Mobile Hops Picker

Earlier this year I was asked to be involved in the design of a mobile hops picker by Dr. Heather Darby of University of Vermont Extension.  The intent of the project was to develop a hops picker that could be used by multiple growers in the Northeast.  Typically, hops are grown in vast centralized yards and most operations are large enough to support their own hop picker (a large, expensive machine that requires a great deal of maintenance and is only used for about 4-6 weeks per year).

There is a resurgence in interest in growing hops in the Northeast as consumers, and brewers seek local ingredients with predictably unique characteristics that set distinguish their beers.  There is also a desire to grow a broader variety of hops in a more distributed and integrated way to avoid common diseases that have resulted in poor yields recently among the major hop producing areas.

I was very fortunate to have a great design team on this project.  Roger Rainville (Borderview Farm – Alburgh, VT), Gene L’Etoile (Four Star Farm – Northfield, MA), Paul Hendler (Shaftsbury, VT), Mark Magiera (Bobcat Cafe - Bristol, VT), Dr. Heather Darby (UVM Extension), Rosalie Madden (UVM Extension), Dave Bister (Triangle Metal Fab – Milton, VT).  And we benefited from technical support from several key vendors including Dauenhauer Manufacturing (Hop Harvester Parts  -Fresno, CA), Kauffman Trailer, White Drive Products (Hydraulic Motors), Prince Hydraulics (PTO Pump), