Stone Hill Farm

April 1st at Stone Hill Farm. There are hop plants under there somewhere. Let’s hope this is melted in time for a 2023 harvest…

WCCO News was out this week…

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/video/next-weather-investigates-bringing-hop-farms-to-minnesota/

NEXT Weather Investigates: Bringing hop farms to Minnesota Most of the nation’s hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest because of its favorable climate. Researchers at the University of Minnesota hope to change that. Caroline Cummings found out how they’re coming up with new ways to bring more hop farms to our state.

The Cascades are picked and in the dryer…. Josh Havill from the U of M was out to hand pick his new experimental plants. They grow well, now let’s see what the brewers think of them.

The hops made an incredible recovery after the May hail storm! The picking machine is almost ready and the 2022 harvest starts this week….

It is that time of year when the Japanese Beetles are munching on the hops. The good news is that this year I have noticed little white dots on the heads of many females. Turns out they are eggs from a Tachinid fly. The larvae will kill the beetle and feed off it. Fingers crossed that this will help!

We went through the evaluation process for Sustainable Stillwater and received the Gold level rating for our sustainability practices. Here is a link to our rating:

https://www.greenstillwater.org/minnesota/stillwater/landscaping-gardening-farming-services/stone-hill-farm

Stone Hill Farm on Green Business Directory Learn about Stone Hill Farm, Gardening, Landscaping, Growers in Stillwater, Minnesota. Find Stone Hill Farm reviews and more on Green Business Directory.

The hop yard is strung! Also, Josh Havill from the University of Minnesota was out this morning to get his experimental plants in the ground. Hopefully this will result in a new mildew resistant variety adapted to our humid climate.

The 2021 hop harvest is a wrap! Left a few strings of Chinook each side of a goldfinch nest with 2 little babies in it.

The 2021 harvest has started with some very healthy Willamette hops. You will find these hops in Pitchfork Brewing beers that have transportation infrastructure themed names like North of 8 Pilsner, and Exit 4 Cream Ale.

Thanks to a LOT of irrigation, the 2021 crop is looking good.

The hops are trained and will grow about 6” every day in June. Then they stop growing up and add side arms which is where all the hop cones will form.

The coir has arrived and the stringing work will begin soon. Hop growers use a coconut fiber coir rope because it is strong; but the short fibers will break off the top wire during harvest with a quick pull.

The snow is gone and we got the prairie area burned off today.. Thanks to Susan Fremming, Kim Brach and John Mahoney for their fire fighter assistance!

When the temps are -20F, this is how we survive on the farm. The home brews are an IPA made with an experimental hop we grow and the Porter is made with our Willamette’s.

This time of year the hop yard always looks so dismal... However, buried under the snow are a whole lot of hop crowns just waiting to burst out as soon as the soil warms up. Eventually there will be 16 foot tall walls of green loaded with hops!

The 2020 harvest is done! Although the hop yard is empty, the hops are not gone... they are over at Pitchfork Brewing making some great beers.

A big thank you to our dedicated harvest helpers and of course Pitchfork for buying local!

If you are seeing this and looking for information about the vintage sale, you are at the right farm, but wrong page. You need to go to Stone Hill Farm and Friends

We hit the pause button on harvest. The last two varieties are not quite ready. Some Cascades that are ready remain; but we are waiting for these temporary residents to leave the nest...

2020 hop harvest is well under way. This year everything is headed to Pitchfork Brewing to make some great beers. Our harvest helpers are the BEST!

I am always apprehensive checking the hop yard after a severe storm with high winds. All is well! The close up shows the hops in the "burr" stage.

Had some help from this little guy or gal when I was scouting the hop yard today.

The truck is finally done and the hops will hit the top wire soon. If you are seeing this and hoping to find out about the Barn Sale, you are on the right farm, but wrong page. The ladies have a sale starting June 18 and their page is Stone Hill Farm and Friends

Hops are vulnerable to a number of diseases. I was able to make a positive identification on the one that killed all these bines. It is called "String Trimmer Blight". The cure is better aim by the operator...

In these crazy times let's support our local businesses! Especially those like Pitchfork Brewing that make it a point to source their ingredients locally as much as they can.

Orderspoon US Order online and save time when you shop at your favorite stores. Store pickup or delivery available. Search for a local restaurant or store near you.

Great article in the Star Tribune today..

http://e.startribune.com/Olive/ODN/StarTribune/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=MST%2F2020%2F01%2F09&entity=Ar04302&sk=3DBB3826&mode=text

BREWERS LOOK TO MINNESOTA - Star Tribune, 1/9/2020 Terroir is a term that most drinkers would associate with wine. It refers to the unique flavors brought about by the climatic and soil conditions where grapes are grown and the expression of those flavors in a finished wine. But can the term also apply to beer? An up-and-coming Minnesota hop industr...

Harvest is well under way. The way technology is advancing, perhaps I will be able to share the drying room aroma over FB some day! A mixture of your favorite IPA and fresh cut grass.

If you would like to stop out and see the harvest operation, send me a message and I can let you know when we are running.