University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Herds and Harvest Program is offering "Hops: The Art of Fermentation," Sept. 13 in Reno, Sept. 14 in Elko and Sept. 16 in Las Vegas. This workshop will cover hops selection, growing specifications, budgets and brewing. As a Herds and Harvest class, the workshop is meant to help beginning farmers and ranchers, and anyone interested in growing or brewing hops to develop agricultural entrepreneurship, implement sustainable agricultural marketing strategies and improve profitability.
"There's a lot of breweries and microbreweries opening around the state, especially in the Reno area," said Herds and Harvest Program Officer Jessica Anderson, who is helping to coordinate the workshop. "This class offers something fun, fresh, new and beneficial."
Topics will be presented by Ag and Landscape Manager Lau Ackerman, Bryan Rosario and Winston Wolf, with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; and Northeast Clark County Extension Educator Carol Bishop. The class will conclude with a beer tasting donated by the brewery. Topics include:
- Growing Hops: Start to Finish, Growing Seasons, Planting/Irrigation, Integrated Pest Management
- Business Planning and Budgets
- Hops Growing Practices: Yard Set Up, Organic vs. Conventional Harvest and Processing
- Hops: The Finished Product, Resources, Sales, Marketing
All three workshops will be 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The cost is $35 and covers course materials, refreshments and lunch. The Reno class will be at the Washoe County Cooperative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way. Register online at https://renohopsworkshop.eventbrite.com. The Elko class will be at the Elko Convention Center, 700 Moren Way. Register online at https://elkohopsworkshop.eventbrite.com. The Las Vegas class will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 7830 S. Last Vegas Blvd. Register online at https://lasvegashopsworkshop.eventbrite.com.
Register online at the links provided or by contacting Anderson, at andersonj@unce.unr.edu, 775-945-3444, ext. 11 or 530-321-5608. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call Extension Educator Staci Emm at 775-857-3663 at least three days prior to the class they intend to attend.
Cooperative Extension's Herds and Harvest Program is in collaboration with the University's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources; and is supported by the USDA's Risk Management Agency and the USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information on the Herds and Harvest Program, visit http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/bfr/classes/.
