[Excerpt from Sept. 28, 2010 letter from IH to the NOSB]

Ms. Lisa Ahramjian
ED, National Organic Standards Board, USDA-AMS-NOP
1400 Independence Ave SW, Room 2646-So, Ag Stop 0268
Washington, DC 20250-0268

            Re:       Removal of Hops from NOP National List (205.606)

Dear Ms. Ahramjian:

Indie Hops is a new hop merchant located in Portland, Oregon. We have contracted with Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon to grow 20 acres of USDA certified organic hops. GF planted said acreage earlier this Spring. We do not have a single contract with any brewers to buy these certified organic hops, which will be commercially available in 2011 and 2012.

We support the petition to remove hops from the National List. We agree with the arguments raised on behalf of the petitioners, but would like to take this opportunity to amplify a point of grave concern.  The Handling Committee, in deciding to preserve the status quo, wrote that “the onus of proof is on the handler to prove to it’s certifier that conventional forms of hops would be necessary in an organic product.”

Read the entire letter to National Organic Standards Board here.

As previously reported, Indie Hops has contracted with Goschie Farms to grow 20 acres of USDA certified organic hop. I recently visited the fields and my goodness did they look healthy, clean and orderly.

We planted both Cascades and Centennials. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the history of these historic hops. This is the biggest single tract of USDA certified 0rganic hops in Oregon hop history.

Per Gayle: the rhizomes were planted in an organic compost mix in February and the pots were then placed on a graveled area. With the cooler and wetter than normal Spring, the pots onthe warm gravel did quite well in establishing themselves. It wasn’t long before they developed pretty white/bright feeder roots. I’m glad we planted when we did. Had the rhizomes been placed in the ground in March/April, they would have sat shivering. We waited, thank goodness. > More

Organic hops. Should we or shouldn’t we?

The answer is: bring it on.

Here’s why. We believe. We believe organic hops can be grown successfully. They can impart new and different flavors and aromas. They are good for the environment. And consumers will continue to give up more green for pure, green produce.

All it takes is finding the right hop farmer. A farmer with confidence, curiosity, and stamina. A farmer who’s willing to experiment, to learn from failures, to get back on that tractor. A farmer who is “intrigued” by the enormous challenge of doing it the way of her ancestors and getting it right. > More