2016 Spring Hops Growing Workshop & AGM – Ontario Hop Growers’ Association

OHGA annual general meeting and hops information workshop

Date: Sat., March 19, 2016

Location: Whitby campus, Durham college

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The winter is a good time to start thinking and planning for the upcoming hop season. So, mark your calendars for this year’s OHGA spring hops informational workshop and annual general meeting.

The day will kickoff with the Annual General Meeting in the morning, followed by an informative workshop session in the afternoon – aimed at existing commercial growers, new growers and “hobbiests” thinking of scaling up. The workshops will be open to the public and members a like.

For members, we will be providing an update on the Ontario benchmark and hops commercialization studies conducted with Niagara College, plus discuss new initiatives planned for this year. The complete agenda for the morning and afternoon sessions below.

	8:30 AM	Registration
	9:00 AM	President's Report	Year in Review - challenges / successes Hugh Brown
	9:30 AM	Tresurers & Membership Report	Membership totals, bank statement Fred Thomson
	10:00 AM	Research Presentation's	Benchmark project report Hugh Brown
	10:30 AM	Research Presentation's	Commercialization project report Don Wilford
	11:00 AM	Elections	Elections Committee - summary of process Election's committee: Lynn McIntyre, Nancy Rutherford - Durham Region - ECO dev, Fred Thomson
	11:30 AM	Elections	Elections - if more than 5 candidates
	12:00 PM	Lunch	Wrap platter (chicken, beef, vegetarian), garden salad, gourmet cookies
	12:30 PM	Lunch	Lunch continued
			Hops growing workshops - afternoon session
	1:00 PM	Rm: 11-11	“From hobby to commercial hop grower AND the state of hop-growing in Michigan,” Brian Tennis, Michigan Hop Alliance. As one of the first modern day hop farmers in Michigan, Brian Tennis has been growing hops for almost a decade. He owns New Mission Organics in Omena, Michigan and is the founding member and current President and Marketing Director for the Michigan Hop Alliance. Considered by many as a hop pioneer, he started the first certified organic hop farm and processing facility in the Midwest as well as the only farm outside the Pacific Northwest that specializes in semi-dwarf or “low trellis” hops. He is also the Vice-chair for the National Clean Plant Network on hops. Brian recently has teamed up with private equity investors Streetcar Partners Management LLC, to dramatically increase the size of the Michigan Hop Alliance by adding nearly 100 acres of hops, along with apples, grapes as well as a winery, cidery, and brewery. Room 11-11
	2:00 PM	Conf A & B	“Get rich quick myth busting,” Laurie-Thatcher Craig, Clear Valley Hops. As one of the early adopters of the rebirth of the Ontario hop industry - it’s been a steep learning curve and Laurie will share stories, trials, tribulations, and common sense advice for anyone thinking about getting into hops. Clear Valley Hops was founded in 2011 by Laurie and John Craig. It comprises 13 acres (and growing) close to Collingwood, Ontario with 18 varieties. In 2015, Clear Valley won the Regional Premiers award for Excellence and Innovation and the Provincial Ministers Award for Agriculture. It supplies numerous craft breweries in Ontario and Canada	“Post Harvest Processing Hops,” with Nicholas Schaut, Bighead Hops, Meaford, ON. How to determine when to pick, target dryness, optimal drying times and temperatures are just some of the things to be discussed. With an emphasis on quality, it is important that growers use some established practises and regimes around post harvest processing in order to make sure that they deliver a quality product to the craft brew industry. Bighead hops is a certified organic farm specializing in growing hops for the craft beer industry and also offers custom-harvest, processing and pelleting for hop growers in Ontario and Quebec. Nicholas is past president and founder of the Ontario Hop Growers' Association and recipient of a number of awards, most recently the Premier's Award For Agri-Food Innovation Excellent for his work in Ontario hops in 2015.
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	3:00 PM		Q & A	Q & A
	3:30 PM	Rm 11-11	OMAFRA - market & IPM update (i.e. powdery mildew reported in 2015, Japanese beetle) Evan Elford/Melanie Filotas/Cathy Bakker - TBD
	4:00 PM		4:10 pm Brewers Panel
		Rm 11-11	Brewers Panel (6x)
			Where do we see the craft beer sector going, are we close to peaking? What can OHGA do to help?
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	5:30 PM		Networking & wrapup

Seating limited, so first come, first served. Please RSVP prior to March 1, 2016, to info@ohga.ca, so we can confirm catering numbers with Durham College.

EXHIBITORS & SUPPLIERS

As past practice, we will be offering an exhibitors’ area just outside the main conference area. This is an opportunity to network with growers directly. Tables and chairs provided. Set up beginning at 8:30 a.m.

• Exhibitors: $100 (booth, website & conference materials)
• Sponsors: $75 – help support Ontario hops (website & conference materials)