Hops Production in the Lake Erie Region Hosted by Cornell University

-by Tim Weigle, NYS IPM Program/LERGP

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (April 27, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is excited to announce

The NYS IPM Program, in cooperation with the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program (LERGP) will host “Hops Production in the Lake Erie Region” on Saturday, June 11 at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory (CLEREL) in Portland, NY.

This conference is designed to provide background information related to hops production as well as tackling some of the techniques that will help you to become profitable with your hops production. Topics include choosing the right plants, site selection, trellis layout and nutrition. Also covered will be how to work with a brewery to give them the hops they are looking for, and in what form. There will be in-field opportunities to interact with speakers in the CLEREL hopyards.

Although the resurgence of hops is fairly recent in New York State, there is a wealth of knowledge that will be provided by some of the “pioneers”; local hops growers and processors, Cornell University Research and Extension staff, members of the NYS IPM Program, NYS Ag & Markets and Ohio State University, who will bring their firsthand knowledge to the conference. Brad Bergefurd, Ohio State University Extension Educator will be on hand to provide his experience in site selection and hopyard nutrition. Jimmy Walsh, head brewer at Five & 20 Spirits and Brewery in Westfield, NY will be on hand to discuss how hops are used in the brewing process and how brewers define quality in hops. Mario Mazza, owner of Five & 20 Spirits will give a presentation with Kevin Martin, LERGP Business Management educator, on developing marketing contracts and grower relations to ensure the sustainability of both the hops grower and the brewery. While most conferences are held during the dormant season, this conference is planned to give attendees the opportunity to see hops during the growing season in the two demonstration and research hop yards located at CLEREL (weather permitting). Appropriate clothing and footwear is suggested for the outdoor portion of the program.

The conference starts at 9 AM and will run until 4 PM. The CLEREL meeting facilities, 6592 West Main Road, Portland, NY 14769 will be used for the classroom portion of the program. Registration for the conference is $75.

To register for the conference, please visit the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program website at http://lergp.cce.cornell.edu. Questions about registration should be directed to Kate at (716) 792-2800. Due to the size of the CLEREL meeting room, class size is limited to 80 participants. Early registration is encouraged to ensure a spot at the conference.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is a cooperative effort between Cornell and Penn State Universities; the participating Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties in New York and Erie County in Pennsylvania; and participating industry partners; National Grape Cooperative (Welch’s), Constellation Brands and Walkers Fruit Basket. The LERGP extension team provides research-based educational programming for commercial grape growers throughout the year at venues across the Lake Erie grape belt. For more information on LERGP, call 716-792-2800 or visit our website at http://lergp.cce.cornell.edu/

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated May 26, 2016