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A few
of the organizations and events where we have spread the word about hop
history and hop cultivation in Central New York.
NeHA -
The Northeast Hop Alliance
We
have been members and officers of the Northeast Hop Alliance for
several years. Formed to explore the feasibility of
reintroducing commercial hops to central New York and the Northeast,
the NeHA membership has been our support system for information and
networking.
Madison
County Historical Society - Hop Festival
We discovered our interest in hop culture at the
Madison County Historical Society's annual "Hop Fest" and have been
supporters and speakers ever since. We were very proud to be
the 2004 Hop Fest "Hop King and Queen". The work that this
organization and its members do to preserve and protect this very
unique segment of Madison County history is to be lauded.
Please help save the kilns. Contact MCHS today to see how you
can help.
Madison County
Historical
Society
435 Main Street
Oneida, NY 13421
Phone:
315-363-413
315-361-9735
Fax: 315-363-4136
email: history@mchs1900.org
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September
13, 2008
13th
Annual Madison County Hop Fest.
10:00 am–5:00 pm.
2008 is the 200th anniversary of the introduction of commercial hop
growing in NYS by James Coolidge in Bouckville, Madison County in 1808!
Join the celebration with the Madison County Historical
Society
for the 13th Annual Madison County Hop Fest September 12-14, 2008.
Brew Dinner, Sept. 12, 2008
Hop Fest 2008, Sept.13, 2008
Hop Heritage Tour, Sept.14, 2008
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Our
Hop Experience Founded
in 2001 by Larry and Kathlyn Fisher, Foothill Hops provides quality NOFA-NY
certified organic hops and hop products for home brewing, homeopathic
health-care, and decorative uses.
Our personal interest in growing
hops began with a visit to Madison County Historical Society's Hop Fest
where we learned about CNY hop history, Northeast hop growing trials,
herbal and ornamental uses of hops, and architectural preservation. We
truly enjoyed experiencing the remnants of a culture long gone and
began to see the potential for the return of hops to New York State.
 Following
the 2000 Hop Fest, a group of hop enthusiasts, including ourselves, met
to discuss the feasibility of reintroducing hops as a commodity crop in
central New York and the Northeast Hop
Alliance (NeHA) was formed. In the spring of 2001, we planted
approximately one-quarter acre of hops on a 12-acre parcel of heritage
hop land in Madison County.
We cultivate our hops
using only organic methods. Encouraged by the results of our
2001 trials, we purchased additional rhizomes and expanded our
hop yard to approximately three quarters of an acre in 2002
and 1.5 acres in 2004. We hope to add another acre in 2008 or
2009. Our current efforts are focused on designing and
building a mechanical hop picker.
The Northeast Organic Farming
Association of New York (NOFA-NY) granted Certified Organic status to
Foothill Farm and we marketed our small second year harvest to craft
brewers and homeopathic tea makers.
Since then our business has grown annually.
Also during 2002, The Madison
County Office of Tourism received grant money to establish a Hop Trail
by mapping and marking, the historical hop buildings in Madison County.
Foothill Farms
lies at the crossroads of
the Hop Trail and became a stop on the 2002 Madison County Historical
Society's Hop Festival tour. In 2006, the farm was
selected to be a stop on the Madison County Hop Heritage Trail and in
2007, the Hop Heritage Trail was included in the New York
State Empire Brewing Trail.
Hops bring out a natural
curiosity in people. Our trellises are viewable from several vantage
points along New York State Route 46 and its crossroads. Visitors are
encouraged to drop in and ask questions.
2004-2006
were "The Year of the Hop"
at the Witter Agricultural Museum at the New York State Fair
in August / September. We helped with preparation and
presentation of the hop exhibit, which was on display for
three years. Our hops still stand at the entrance to the
museum.
2008
is the 200th anniversary of the first commercial hop yard in Madison
County and Central New York. We will be celebrating and
educating people throughout Central New York at numerous events.
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