are sources from other local Midwest hopyards and other reliable local hop growers in the U.S.A.

Wholesale Rhizome Pricing
Minimum order is 100 hop rhizomes. We reserve the right to change prices based on supply and demand.

Wholesale Hop Rhizome Limited Availability
Hop rhizome supplies are limited! You'll have a better chance to get your complete hop rhizomes order filled by pre-ordering early. First come first serve! Simple Earth Hops reserves the right to limit quantities on all varieties based on supply when you order. Varieties that are sold out will be refunded.

Shipping
Due to the quarantine on hops coming from outside the States of Washington and Idaho, we can't ship to those States. We also do not ship to Hawaii or out of the U.S. These rhizomes will ship days after being dug out of the ground and shipment will be in late March or some time in April.

Participate in a hops group webinar meeting

2012-01-08T02:36:00.000-08:00

Would you like to participate in a hops group webinar meeting or individual hop webinar meeting?
Please email me at fattymattybrewing@gmail.com if you are interested in registering for an individual or group hop questions webinar meeting.

Spread the good word about my need for an employer with my resume/portfolio.

Here's a heads up to everyone with all the really good questions about growing commercial hops and for all the folks sending emails about how to setup a commercial hopyard trellis using black locust poles. Thank you for the awesome opportunity to share quality local information to you.

- Matt Sweeny,

Wisconsin hops past seasons photos and links

2011-11-18T12:05:00.001-08:00

Slower. Smaller. Local.

We did it. Hops were sold locally! Yeah!

With the 2010 and 2011 hopyard seasons complete and behind us, our Dodgeville, Wisconsin grown hop plants now lay dormant in the hopyard.

Thank you to all the past Simple Earth Hops event attendees for your help in the hopyard and for your contribution to our Brewing up a Community efforts. Special thanks also goes out to John Christiansen, Greenspirit Farm, the Wisconsin Hop Exchange, Weber Organic and the Brewery Creek Brewpub in addition to Northern Brewer, the gracious musicians, volunteers and local brewers who donated beer to our past seasons' hopyard events and Bob Bero of B-Hoppy Hop Candy co.

Below is a wrap-up of some of our most memorable hopyard/farm event moments from the past two season and a list of where you can follow Simple Earth Hops.

2010-11 Wisconsin Hop Photos

Simple Earth Hops social media profile

Wisconsin hops featured on MN Public Radio

2011-10-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

On Septemeber 27, 2011, Matt Sweeny of Simple Earth Hops was interviewed by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl who is a Senior Editor at Minnesota Monthly. This interview was used as content in an article "Dining with Dara: Hops to make locavores happy" and broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio's "All Things Considered" on September 29. This well written article by Dara also includes an interview with Todd Haug, brewer at Surly Brewing Company of Brooklyn Center, MN. Here is a short clip from the Sept., 29 article from MNPR:

"I'm pushing for this whole industry to be different," Sweeny told me. He wants local producers to sell to local brewers, build relationships, and see themselves as partners to brewers, who in general are artisans or craftspeople and whop don't see themselves as run-of-the-mill widget makers.

Mulchfest, hop sales and surveys, oh my

2011-09-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

2011 Mulchfest Beer Exchange
If you missed the fun at the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest or just didn't have enough time to really sit down and talk about growing hops, here is your chance. We are excited to offer just 12 tickets for the 2011 Hopyard Mulchfest Beer Exchange. Ask about on site overnight accommodations - I'll provide tasting glasses to use, dinner and working gloves and you bring your favorite local beer to share. Tickets for this 2nd annual networking opportunity are at http://mulchfest.eventbrite.com/

Short URL to register for tickets: http://hops.me/7da
Short URL to view this event on Facebook: http://hops.me/7d9

Two weeks of whole leaf hop sales
Now that all the hops have been dried, whole leaf hop orders are being accepted at http://hops.goodsie.com/ - these will be pelletized an no longer available as whole leaf hops in less than 2 weeks.

Short URL to order hop products: http://hops.me/6zn

Attendee and Staff Survey
(from the 2011 Simple Earth Harvest Brewfest)
We don't know everything about event planning (let alone horticulture or how to run a sustainable business). If you attended or volunteer at the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest, please give us some feedback using this survey platform to help narrow marketing campaigns and focus our community efforts.

Short URL for the event survey: http://hops.me/7d4
This questionnaire will not give you "survey burnout" and will take you less than a few minutes to fill out.

Subscribe via Email
You can now subscribe to updates about hop sales, hopyard events and other website posts via Feedburner, this service will send you an email every time we update the website. Subscribe to our website updates via email now!

Short URL to subscribe for email updates: http://hops.me/7d8

Photos from the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest
Below is a link to some of the photos taken at this year's Harvest Brewfest. You can also view and comment on the photos on Picasa.

Short URL for Harvest Brewfest Pics on Picasa: http://hops.me/7db

Pre-orders now available for Wet Hops thru August 18th

2011-07-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION WET HOP ALE LOVIN' BREWERS!

Through August 18th, Simple Earth Hops is proud to announce the release of this once-a-year opportunity for wet hops pre-order sales at http://hops.goodsie.com

Pre-orders are available until August 18, 2011 for Cascade, Mount Hood and Perle wet hops which will deliver to your brewpot around Tuesday, August 23rd.

Check out more pictures at Picasa and videos on our YouTube channel of an early harvest on 8/2/11.

Once-a-year wet hoportunity
A homebrew batch of Sweet and Spicy Ginger Cookie Nut Brown Ale was blessed this week with a wet hopping addition of these Mount Hoods which are eagerly flavorizing and bursting with fresh hop aroma in the conditioning keg which will be served at the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest.

In collaboration with the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest, these hops will be picked, packaged and immediately sent via USPS next day shipping.

Supplies for these fresh, green or wet hops are limited so pre-order now and don't delay.

Sale ends 8/18.

For more information and to pre-order, visit http://hops.goodsie.com/

Check out some pictures and videos of an early harvest on 8/2.

Why Wet Hops?
Brewers like to use fresh, wet hops because they provide a unique, strong hop aroma and flavor not typically found in the standard dried hops (let alone what is left after pelletizing). Additionally, the fresh, wet hops which you will receive from Simple Earth Hops are only available immediately after harvest in late summer, making them a special, once a year flavor-filled opportunity.

REFUNDS HAPPEN! This Is Farming.
Please don't be offended if we can't deliver on your pre-order. We love you, the brewer, who crafts such tasty choices! If we had a Refund Policy, it would read: THIS IS FARMING! Due to the unpredictable nature of farming, we are unable to guarantee pre-orders. In the unfortunate situation that a pre-order cannot be fulfilled (due to an act of God like weather conditions such as hail or a tornado in the hopyard the day before the harvest) a full refund will be given.

More about Wet Hop Sale

Wet hop sales event on CraftBeer.com
Mount Hood wet hops via the Madison Homebrewers Taster's Guild
Goodsie Site of the Day
HomeBrew Talk
The Brewing Network
Locavore Roundup
Facebook Event

What have you done for local Wisconsin hops

2011-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Simple Earth Hops needs your help to raise funds for sustainable farm events and innovative hopyard! Please get involved in this project as a donor via Kickstarter at http://hops.me/6up, if you care about beer and sustainability.

Kickstarter is a unique method for great ideas to receive funding through an 'all or nothing' funding method where projects must be fully funded through donations or no money changes hands.

Take a minute to read over the project and watch the short 5 minute movie.

This project will support an outreach event and will help with hop growing costs at a community based commercial hopyard-located in Wisconsin. The goal of this project is to cover some operating costs and the cost of hosting our next farm event where we use education to demonstrate to the community about sustainable farming methods and to share with others the economic opportunity presented by growing hops as a high demand local crop for small brewers. In 2009 Simple Earth Hops secured a USDA grant to recoup the cost of building our hopyard, but support for outreach events and some growing expenses is still need.

If you would, please see what you can do at http://hops.me/6up.

Other Local Sites Featuring this Post

Driftless Appetite

Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest Tickets Available

2011-06-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Simple Earth Hops is proud to announce the Harvest Brewfest on August 20, 2011 from 9am to 8pm.

This “Brewing Up The Community” celebration provides an all day beer tasting environment for 160 VIP attendees who will lend 2 hours throughout the event day to pick hops at the hopyard at Greenspirit Farm CSA in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Event registration is required at http://harvestbrewfest.eventbrite.com or using the free ticket registration form below.

