GROWN IN THE BEST SOIL ON EARTH
ABOUT ALTA VISTA
Alta Vista Farm Hops is located in Central New York at the center of the historic 19th century hops growing region. Our hops
grow in honeyoye silt loam and we believe that this rich soil imparts unique flavor profiles to existing hop varieties. The growing numbers of micro and farm breweries in New York need high-quality ingredients and it is our commitment and pleasure to provide nine hop varieties to the craft brewing community.
Quality. Sustainability. Community. We are a family farm and are committed to our customers, employees, neighbors, and the soil and water we all share.
AVFH hops are delivered as T-90 pellets packaged in nitrogen-flushed, vacuum packed, mylar bags. All hop varieties are tested annually for Alpha Acids, Beta Acids, and Hop Storage Index in order to provide up to date, accurate readings for our brewer partners.
We are USA Hop Grower number NY518.
If you are interested in sourcing hops from our farm, please visit our contact page.
HOP VARIETIES
We have nine varieties growing at Alta Vista Farm. We are expanding the hop yard and if you are interested in a variety that we do not currently have, please email. We would love to hear from more local brewers.
HERITAGE HOPS
Currently, we are growing four different Heritage hops at Alta Vista Farm. The plants were found growing wild at four different spots around Otsego and Schoharie Counties. They have all been propagated and are grown in segregated areas of the hop yard. The four varieties are harvested, dried and processed separately in order to better understand, and track, the unique characteristics of each one.
Recent DNA testing has revealed that the plants are all unique and are not named varieties. Some of them are closely related to English varieties introduced in the 1800s, the Golden Age of hops in New York, so they may be seedlings from those lines.
Click on the images below to read more about each wild hop and the aromas as described by some brewer friends.
HISTORY
Alta Vista Farm was established in the mid-1700s. The current farmhouse and big barn were built in the 1880s. The last commercial farming operation, a dairy farm, ended in the 1960s. The Fink family purchased the farm in 1975. Conrad has taken over from his father and has been actively managing the farm for several years.
The passage of the New York State Farm Brewery legislation, coupled with his desire to bring the farm back into operation, spurred Conrad's decision to plant hops. The first one-third of an acre of hops were planted in 2014. He loved hop farming and expanded the yard to 2.5 acres, building the full trellis in the summer of 2015.
A long-time business owner, Conrad is an enthusiastic supporter of the brewer entrepreneurs building their businesses and is dedicated to growing premium New York State grown hops for them.
Conrad wants to help those beginning their careers so, starting in 2016, we have hired interns from the SUNY Cobleskill Plant Science program. They have been great workers, knowledgeable and very enthusiastic and have been a great asset.
BREWER PARTNERS
Contact
Alta Vista Farm Hops
108 Pine Ridge Road
Cherry Valley, NY 13320