Comments on: The Hops Shortage is Realized http://www.blogaboutbeer.com/the-hops-shortage-is-realized/ The Funnest Beer Blog on the Interwebs Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:16:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Roger H http://www.blogaboutbeer.com/the-hops-shortage-is-realized/comment-page-1/#comment-1244 Roger H Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:27:00 +0000 http://www.blogaboutbeer.com/2008/01/31/the-hops-shortage-is-realized/#comment-1244 Ed is anticipating a return to "normal" in three years? Good luck with that. The number of domestic hop operations declined from 2,000 to under 100 due to a decade of irrational pricing. Starting a hops yard these days is incredibly expensive - farmland has doubled in price, not to mention steel for the trellis systems, fertilizer, farm equipment, energy, etc. A new operation will have a higher cost basis than existing operations - by at least 50%. Now, that is a delightful business prospect - become the high-cost producer of a commodity product! The Willamette Valley in both Washington and Oregon are fast growing regions, as is the Treasure Valley in Idaho. A lot of former farmland in hops country has been converted into subdivisions. Maybe those with subprime mortgages should just be plowed under, LOL. The farm bill passed last December pretty much guarantees that corn will dominate the agricultural scene for the next five years. Last year 25% of the corn crop went to ethanol production. Any land that can grow corn probably will. Time for a good cry in some highly-malted, low-hopped beer. Ed is anticipating a return to “normal” in three years? Good luck with that.

The number of domestic hop operations declined from 2,000 to under 100 due to a decade of irrational pricing. Starting a hops yard these days is incredibly expensive – farmland has doubled in price, not to mention steel for the trellis systems, fertilizer, farm equipment, energy, etc.

A new operation will have a higher cost basis than existing operations – by at least 50%. Now, that is a delightful business prospect – become the high-cost producer of a commodity product!

The Willamette Valley in both Washington and Oregon are fast growing regions, as is the Treasure Valley in Idaho. A lot of former farmland in hops country has been converted into subdivisions. Maybe those with subprime mortgages should just be plowed under, LOL.

The farm bill passed last December pretty much guarantees that corn will dominate the agricultural scene for the next five years. Last year 25% of the corn crop went to ethanol production. Any land that can grow corn probably will.

Time for a good cry in some highly-malted, low-hopped beer.

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