The business of agriculture is one of the businesses that can hardly reach extinction due to the obvious fact that humans and animals need food to survive. It is known that agriculture is one of the major contributors to the economy of many nations of the world.
In addition to providing food to these countries, agricultural products are exported to other parts of the world, thus generating income for the country. That is why the government of most countries would do everything in their power to support the country’s agricultural sector.
Therefore, if you are looking for a business and are interested in the agricultural sector, you should consider setting up your own hop farm, especially if you live in the United States of America, England, France or Germany. Hops are well known in the Pacific and the Lake regions et al. Hop growing is rapidly becoming popular in the USA and many farmers and entrepreneurs are heading in that direction because of the profitability of the business.
Hops is a female hop plant flower and is widely used in the production of beer, beverages and also in herbal medicine. Hops bring taste (bitter, acid, etc.) and stability to the beer. It is known to have a rich anti-bacterial effect and is therefore very suitable for brewing.
Some of the hop varieties are Apollo, Bravo, Calypso, Cascade, Centennial, Chelan, Chinook, Cluster, Columbus, Comet, Crystal, El Dorado, Eroica, Galena, Glacier, Greenburg, Horizon, Liberty, Millennium, Mount Hood, Mount Rainer, Nugget and many other varieties in the United States and other parts of the world.
Now let’s quickly review the 7 steps you need to follow to start your own hop farm from scratch:
Starting a Hop Farm – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Carrying out research on hop-growing
There are several hop species and the climatic conditions and the composition of the soil in which they grow can be slightly different from one country to another; for this reason it is very necessary to do research on the cultivation of hops before spending time and money on it.
In fact different hop species are suitable for different purposes; some are ideal for brewing beer, others for drinks and still others are very suitable for herbal medicine. Your research will give you information which will determine which species are in great demand in your country and which will essentially guide your decision on which hop species to grow.
2. Increase your capital
You will need money to start your hop farm; therefore, money will be needed to lease or buy farmland, to buy hop-growing tools, money to buy hop seedlings, to prepare the farmland, as well as to pay the workers on your hop farm, etc. Therefore, if you intend to start your hop farm, then you should first make your budget and then raise the capital as necessary.
3. Secure your farmland
Hops farms are known for their good yields in the Pacific regions or around the lakes, so when you buy farmland for your hop growing, make sure you confirm that the land you want to lease or buy will be suitable for your hop growing.
If possible, you can do a test on the soil before buying or renting the land; this is because it would be advantageous for you if you do so. One good thing about some farmland is that it is very cheap to buy and easy to get depending on the area where you live.
4. Source of seedlings
Since you intend to start your hop-growing from scratch compared to buying an existing hop farm from a vendor, then you would have to look for the seedlings of the ideal variety / hop varieties to be grown on your hop farm. The easiest way to plant hops is to buy collections of hop plants and fully rooted crowns.
In fact, since hops are a hardy, perennial plant that can easily be grown at home, it makes it easier for you to create a nursery bed in your backyard if you have enough space to prepare the hop seedlings yourself.
5. Adopt your own method of farm management
There are different farm management methods you can adopt for your hop growing, just make sure that weeding, irrigation, pruning, pesticide application, harvesting and all other activities on your farm are well planned. It will not be a bad idea to look for best practices on hop farms and then adopt them.
6. Hiring Workers
You will need workers to work on your hop farm; they will assist you in watering the farm, applying pesticides, helping you during the harvest and in any other areas you need their service on your hop farm. The advantage you have in hiring labor for your hop farm is that you will get them cheaply. Farm workers are cheap simply because they are unskilled and readily available.
7. Harvest and sell your products (Hops)
The last thing to do is to harvest the hops once they are ripe. It is important to secure buyers for your product (hops) before harvesting it instead of taking it to market to sell it. You can market your hops to companies producing beer, beverages and medicinal herbs.
In fact, they are your main customers and you should do your best to become their main hop supplier. The truth is that once you can secure at least 5 manufacturing companies to supply hops to, then you can be sure you will have a steady flow of cash to run and expand your hop farm.
There you have it; the steps you need to follow to successfully start your own hop farm from scratch.