Coleman Agriculture typically relies more heavily on H-2A guest workers to pick hops when harvest begins in August. But this year, the company will only be able to house a little more than half its normal number of workers at labor camps in St. Paul and Independence.

Regional identity, or terroir, is the concept whereby the unique flavor and quality characteristics of different crops or products relate to their place of origin, and it is well-studied in winemaking.

Have you ever seen hops getting harvested and processed to be ready for brewing? This is what the 2019 hops harvest looks like for our friends at Coleman Agriculture! The harvest process for hops as seen in 2019 in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

In the Spring of 1847, James Coleman, his wife Frances, and their infant daughter Anna left Iowa for good. A monumental decision had been made–they would venture westward on the Oregon Trail in search of opportunity. They left behind friends, family, and everything they knew in exchange for the promise of the new life that awaited them on the other side of so much wild and untamed country.

Four hop farms from the Pacific Northwest partnered with Oregon State University to brew beer with their hops in a friendly brewing competition. The Oregon Hop Commission captured all the fun when the beer was served and judged at the We Grow Your Beer Tailgate held in the OSU pilot brewery.

Terroir,
It’s a word that means many things, especially to the wine industry. Terroir encompasses soil types, chemistry, cardinal directions, elevation, weather, and so much more. We’ve known about water profiles from major brewing areas and how they affect beer for quite some time. 

It's that time of year again: fresh hop season! During this time of year, the hops are ripe and plump for the picking, and fresh hop beers come out in droves. The smell of lupulin is in the air. Ahhhhh. During this season, beer is brewed with fresh hops that haven't been dried or processed in any way. 

In brewing Fresh Hop Kveik, the brewers from Von Ebert traveled south to Coleman Farms in Independence, Oregon to pick up freshly harvested Amarillo hops. Once back at the brewery, these wet hops were placed into Von Ebert’s coolship to be used as a hopback. 

The vast majority of the terroir conversation is reserved for wine. Thanks to an evolving drinks culture, though, the characters within that story are multiplying. The plot of place and its close relationship to flavor thickens.

The healthy splash of rain that turned up in the Willamette Valley during August’s third full week was not necessarily a welcome sight for hop growers. But it was short-lived and the harvest got started with a flourish. “If those vines get heavy enough they can snap the wires,” said Dave Henze, president of Coleman Agriculture, located in the French Prairie area.

You may have noticed the signs around promoting the Lost Coast Fresh Hop Fest we’re having at Gyppo on October 12th by now and you may be asking yourself, what is all the fuss about? It’s simple, and complicated… but to boil it down, there is nothing comparable to the flavor and aromas attained from hops that are fresh.

The healthy splash of rain that turned up in the Willamette Valley during August's third full week was not necessarily a welcome sight for hop growers. But it was short-lived, and a couple of short days following hop harvest set underway with a flourish.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon loves its beer and now hops harvest season is underway. Kohr Harlan gets a look at how the hops are processed.

Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) welcomes four additional family farms to its list of grower-owners, the first time the ownership group has expanded since 2014.

Scientists at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Red Hill Soils, along with farmers from Oregon’s largest hop grower, Coleman Agriculture, recently shared the initial findings of a year-long study into the effects of terroir on the flavor profile of hops, a primary ingredient in beer.

Coleman Agriculture Partners with Oregon State University for First-of-Its-Kind Hops Terroir Research Study
Press release:
Initial results reveal that soil influences hop flavor and, ultimately, beer profiles

Scientists at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Red Hill Soils, along with farmers from Oregon’s largest hop grower, Coleman Agriculture, recently shared the initial findings of a yearlong study into the effects of terroir on the flavor profile of hops, a primary ingredient in beer.

Scientists at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Red Hill Soils, along with farmers from Oregon’s largest hop grower, Coleman Agriculture, recently shared the initial findings of a yearlong study into the effects of terroir on the flavor profile of hops, a primary ingredient in beer.

Scientists at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Red Hill Soils, along with farmers from Oregon’s largest hop grower, Coleman Agriculture, recently shared the initial findings of a yearlong study into the effects of terroir on the flavor profile of hops, a primary ingredient in beer.

Scientists at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences (OSU) and Red Hill Soils, along with farmers from Oregon’s largest hop grower, Coleman Agriculture, recently shared the initial findings of a yearlong study into the effects of terroir on the flavor profile of hops, a primary ingredient in beer.