The Hop Garden Hops Workshop in Belleville, WI

It's been a while but we're still spitting out the local news about Wisconsin Hops. Here's a recent share from our friends at The Hop Garden in Belleville, Wisconsin:

Interested in Growing Hops?

Just in Your Backyard or Commercially? 

The Hop Garden is offering two workshops on growing Hops. 

We are a new Hop Yard located outside of Belleville, Wisconsin. We are located about 20 minutes south of the Beltline from Madison. Where best to learn about hops than an actual 7 acre hop yard! Workshops will be led by Rich Joseph, Co-Owner of Joseph Staudt Hop’s and The Hop Garden. Joseph Staudt Hop’s is a two acre Hop Yard located in Neosho, Wisconsin.

The Hop Garden also brews beer using its own hops and sells to over 50 retail outlets in Southern Wisconsin. Backyard Hop Growing is designed for the home brewer or the folks that just like to learn more about hops and how they are used in beer making.

 Topics covered will include where and how to plant hops, how to care for them, backyard trellis structures, fertilizing and watering, harvesting and drying, as well as packaging for future use. Cost is $15 per person or sign up as a group of two or more and the price drops to $10 per person.

Workshops start at 10:30am and will finish at Noon with Hop Garden Beer Tasting! The workshop will be offered on the following Saturday mornings: February 7th and February 28th. 

Rich Joseph of The Hop Garden, Belleville, Wisconsin

The Commercial Hop Growing Workshop is designed for the person that is thinking about growing a larger amount of hops from ¼ acre which is about 250 plants to 10 acres or more. Topics will include, Hop plant structure and life, what Brewers are looking for in their hops, economics, labor requirements, hop yard planning and design, purchasing rootstock and plants, scouting for weeds and insects, harvesting options, dryer or oast design, resources available, packaging and marketing or working with Wisconsin Hop Exchange Cooperative. Cost is $60 per person or $40 per person if signing up in a group of two or more. Thumb drives with all information presented and more will be available for an additional $15.00 The Workshop will start at 9:30am and will finish at Noon with Hop Garden Beer Tasting! This workshop will be offered on the following Saturday Mornings: February 14th and March 7th How To Reserve Your Seat: The workshops will be conducted at the office of The Hop Garden. Tours will be given of the yard and facilities, weather permitting. Seating is limited to 30 people per workshop. To reserve your seat please mail a check payable to: The Hop Garden, N8668 County Road D, Belleville, Wisconsin 53508.

Please include the number of seats being reserved, the date of the meeting you are going to attend, along with an email address or home address. Once the check is received you will be sent an invoice by mail or email to confirm your reservation.

Make a day or a weekend of it and visit local breweries. We are 8 miles from New Glarus Brewing, 10 miles from Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona, 12 miles from The Great Dane in Fitchburg, 17 miles to the Grumpy Troll in Mt. Horeb and 25 miles to Minhas Brewing in Monroe. There are excellent Hotels in all of these cities.

For more information and to learn more about our Hop Yard, please contact: Rich Joseph: 608-516-9649, rich.joseph.rj@gmail.com or visit our website: TheHopGarden.net visit us on Facebook - The Hop Garden, Belleville Wi.

Schedule published for #2013HopFest on Aug 24

The official schedule has been finalized for the 2013 Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest. This community event is next week on Saturday, August 24 starting at 11am.

Free to participate Register Now!

Thanks to Ian Bottorff for all your help!

• 8 AM
  ~ Staff Meeting (not attendees)
• 9 -11 AM
  ~ Event Setup
• 11 AM
   ~ Hop Picking Begins [11am-5pm]
   ~ Beverage Samples Tapped
   ~ The EARTHLINGS on Stage [11am-3pm]
• 12 PM
  ~ Staff/Bands Lunch
• 1 PM
   ~ 1st HOPYARD TOUR (Meet at Hop Picking Tent)
• 2:30 PM
   ~ 2nd HOPYARD TOUR (Meet at Hop Picking Tent)        
• 3 PM
   ~ KICK BRICKS on Stage [3pm-5pm]
• 4 PM
   ~ LAST HOPYARD TOUR (Meet at Hop Picking Tent)
• 5 PM
  ~ Hop Picking Ends
• 6 PM
  ~ Community Potluck
• 7 PM
  ~ The Earthlings back on stage
• 9 PM
  ~ Bonfire Lighting
  ~ Special Tapping of two Beers by Ian Bottorff

2013 Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest announced for Sat August 24

Thanks to the many donations from individuals and organizations like BrewFest Partners, Simple Earth Hops is proud to announce the return of the Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest on Saturday, August 24, 2013 from 11am-11pm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

This is a free community event provides a family friendly space with free beverage samples on the farm, kids activities, live music, hopyard tours and a huge community potluck at 6pm for more than 100 attendees who will lend a hand from 11am to 5pm to pick hops at 4352 State Road 23 in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

FREE REGISTRATION @ http://hopyard.eventbrite.com

• PRESS / MEDIA PHOTOS
• Download the 2013 Simple Earth Hops Harvest Brewfest event PDF
• Hop Picking @ 11am-5pm
• Beverage Samples @ 11am-11pm
• Community Potluck @ 6pm
• Participating Brewers

SIMPLE EARTH HOPS 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI CONTACT Simple Earth Hops | Matt Sweeny fattymattybrewing@gmail.com | 262-210-4077 SimpleEarthHops.com

ABOUT

Founded in 2009, Simple Earth Hops provides locally grown hops to brewers in Wisconsin. Connect with them on Facebook at http://fb.me/simpleearthhops or register for free tickets at http://hopyard.eventbrite.com

Additional support provided by BrewFest Partners

Photos from previous Hop Harvest Brewfests

Photo by Rachel Konsella

Photo by Rachel Konsella

Photo by Rachel Konsella

Photo by Rachel Konsella

Brewing Up a Community Commercial Hops Webinars

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

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

Thank you for attending our Wisconsin hops event

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.

Simple Earth Hops featured in BrewingTV episode

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.

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

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.

Hop trellis upper cables complete

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

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

Hop Trellis Setup Weekend

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.

Hauling hop trellis poles

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

Quarter acre hopyard location - aerial photograph

Thanks to Andrew and Jennifer Kerr at Greenspirit Farm, we have an excellent 1/4 acre hopyard located just off WI Highway 23.

This aerial photo shows a blue line around the 1/4 acre hopyard where we will be putting in 250 hop plants. This aerial shot can also be viewed on the Simple Earth Hops Google map which also shows our black locust pole harvest site and more too.