We invite all our friends and neighbors
to hop down to the next delicious Pathfinder Produce on Thursday, October 22,
from 1 to 5 p.m. Fall flavors are at their peak, and we have a wide
variety of harvest fruits, vegetables, and bulk products to share with your
family.
***
Although we don’t sell hops at Pathfinder
Produce, every once in a while I feel the need to write about other
agricultural topics. This week’s blog is inspired through a painting
showing 19th century agricultural workers bringing in the hop
harvest by regional artist Henry Drexler of Norwich. Hops are a key ingredient in
beer, used to stabilize the
product and impart a bitter flavor.
Hops have
antibacterial properties, which during the brewing process allow the brewer’s
yeast to work more effectively in converting sugars to alcohol. During
the Middle Ages in Europe, most farms brewed their own ales (no hops) and beers
(with hops) of varying alcohol content, as these were far safer to drink than
water. (Even kids drank weak beer; in an age where sanitation was little
understood, lethal pathogens were rampant). According to WebMD,
hops (either through herbal supplements or topical creams) are at times used
for tension and anxiety, insomnia, menopausal symptoms, and sleep disorders, and
can help with digestive issues.
European settlers
brought their brewing traditions with them to New York and New England by the
1700s. By the mid-19th century, New York farmers were the prime
growers of hops, with our Central New York region being known as “the hop
belt.” It’s interesting to explore old maps to see where breweries and
hop kilns were located. Here in Edmeston, the Beers 1868 Atlas (pun
fully intended!) shows that Silas P. Stickney grew hops at his Sugar Maple Farm,
just about where the NYCM Main Office is today. There were at least eight
hop kilns on properties through the township; one lone hop barn remains on the
Beardslee Farm in Pittsfield, just as one crosses into Chenango County.
The booming hops industry was devastated about 1910 through an epidemic of powdery mildew
disease (sometimes called the “Blue Mold”).
But the good news
for area farmers is that hops are making a comeback, which I think may be due
to a renaissance in micro- and home-brewing and commercial craft
brews. During drives through the area, I’ve noted that hop poles
are now dotting our hillsides and farms, with the nearest being at the Red
Pines Golf Course, and several spots in Cooperstown. Another plantation
is on Route 8, heading toward Utica. If you’re interested in
growing your own hops, check out the many websites (like
this one) that explain the process.
Until next time,
enjoy life and be well,
Lori
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hop-Picking_in_Kent_by_Stephen_Thompson_1875.jpg
