Vacant land gets a makeover!

In April, Howard researched different types of hops and their properties. I had no idea that there was more than one variety of hops. Thanks to some of his friends who live in Germany, he got some good suggestions. He was drawn towards a German variety called Hallertauer.

We ordered rhizomes from a company located in Oregon. Along with the Hallertauer, we purchased Perle, Nugget and Northern Brewer varieties, hoping to get a broad range of alpha acids from the hops we harvest. (More on this in a later post)

Meanwhile, we had a field waiting for us. Realizing that we were getting a really late start, it was time to open up the soil for our rhizomes which were being shipped. Our little Ford tractor with rototiller attachment crossed the old bridge without a problem.

Howard made a one hundred foot long pass across the north end of our plot.

The poles to support this first year's planting were our next consideration. A local utility company was in the process of replacing all of the telephone poles nearby. Howard talked to the workers and they said they would gladly give us the old poles...next year. It would take up to a year for all of the various lines connected to the poles to be moved to the new ones being installed. What to do now??? We did not want to transport poles from far away and we don't know of any sources for poles on such short notice and in such small quantities. No worries, something would materialize in the month of May...