When registering for free tickets, attendees will indicate which 2 hour shift (between 9am-5pm) they will be available to help pick hops at the event.

Attendees will not only get hands-on experience harvesting the plants, but will learn about the benefits of growing local hops while tasting local craft beer at a friendly community space. This event will also feature tours of the hopyard with live music and beer samples from 9:00a.m. - 8:00p.m. A community potluck (dish to pass required) will begin at 6:00 p.m.

What to Bring:

Lawn chair
your favorite tasting glass
snacks to cleanse your palette
a dish to pass for the potluck
bug spray and sunscreen

When: Saturday, August 20 - 9:00 am-8:00 pm - CST

Where: Simple Earth Hops / 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI

Contact: Matt Sweeny at fattymattybrewing@gmail.com / SimpleEarthHops.com

Hop Sales
Wet, fresh/green hops from this Dodgeville area hopyard event are now available for pre-sale here until August 18th here: http://hops.goodsie.com/

This Event in the News:

Register for Free Tickets

Online Ticketing for Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest powered by Eventbrite

Thank you for attending our Wisconsin hops event

2011-05-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

The turnout for the Hopyard Spring Training [beeradvocate.com link] this weekend was outstanding. To all weekend hops and beer event attendees-thank you for coming out, sharing and working in the hopyard with such questionable weather. Also, thanks to Josh Sobo, Chuck Tuura, Rich Joseph, Beckie and D, Renea, John Christianson, Charlie Rhower, Andrew and Jennifer Kerr, the Chicago guys from CHAOS and so many others for your help and attendance. Below are some pictures by Beckie and Chuck of this weekend's Wisconsin commercial hops event.

Home grown episode on Discover Wisconsin

2011-05-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Simple Earth Hops is featured on an episode of Discover Wisconsin which aired the weekend of April 24th. This "Home Grown – Opportunity Wisconsin" episode features Iowa County, WI locals:

Lake Louie Brewing in Arena at the 9:45 mark
Simple Earth Hops in Dodgeville at the 13.28 mark
Innovation Kitchen in Mineral point at the 14:45 mark

Wisconsin maybe known as America’s Dairyland but there are many individual farmers across the state who grow or raise other products that are vital to the state’s agri-economy. Southwest Wisconsin is particularly known for its organic farms especially in the Kickapoo Valley region. There’s the farmer who raises beef cattle who supplies local restaurants so they can serve some of the tastiest burgers around. Or the local hops grower who sells his produce to local micro-breweries for that homegrown flavor. And there are the apple orchards that have been picking locally grown apples for decades and selling them all over the Midwest. We salute the farmers who grow local-sell local to keep the economy fresh and growing.

Source permalink: http://kididdel.com/Channels/ChannelView/tabid/66/Default.aspx?rid=8Wt34U0qtTf1vDIGtZxvbQ%3d%3d

Hopyard Spring Training on May 21

2011-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

Event management for Hopyard Spring Training

Only 40 Free tickets!

The newly formed Simple Earth Hops in Dodgeville, Wisconsin is opening up the hopyard for a Spring activities workshop presented by Matt Sweeny.

Attendance to this free ticketed Wisconsin hopyard event does require registration (except for Charlie and Beckie) via Eventbrite: http://hopyardspringtraining-efbevent.eventbrite.com/Free hopyard workshop event and runs from 11am to around 2pm on Saturday, May 21st, 2011.

This hands-on workshop will show you the Spring time annual maintenance in the hopyard and yes, we will be getting our hands dirty! Be prepared to learn about training hop bines and stringing the hop trellis. This free event is limited to ONLY 40 tickets.

Please Bring:

work gloves
warm-ish clothes
your wide-brimmed learning hat
a sack lunch or $10 cash for lunch
a beer or two to sip
nun-chucks

Connect with us on Facebook for up to date event information and register for free tickets at Eventbrite.

Spring 20111 hopyard event logo

Simple Earth Hops featured in BrewingTV episode

2011-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Brewing TV, presented by Northern Brewer, came out to the hopyard by Simple Earth Hops and did some taping on August 11, 2010. These hopyard recordings are now featured on Brewing TV - Episode 17: Hop Madness 2010. Thanks again to Chip, Michael and Jake for coming out to explore the natural depths of the Dodgeville, WI hopyard and for the extra beers you guys left in the farm cooler!

