Why We Grow Here
Our hop yard in the Champlain Valley of Vermont
When we started our farm in 2018, we were taking the next step in an experiment which had been unfolding for several years. One of our co-founders, Julian Post, had graduated from the University of Vermont and then gone on to work as a researcher under Heather Darby. Darby’s work of many years had been to investigate the possibility of growing hops in Vermont–something which had not been done on any large scale since the 1800s.
Historically, Vermont was the second-largest producer of hops in the nation. Prior to Prohibition, the state’s hop industry served as a major source of agricultural income for local farmers. The local industry declined by the tail end of the 1800s for a variety of reasons–the susceptibility of the crop to moisture and disease, the emergence of West Coast producers, and Vermont’s early adoption of Prohibition. Hops have never truly reemerged in the Green Mountain State, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t!
The key reason that hops were so successful here historically is also one of the reasons why they can be successful again: latitude. Hops all around the world grow at very specific regions, specifically between 35-55 degrees of latitude. Situated at 44 degrees, Vermont couldn’t be more ideal for hops to thrive.
Why is latitude so important? It’s mostly a question of sunlight. The maturity of hop plants is determined by the hours and intensity of sunlight during the growing season. That’s the reason hops thrive in our area, as well as in the Pacific Northwest and the Bavaria region of Germany.
Of course, that doesn’t account for the issues of moisture and disease which challenged our forebears in hop production. Heather Darby’s work on hops in Vermont has helped to give us and other growers a roadmap to mitigating these challenges and finding ways to create a lasting, vibrant crop.
That’s why we’ve chosen to farm on this land in the Champlain Valley. Our hop yard is situated on terraced surfaces raised above the valley floor, with a loamy sand that drains extremely well and is largely free of rocks. This landscape is unique to the region, and provides an ideal location for growing hops that can withstand many of the challenges faced by historical producers.
We also have personal history in the area. As well as Julian Post’s personal connections to Vermont through UVM, our other co-founder has a family tie to Vermont beer production. Peter Briggs’ family owned and operated a tavern in the same region, and his passion for carrying that legacy forward led to the creation of Champlain Valley Hops.
So, from our own personal histories to the research conducted by local experts, the Champlain Valley is truly the perfect place to restart Vermont’s hop industry. We hope that our farm will both expand and serve as a roadmap for other producers in the state, showing that growing hops in Vermont is not only possible but profitable! With our booming network of craft breweries, that could mean a wealth of revenue for local producers and a stronger, more sustainable local food system.
