Interested in diversifying and adding hops to your farm operation? Registration is open for the Hops Field Day and Scouting Workshop July 22 in Plattsmouth. It will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. rain or shine at the Nebraska Hops Yard, 18003 Club View Dr.

The workshop, organized by Nebraska Extension and the Midwest Hop Producers, will feature presentations by University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers as well as local growers and brewers. Topics include hop yard design, irrigation, major pests and diseases, and weed management. Hands-on in-field scouting, harvesting equipment displays, and an update on hop-growing efforts statewide also will be featured.

Topics and Speakers

Presentations will include:

• Hands-on Field Scouting, including walking through a newly planted hop yard, identification of diseases and pests, and soil and tissue sampling — Bruce Wiles, owner, and Scott Schmalken, agronomist, both of Midwest Hop Producers
• Review of Major Pests and Diseases of Hops in Nebraska, diagnostic and management tools — Kyle Broderick, Coordinator of the UNL Plant Pest and Disease Clinic
• Hop Extension Update, including recent and upcoming happenings and program goals — Katie Kreuser, UNL Hop Program Coordinator
• Statewide Cultivar Trial Study Update — Stacy Adams, associate professor of practice, UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
• Managing Soil and Nutrients in Hop Production — Charles Shapiro, CPAg, Nebraska Extension Soil Scientist
• Integrating Fertility and Weed Management — Sam Wortman, assistant professor, UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
• How the Food Safety Modernization Act Affects Hop Production and Applying Good Agriculture Practices — Connie Fisk, Nebraska Extension regional food system extension educator
• Harvesting and Post-Harvest Processes — Tony Krayneski, Midwest Hop Producers

Registration

The workshop is open to anyone interested in hop production, from farmers seeking a new, high-value specialty crop to home brewers. Registration is available online. Cost is $150 per person and includes lunch with a brewer, a hand lens, and field book.

For more information about the Nebraska hops program or the workshop, contact Kate Kreuser at katie.kreuser@unl.edu or 402-267-2205.