Pennsylvania has plenty of breweries, but not a lot of hops. So a professor, a farmer and a brewer have teamed up to change that.
Alison Feeney, a geography professor at Shippensburg University, has been studying the local craft beer industry for 10 years, but it didnât take that long to realize that Pennsylvania is short on the key ingredient for beerâs aroma and flavor.
Most hops used in local brews are grown out of state, shipped from Oregon, Washington, Idaho or Germany.
âIn the last decade, weâve had small farmers kind of pop up here and there,â Feeney said. âIt is challenging to grow commercially and compete with those global markets.â