UT Extension Offers Workshops about Growing Hops as a Specialty Crop
A key ingredient in beer, hops is a specialty crop that is not widely grown in Tennessee. A new workshop offered by UT Extension will aquaint producers with the challenges and potential rewards offered by the crop. The photo above shows a hops production system in Oregon. Photo by S. Ausmus, USDA-ARS D997-1.
The expansion of the microbrewery industry in Tennessee is stimulating an interest for locally produced hops and other crops used in brewing and distilling.
To help producers understand the potential for hops as a crop in Tennessee, experts from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture will present informational workshops on the production and marketing of hops across the state. The workshops will feature hops production information from Extension Specialists David Lockwood and Eric Walker from the Department of Plant Sciences. David Hughes and Aaron Smith from the Department of Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics will cover economic and marketing trends for the crop.
The workshop will be offered in three locations this winter and spring:
Tuesday, January 29
Rutherford County Extension Office
315 John R. Rice Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
9 to 11:30 a.m.
Contact: Rachel Painter, 615-896-7710, reather1@utk.edu
Tuesday, February 19
Macon County Fairgrounds
231 Russell Drive
Lafayette, TN 37083
6 to 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Keith Allen, 615-666-3341, kallen@utk.edu
Thursday, March 28
Weakley County
UT Martin Champions Club, Fourth Floor
505 University Street
Martin, Tennessee 38237
6 to 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Jeff Lannom, 731-364-3164,
In addition to the three firm dates listed, two additional workshops are being planned for later dates and locations in Greeneville and Memphis. In addition to the three firm dates listed, two additional workshops are being planned for later dates and locations in Greeneville and Memphis. For complete details on workshop topics and to preregister, contact Hannah Wright with the Agricultural and Natural Resources Department, 865-974-1895, hwrigh13@utk.edu, or the UT-TSU Extension office associated with the meeting date. The number of participants at each location is limited, so register early to reserve your space. These regional hops workshops are open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or veteran status.
In August 2018, more than 77 experts from UTIA and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture gathered to learn more about the hops industry and its potential value to Tennessee producers. These regional hops workshops spurred from the interest formed during that meeting. The regional workshops are also part of the project funded by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which is administered by TDA and USDA. This project is intended to strengthen the competitiveness of Tennessee hops production.
Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu.
Source: University Of Tennessee Institute Of Agriculture
