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Florida hops: The latest crop experiment for Pasco citrus growers

The Gude name is synonymous with kumquats in these parts, but two brothers and their sons are giving hops a go, with hopes of tapping into a local, niche market.
 
Published Jan. 28, 2019

SAINT JOSEPH — On a clear day, you can see the the Tampa skyline from the Florida Hop Growers hop yard on Ted Gude's homestead. Progress and nature's harsh course have altered the view just up the road from the Kumquat Growers packing house and groves.

In 1970, Frank and Rosemary Gude and Joseph and Margie Neuhofe founded the business that birthed an annual festival and attracted thousands of visitors to the "Kumquat Capital of the World." They raised seven sons, all whom worked the groves and packing house that is now managed by Greg Gude.

Now, cattle graze on the rolling hills that were once citrus groves before a freeze in the 1980s wiped out a lot of them. Winter freezes, droughts and a nasty disease called citrus greening have been the bane for those who work the earth in these parts — especially citrus growers.

You pray. You adapt. You learn to make due with what you've got and build on what's working.

You plant more trees, and maybe you venture out.

Nothing gained, after all.

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So why turn to growing hops? The bitter flower/cone used in beer brewing grows proficiently in the Pacific Northwest, where 90 percent of the domestic crop is produced.

It was a matter of taste, according to Leonard Gude, 64, a computer consultant who started Florida Hop Growers, LLC, in 2017 with his brother Ted and their sons, Brad and Kevin.

"Our sons were interested in the craft beer," Leonard Gude said. He liked it, too, he discovered, while visiting local breweries.

He saw an opportunity after doing some research and attending a seminar at the University of Florida experimental hop yard in Apopka.

"Craft beer has exploded," he said, noting the spreadsheet where he tracks Florida breweries. "When I started, there were 200, now there's over over 500 and more opening every day."

Most local brewers use pellet hops shipped from the Pacific Northwest, but there is a growing appetite for fresh hops that offer a different, fuller taste, Leonard Gude said.

Tapping into a niche market and a trend to use locally sourced products seemed like good business. Some brewers already were adding kumquats to their brews. Why not offer them hops grown in the same soil?

He pitched the idea to his brother, who offered up an acre of land.

"We figured it was something new that might do well here," said Ted Gude said, who grows about 4 acres of kumquat trees on his property. "The four of us decided we'd give it a shot. I mean, what the heck."

In January of 2017, they constructed a hop yard, using telephone poles and sturdy aircraft cable to hold the weight of the hop plants that grow vertically.

The Gudes are experimenting with 23 varieties and waiting out the winter to see what comes back. Hops are a perennial plant that dies back in the fall and pushes its way up after the last frost.

"The first year, we struggled a lot because we didn't know what we were doing, and then we had a drought", Leonard Gude said.

They have seen some success with Cascade hops. Another variety called Southern Cross, from New Zealand, did well the first year, but petered out the second season, Ted Gude said.

"We realized that just because plants did well the first year, doesn't mean they will do well the next," Leonard Gude said. "We continue to experiment with plants and fertilizer. "

Consistency is one of the hurdles to growing hops in Florida, according to Brian Pearson, environmental assistant professor at the University of Florida.

Pearson and UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers Zhanao Deng and Shinsuke Agehara have procured grants and in-kind donations to grow hops in the Sunshine State.

Pearson, a home brewer, oversees the hop yard at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. Deng and Agehara conduct research at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm.

"The challenge is to see how will they perform long-term," said Pearson, adding that it takes two to three years to see results.

Hops also need winter chills and longer summer days than the Florida climate can provide, Pearson said.

"The glaring difference is the winters," Pearson said. "We don't experience chilling hours in Florida, so the question is, can we simulate wintering periods with chilling power?"

"The other big challenge is the light," said Pearson, adding that hops are very sensitive to day length when it comes to production.

While Deng and Agehara have been experimenting with LED lighting to lengthen the Florida day for their crops, it's an expensive proposition for the commercial grower, Pearson said.

That's why the researchers are working on breeding a hop variety specifically for the Florida climate.

Presently, locally grown hops might be a good sell for home brewers and craft breweries producing small batches, said Pearson, but hops are not an economically sound alternative for citrus growers. Many have called him or stopped by the hop yard for information.

"I don't see where it's profitable with the current varieties," he said, adding that smaller businesses that grow their own hops, such as Backyard Brewery and Winery in Wildwood, have had success in a niche market.

Some local breweries have come on board, said Leonard Gude, who is making the rounds with his son, Brad, to promote their product.

Tim Foley, the master brewer for Craft Life Brewery in Land O' Lakes, uses Cascade hops, some harvested at a "U-Pick" event the Gudes hosted for 20 to 30 home- and craft-brewers. Southern Lights Brewery in St. Petersburg made an experiment batch of lager made with Pacific Gem hops. Zephyrhills Brewery also made a holiday beer in Christmas 2017.

"We're hoping this will turn into something," Ted Gude said. "This year we'll see how it goes. We're hoping it's going to be a good one."

Contact Michele Miller at mmiller@tampabay.com or (727) 869-6251. Follow @MicheleMiller52.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/agriculture/searching-for-better-beer-uf-researchers-to-try-growing-hops-in-florida/2269593

https://www.tampabay.com/pasco/north-suncoast-beer-run-20181122/