Hop yard takes root in Geneva

A new crop is brewing at Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva. A one-acre hop yard was established June 30 as a research planting to bolster the hops revival in New York. "New York was once the biggest producer of hops in the country, until the crops were wiped out by mildew and Prohibition," said research support specialist David Combs, manager of the hop yard. "This new planting includes both a research plot to hone methods for disease and insect control, and a diverse variety trial." It's a timely investment. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension's hops specialist Steve Miller, more than 100 acres of hops have been planted in New York in the past two years alone. The Farm Brewery Act of 2012, which removed barriers to growth in craft breweries, is creating demand for beer ingredients sourced from New York, including hops. "People have been planting anything and everything," Miller said.