Hopyard Event Staff Wanted for Aug 25 Brewfest

**JULY 10, 2012 UPDATE**

2012 Staff Registration has now been filled however...

You still have the opportunity to be a part of the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest by registering for free tickets at http://hopharvest.eventbrite.com/. Show your hopyard love by purchasing a Simple Earth Hops "Hopyard Staff" shirt or a commemorative "Cheers To Local Beers" pint glass at http://hops.goodsie.com/

We are stoked to announce that the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest will return to the farm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin on Saturday, August 25, 2012. Tickets for this local beer tasting-hop picking event will be made available in July.

In the mean time...

We are looking to fill the following volunteer event staff positions:

• Hopyard Staff Manager
• Tasting Glass distribution
• Hopyard event registration/reception 
• Hoppy Merchandise
• Server / Pourer
• Designated driver
• Hop Picking Manager
• Setup/ tear-down/ clean-up
• Parking & Hopyard Bouncers
• Master of Ceremonies/Announcer
• Face Painting
• Hopyard Harvester
• Band Roadie
• Hop Drying
• Hopyard Photographer

→ SIGN UP HERE ←

Benefits to being a event staff member

• Participation and experience from being a part of a beer festival event
• Moderated sampling of beer while you are at this event while you work (except for some team members like the designated driver).
• Warm fuzzy feelings of knowing that are helping to spread the good word about local craft beer and local hops.
• A tasting glass for you to enjoy local beer with.
• A chance to meet other hop growers and new friends.

Important Info

• Staff members are requested to volunteer from 8am to 5pm at this event. 
• You will receive your team/shift assignment by email.
• This event takes place at 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI 53533 on Saturday, Augus t 25, 2012.
• All the information you provide here is strictly confidential! We promise not to share it with anyone.
• All event staff volunteers must be a minimum of 21 years of age before the event to volunteer. 
• Be aware that volunteers represent Simple Earth Hops and we don't like mean people. 
• Volunteering for this hopyard event may not be for you. We want friendly, fun, warm and dedicated volunteers only who don't mind being around people who are consuming beer and possibly being loud.

→ SIGN UP HERE ←

**Waiver of Liability

By submitting the Hoppy Registration Form, staff volunteer agrees to bear full responsibility and full liability for any and all damage or injury which might result from volunteering at this Simple Earth Hops farm event. Staff volunteers also releases and agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the Sweeny family and the Kerr family, 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 this Simple Earth Hops event.

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.

Wisconsin Hopyard Internship Now Available in Dodgeville, WI

Simple Earth Hops has an opening for a hopyard intern to work on our 200 plant hopyard in the rolling hills of Southwest Wisconsin. The hopyard is located in Dodgeville, 1/2 mile north of Governor Dodge State Park. The internship will run from June through early September 2012.

General Farm Description:

Simple Earth Hops operates a sustainable hopyard which is used for education, research and demonstration and is located near Governor Dodge State Park at Greenspirit Farm CSA. The hopyard is planted with old and new varieties of hops and was founded with the idea of providing a much needed agricultural product for local craft brewers. This Dodgeville, Wisconsin small-scale commercial hopyard is owned and operated by the Sweeny family of Dodgeville who cultivate biodiversity to slowly grow earth friendly hops for local brewers with similar locavore ethics.

Simple Earth Hops was established to demonstrate that local farmers can produce a consistent, sustainable supply of quality hops by working directly with local craft brewers while still maintaining a focus on ecology, the land and the people involved.

Internship Position Compensation:

- Housing is provided in exchange for work on the farm
- The number of hours per week is VERY flexible
- Housing includes a guest bedroom, with bath, kitchen, etc
- This is not a paid internship
- You will be required to provide meals

Intern's Primary Responsibilities:

- All aspects of the Farm’s production
- planting rhizomes
- trellis construction and maintenance
- hopyard irrigation
- working with local brewers
- field preparation
- cultivating/weeding
- harvesting
- farm events
- Wisconsin Hop Exchange meetings
- assisting with the CSA every week

Skills Required:
- A good attitude
- Willing to learn
- An open mind
- Able to work outside in the sun and rain (with exception)
- An interest in beer is not required but is recommended
- You don't mind kids
- Nunchucks
- A rain coat

Benefits of being an Intern with Us:

• Educational.
  We will teach you everything that we know.
• We will give you access to all the research and relationships that we have established for the hopyard.
• Provides a unique opportunity.
  This Organic farm gives you a chance to watch life grow from the ground up and literally taste the fruits of your labor as we use the hops to make beer for our hopyard events.
• Fun and Useful Experience.
  This is an excellent chance to get your hands dirty and learn about sustainable commercial hops production in the Midwest.
• Exceptional Location.
  We are blessed with one of the most beautiful locations in Wisconsin. The hopyard is located 1/2 mile from the State's 2nd largest State Park: Governor Dodge State Park. Because of this location, you will benefit from being centrally located in a recreational paradise, with a hiking system of more than 40 miles or trails, several nearby lakes, camping, yummy local beer, good food and a community of locavores.

How to Apply

To apply for the internship, send an email (to fattymattybrewing@gmail.com) with:

1. your contact info [your address and phone number]
2. a resume;
3. 2 or more references and;
4. a letter of interest including the following information:

* Why do you want to be an intern at Simple Earth Hops?
* What experience have you had working on a farm and/or with hops?
* Do you like beer?
* Do you have specific skills to offer?
* What do you feel you can learn here?
* Do you have your own transportation?

Please be sure to include your complete address, phone number and available start date so we can contact you about your application.

Please send the above info to fattymattybrewing@gmail.com

Wisconsin hops past seasons photos and links

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

• 2011 Harvest Party
  
• 2011 Testing hop ripeness
• 2011 Midseason in the Hopyard 
• 2011,Hopyard Spring Training 
• 2010 Hop Harvest 
• 2010 Trellis setup 
• Press kit Pictures 
• 2010 Moving hop trellis poles 
• 2010 Hop trellis poles selection

Simple Earth Hops social media profile

• Simple Earth Hops on Facebook
• 2010 Hopyard establishment press release
• Simple Earth Hops Press Kit
• Layered mulch (lasagna gardening) instructions
• Madison Hop Examiner
• Follow us on Twitter @anotherdesign
• Hop sales from Simple Earth Hops
• Subscribe to our website

Happy Holidays from Simple Earth Hops

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

Mulchfest Beer Exchange Hopyard Event on Oct 9th

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:

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

We will provide:

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

More information:

• RSVP at the official Facebook Event Page
• Google Docs presentation on how to mulch lasagna gardening style

Hopyard Grand Opening Labor Day 2010

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

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.

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

Midwest hop varieties planted this weekend

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.