Stone Hard Hopyard
Project: Stone Hard Hopyard is a nursery dedicated to the propagation of hop plants located in Schaghticoke.
Who: Jeffrey Stannard
Short bio
My name is Jeffrey Stannard and I have lived in the northwest Rensselaer County area my entire life. I started my first business in second grade selling stickers to those with leftover lunch money and today I own a specialized printing company. The printing business slows over the summer months, and in 2013 I started experimenting with hops after the passage of Governor Cuomo's Farm Brewery License (which requires a percentage of NYS ag-produced ingredients). Hop cones are used as an ingredient to flavoring beer. Last year I perfected a propagation method of hop plants via aeroponic/hydroponic means.
A description of the proposed project
We [Stone Hard Hopyard] need to expand yet again to keep up with the demand set forth by NYS craft breweries. This season we produced some 2,500 plants for sale. To my knowledge we are the only licensed/inspected nursery supporting the fledgling re-vitalization of the hop industry in Eastern New York and therefore positioned with first mover status. Our customers range from curious gardeners to established hopyards looking to expand.
How would the grant money help?
We will use the funds provided by the start-up grant to purchase even more cloners. More plants will help the hop producers meet brewer requirements. We are a link in the chain of the farm-to-glass movement.
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