Brewing TV - Episode 17: Hop Madness 2010 from Brewing TV on Vimeo.

Happy Holidays from Simple Earth Hops

2010-12-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

What an exciting first year 2010 has been - wow! Thank you to everyone for making time to come to the hopyard to talk about sustainable hops, work together and contribute to the Simple Earth Hops community.

Merry Christmas and have a safe and happy New Year!

code 8CTDV2EKF8BF

Tractor ride at Mulchfest, (last event of the 2010 season)

It's been an honor to receive such overwhelming attention to the sexy world of local beer and sustainable hops production. We look forward to your continued support in 2011.

Matt Girman and Scot Hansen installing a ground anchor

Mike Karnatz creating perfect black locust trellis poles

Larry, Todd, Roger, Bob and Trey hauling black locust

Andrew Anderson and Bryan Nelson making sausage

Rich Joseph and David Williams kicking ass and taking names

Charles Tuura takes one for the team (in the ribs) OUCH!

Mulchfest Beer Exchange Hopyard Event on Oct 9th

2010-09-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

RSVP at the official Facebook Event Page.

Come back to the Dodgeville, Wisconsin hopyard on October 9th, 2010 for our Hopyard Mulch Fest Beer Exchange. We will be mulching hop plants and trading, sampling each others' beers.

Bring a six pack or growler of your favorite local beer to share and pass. It's a beer potluck!

This will be a low key work event where we will be passing some beers, eating light and mulching the hop plants within the rows with wood chips, straw, hay and other soil enriching sources.

Where?

The Hopyard by Simple Earth Hops @ Greenspirit Farm
- 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI

When?

Saturday, October 9
- 11:00am - 4:30pm

Interested in attending?

Please bring:

a positive attitude
a 6-pack or growler of your preferred brew (or food if you prefer not to drink)
a long sleeve shirts and
a lawn chair if you want

We will provide:

Directions on how to mulch lasagna gardening style
Pint glasses
Lots of mulch material and shovels
a growler or 2 of local beer from Mineral Point's Brewery Creek Inn
work gloves
hay rides with the tractor

More information:

Schedule for 2010 Hopyard Grand Opening

2010-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Simple Earth Hops
Grand Opening Schedule

Grand Opening Guests:
please sign in at the Hop Tree tent, guest sign-in table when your first arrive where we will: cross off your name or add you to the guest list and; check your ID and give you a serving glass.

11am

Volunteer meeting

Noon

Grand Opening begins
Beer taps open at the Hop Tree tent
Beelzebillies on stage at the Hop Tree tent [12pm-3pm]

1pm

Guided hopyard tour

4:00pm

Logueflower & Friends performance at the Hop Tree tent

4:30pm

Last guided hopyard tour

5:30pm

Hopyard ribbon cutting
Press conference

7:00pm

Grand Opening Potluck
Bring a dish to pass, utensils and plates and a chair

Throughout the day

Self-guided hopyard tours
Hop info handouts and fliers at the Hop Tree tent, guest sign-in table
Face painting
Farm tours
Hay rides

For more information:

View the Simple Earth Hops Grand Opening event on Facebook
View the official Grand Opening announcement

Hopyard Grand Opening Labor Day 2010

2010-07-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

You Are Invited!
Please RSVP on Facebook for the Simple Earth Hops Grand Opening

When?
@ noon-7pm / Sept., 4, 2010.

Simple Earth Hops is proud to present the 1st installment in a series of hopyard event titled "Brewing Up a Community".

The Grand Opening is family friendly, free and open to the public. This event will feature tours of the hopyard, live music, tours of the Organic farm and more (from Furthermore). The Grand Opening will start at noon to 7pm and a potluck will begin at 7pm (bring a dish if you are staying after 7pm).

When?
Saturday, Sept., 4, 2010, Labor Day weekend

Hopyard Grand Opening Location
The Hopyard @ Greenspirit Farm
4352 State Road 23
Dodgeville, WI 53533

Hopyard Tours and Furthermore sampling

@ noon-7pm
limit 2 samples

Potluck

@ 7pm-9pm
Be SURE to bring a dish to pass and...
a plate and utensils to eat with.

What Else?

