Ribbon Farm Hops is cultivating its own niche within Michigan's rapidly growing craft brewing industry. The southwest Detroit-based firm specializes not only in hop production, but also in developing trellis systems used to grow hops.
The new business is growing hops at the Detroit Tube Products facility at Junction and Harvey streets a few blocks from Fort Wayne. It is also developing a trellis system that it hopes will help spread hop production across Michigan.
"We're going to stay small for small batch brewers and home brewers," says Susan McCabe, president and head farmer of
Ribbon Farm Hops. "We're also going to sell trellises to people who want to grow hops on their own."
Hops have experienced increasing demand as the craft brewing industry has grown. More and more farms across Michigan are starting to grow the crop again to help meet demand from local brewers. Michigan is one the largest craft brewing states in the U.S.
This is Ribbon Farm Hops' third growing season and the first when its plants are starting to produce some significant yield. McCabe currently has 14 people working on her farm in a variety of capacities.
McCabe worked in museum industry for 30 years (most recently working as the curator of the Henry Ford Estate) before starting Ribbon Farm Hops. She is a longtime gardener who became interested in craft brewing and started home brewing.
"I was always fascinated by the plants," McCabe says. "It seemed like a really good adventure to begin."
Source: Susan McCabe, president & head farmer of Ribbon Farm Hops
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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