b"farm grew primarily dry beans, flax, wheat and mustard. Despite his familiarity with farming, hops were a whole new crop to learn.The most difficult part was getting into something that we knew nothing about. We farm here, so we think we know how to grow things. But this is a totally different crop, and a totally different thing to manage, he shares in an interview.Hofsink took a leap of faith when deciding to grow the crop, and is hopeful that in the near future, his efforts will be worth it. There is good potential for growth. When we get it completely figured out on the growing end, and on the processing end, then the return per acre can be fairly good compared to a lot of the other things that we grow. With the high price of land, that was our motivating factor, he adds.McCallum and his colleagues at AAFC are working towards creating new varieties that will allow farmers like Hofsink to grow successful hops in not only in Alberta, but across the whole country. The registration process takes around two years before the varieties are approved. Once we have these varieties finished and they're ready for public release, it's going to offer farmers that are interested in growing the crop a plant that's suited for their climate better. It won't be as hard to grow, and producers will get better yields, says McCallum.Hops Industry Shows LongevityIn 2020, small and medium-sized Canadian brewery businesses earned annual revenues ranging from $30,000 to $5,000,000, according to the Canadian government. While Canadaand Albertamight not be the leaders of the industry, the craft brewing industry is still growing as the quick turnover in demand requires new varieties. Every 10 years, new varieties must be planted to keep up with consumer demand, explains McCallum.The craft brewing industry utilizes more hops than the commercial industry, as craft beers are often hoppier than domestic beers. The craft brewing industry embraces change. Everyone's chasing new recipes. There's new hops released every year that come out of private breeding programs in the United States, New Zealand or Australia. Breweries are scrambling to get these hops, he says.This is good news for farmers, but the industry still contains a lot of risk. They must choose a variety and hope that in three to five yearswhen the plant reaches its stage of maximum productionthat there will still be a market for it. To protect themselves, farmers must be educated and identify good quality hops, explains McCallum. While some crops grow well, they dont always taste good, so there is a tradeoff to be considered. Hops are a risky plant but grown properly with new varieties that are on the horizon, the crop could bring high rewards for farmers in Alberta and beyond. Ally Roden Sheep grazing amongst hop plants on Flatland Hops in Taber, Alta. The sheep are used for weed control in the hop yard. PHOTO: ED HOFSINSpring 2023 49"