Volunteer for this event
View this event on Facebook
Bring a chair and a cup
View the Grand Opening flyer
Must be 21 w/ a valid ID to sample local brew
Please bring or arrange for a designated driver if you are going to sample local brew

Volunteers Wanted for Hopyard Open House on 9-4-2010

2010-06-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

Registration for this free Open House event has not yet begun. The Open House will be on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, in this year of 2010.

We are still working out some of the details on this Open House event but in the mean time we need to begin recruiting volunteers to assist with a number of duties including:

Servers: needed to pour Furthermore Beer.
Info Booth: these lucky volunteers will hand out 2011 harvest fliers and will manage the information booth table.
Raffle: responsible for selling raffle tickets and will run the raffle at 5pm.
Designated Drivers: these volunteers will be giving people a ride home if they need it. No alcoholic beverage sampling while working on this volunteer assignment.
Set-up / Tear-down / Clean-up: this team will help setup, tear down and clean up at the Open House location.
Cup Distribution: these volunteers will distribute our earth-friendly cups to guests and will also need to check the ID's of anyone who looks under 21.
Greeters and Volunteer Managers: this team will show arriving guests where the Open House is located on the farm, will work with the bouncer at the end of the night, will check-in all volunteers and will show volunteers what their assignments are and where they will be working at the Open House.
Bouncer & Traffic: Show guest where to park as they pull in the farm driveway. Greeting guests and assisting hopyard Open House attendees with entrance and exiting the farm at the end of the event. No alcoholic beverage sampling while working on this volunteer assignment.

Volunteers are requested to serve on 1 of 2 shifts from 12pm to 4pm (1st shift) or 4pm to 8pm-ish (2nd shift) or you can indicate that you would like to work as a volunteer for both shifts of the event.

Benefits to being a volunteer include participation in this Open House event and sampling of beer while you are at this event while you work (except for some team members like the designated driver and bouncer teams).

You will receive your team/shift assignment for the Simple Earth Hops Open House by email.
The Open House will take place at 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI 53533 on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010.
All the information you provide here is strictly confidential! We promise not to share it with anyone.
All volunteers must be a minimum of 21 years of age before the event to volunteer. IDs will be checked!
Please be aware that volunteers represent Simple Earth Hops.

If the thought of bringing a water bottle and remaining sober during some or all of hopyard event is not what you are in for, volunteering may not be for you. We want friendly, fun and dedicated volunteers only.

**Waiver of Liability: By submitting the Volunteer Registration Form, volunteer agrees to bear full responsibility and full liability for any and all damage or injury which might result from volunteering at the Simple Earth Hops Open House. Volunteers also releases and agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the Sweeny family of Simple Earth Hops, the Kerr family at Greenspirit Farm, event sponsors and their insurance carriers from any and all claims, actions or damages without any limitation whatsoever, whether consisting of personal injury, property damage or death that results in any way from any act of the volunteer while attending or volunteering at the Simple Earth Hops Open House.

NOTICE! Completing this volunteer application does not guarantee your participation in the volunteer program. We will confirm your volunteer involvement as soon as possible so that you can enjoy some other fun, local event if you need to.
Loading...

Thanks to Furthermore Beer of Spring Green, Wisconsin for providing the brew for this Open House venue.

PRESS RELEASE -- Hopyard Takes Root In Dodgeville, Wisconsin

2010-05-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Simple Earth Hops to Provide Ethically Grown Hops for Local Beer Producers

DODGEVILLE, Wisconsin (May 27, 2010)--Today, Matt Sweeny announced the launch of Simple Earth Hops, a Dodgeville, Wisconsin new farming business, who will provide ethically grown hops to local beer producers.

Simple Earth Hops is a new 1/4 acre hopyard located at Greenspirit Farm CSA in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The hopyard was founded with the idea of providing a much needed agricultural product for local craft brewers. Simple Earth Hops was established to demonstrate that local farmers can produce a consistent, sustainable supply of ultra high quality hops by working directly with local craft brewers while still maintaining a focus on ecology, the land and the people involved.

"Craft beer producers have made it clear that they desire a local source of hops. Simple Earth Hops will address this need for a local sustainable supply of hops by small locally owned craft beer producers."

Look for Simple Earth Hops to elaborate more on the details of a Grand Opening hopyard tour/beer tasting event in late July, 2010 and for the hopyard harvest tour and beer tasting in early Fall, 2011.

