The (modest) return of NY hops

• From the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard

Steve Miller wants to make hops, a key ingredient in beer, a cash crop in New York State once again.

And with the re-emergence of hops, he wants to make New York State beer as big a tourist attraction as New York State wine has become in the last 35 years.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County hired Miller as the state’s first hops specialist this year.

"My role is to work with the growers to get the information they need to produce a quality product and make money at it," he said. "I don’t work with growers just in Madison County, I work with all of New York State.

"On the West Coast, you’re looking at 29,000 acres of hops. In New York, it’s 50 acres," Miller added. "Less than 10 acres are in Madison County" -- once a nationally recognized hop center.

[Go here for the full story.]

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