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NOVEMBER 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


Hop farm burns but demand fuels hope Stable growing conditions overshadowed by wildfire smoke


by PETER MITHAM CHILLIWACK – A prominent Chilliwack hop


producer has lost its processing plant in what appears to be an electrical fire. The blaze on the morning of September 12


destroyed Chilliwack Hop Farms Ltd.’s processing plant on Unsworth Road in little more than 30 minutes. While the harvester parked alongside the structure was spared, as well as the farm’s drying kilns, any further processing was impossible following the blaze. “We lost our whole processing


centre where we do our pelletizing, packaging and storage. We lost our office, everything,” owner John Lawrence said.


The fire also delayed harvesting from the farm’s


hopyard and those of its partner growers, which was in full swing. Two investigators assessed the scene for possible causes and an insurance adjuster needed to give the all clear before anything could be removed. “It took nearly a week to 10 days to get up and


harvesting again, so we lost quite a few acres of crop,” Lawrence said. On the plus side, Chilliwack Hop Farms was able to get a good crop from the nearly 300 acres of vines at its own property and those of partner growers. Topp’s Hops Inc. in Abbotsford helped bale its dried hops, and the bales are now in cold storage awaiting the arrival of new equipment. “We’ve got another location where we have coolers, and we’re just organizing to get a new


pelletizer


pelletizer in and we will start pelletizing again,” Lawrence said.


in and we will start pelletizing again,” Lawrence said. The company’s sales team operates out of a separate location and was back in action within 24 hours to keep the crop moving to customers, who include Vancouver’s Brassneck Brewery Inc., Four Winds Brewing Co. of Delta and Steel & Oak Brewing Co. in New Westminster. “We’re coming through. We’ve got lots of stock


on hand,” Lawrence said. “We’re going to carry on.” Started in 2010, Chilliwack Hop Farms is one of a number of companies that has spearheaded the renaissance of hop production in the Fraser Valley over the past decade. Strong demand for local hops means producers


like Lawrence can rebuild confident that a market exists for their crop. This wasn’t the case a decade


ago, when most growers had fewer than five acres and the cost of a small pelletizer was a daunting expense. This year, BC growers tended


approximately 450 acres of hops. Major brewers such as Moosehead Breweries


Ltd. in Saint John, NB, touted the use of BC hops on their labels, while HOOH Organic Hop Company Ltd. receive a share of $233,000 in federal funding announced this past July for market development in the US and abroad. HOOH grows hops in Lillooet.


provided largely consistent growing conditions. The biggest issue for Interior growers was wildfire smoke. Growers whose hop vines hadn’t reached the trellis tops by June 21 may have seen reduced yields, because the vines require sunlight to transition to the reproductive phase when the all- important cones form.


ovided largely


Principal Sam Quinlan said 2017 consistent growing


conditions. The biggest issue for Interior growers was wildfire smoke. Growers whose hop vines hadn’t reached the trellis tops by June 21 may have seen reduced yields, because the vines require sunlight to transition to the reproductive cones when the all-important cones form. “Hops respond to the shortening daylight hours


after the summer solstice as an environmental cue,” Quinlan explained. “Because the smoke extended over such a long period in the mid- to late summer, it's possible this may have interfered with the plants’ ability to generate typical yields.” HOOH’s later-season varieties were mildly


affected but overall crop quality was good thanks to dry conditions that kept mildew in check and low pest pressure. “The season was incredibly consistent for the Fraser Canyon area,” he said.


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