About Simple Earth Hops
Funding for Simple Earth Hops is provided in part by a 2009 NCR-SARE (USDA) grant. This small-scale commercial hopyard has been established by the Sweeny family of Dodgeville, Wisconsin who slowly grow earth friendly hops for local brewers with similar locavore ethics.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:
Matt Sweeny
Simple Earth Hops
fattymattybrewing@gmail.com
or via Facebook

Related Links

Additional Photos

Midwest hop varieties planted this weekend

2010-05-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped out with planting the hops on Saturday including:

Josh Soboleski
Darryl Moffitt
Charlie Rohwer
Beckie Sweeny
Steven Shoemaker
Renea Sweeny

250 plants went into the ground thanks to these generous volunteers.

Before dividing up for rhizomes,

1 of 2 Cascade hop plants sprouting.

Perle making its way up
before being hacked up for rootball cuttings.

Hop trellis upper cables complete

2010-05-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we finished the upper trellis cables by stringing the cross and main row cables on the top of the hop trellis poles using a 2-man aerial lift rental. All the hop trellis cable hardware installation was done by the generous Mike Karnatz of Chicago.

Next up is to till the existing 10 rows of hops, mulch the rows with straw, transplant the sprouted hop plants and seed and plant some beneficial insect attracting prairie plants, herbs and flowers into the hopyard.

A press release will be distributed in the next few weeks followed up by an open house once the plants are in the ground. Hope you can make it to this next event and I will share the dates with you once we have nailed them down.

Building the hop trellis

2010-04-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend we built the 1/4 acre hop trellis in the rain.

There are so may team member volunteers and others to thank including Bryan Nelson, Aran Madden, Scot Hansen, Mike Karnatz, Andy Anderson, Matt Girman, all of the Kerr family, Gene from the extension office, my lovely wife Renea Sweeny, my sister Beckie Sweeny and bro Darryl, Bob Matts, Barb Kalicki, Roger Reynolds and all of the crew from the black locust hauling mission.

Here are some pictures which were taken by Barb Kalicki... thanks Barb!

Here are some pictures taken by the Simple Earth Hops Resident Photographer, my sister, Beckie Sweeny.

Simple Earth Hops - Trellis Setup

Food, beer and moral support came from:
Greenspirit Farm of Dodgeville, WI
Cafe 4 of Mineral Point, WI
Bagels Forever of Madison, WI

For more information:

Please subscribe to receive updates using the "updates" email address form on the top right sidebar as this post will continue to be updated as new pictures come in.
See the previous post for more information about this weekend.
Read more about small scale commercial hop trellis plans at Simple Earth Hops.

Hop Trellis Setup Weekend

2010-04-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, the hop rows were plowed and the hop rhizomes which were potted a month ago are sprouting like crazy.

This weekend, a crew of 10 will volunteer their time to help set up the hop trellis at our Dodgeville hopyard. Aran Madden of Furthermore Beer has been confirmed as a guest along with a few others.

This is a private event which we will be providing food and drinks all weekend long including breakfasts, lunches and dinners and beer.

We will be providing 4 beers on tap including 2 beers at the farm: a stout and golden ale and 2 beers at the volunteer lodge: a cream ale and a brandy barrel porter.

Lunches are provided by Cafe 4 of Mineral Point, WI
Breakfast is provided by Bagel Forever of Madison, WI
The Stout and Golden ale are provided by Brewery Creek of Mineral Point, WI

Hauling hop trellis poles

2010-04-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Brad Butnik at the WI DNR, Simple Earth Hops acquired a permit to cut and remove 30 black locust hop trellis poles. These black locust hop trellis poles where hauled out of the woods in Avoca, Wisconsin on Friday, April 2, 2010 thanks to the support of an awesome crew including: Beckie Sweeny, Bob Matts, Darryl Moffitt, Greg Erickson, Larry Hale, Roger Reynolds, Todd Lippert Smith and Trey Matts. Then unloaded at the Simple Earth Hops hopyard in Dodgeville, WI.

Simple Earth Hops - Hop Pole Haulin

Simple Earth Hops SARE Grant Approved

2010-03-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that Simple Earth Hops grant proposal which was submitted in Dec., 2009 has been selected for funding by the NCR-SARE (North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) program.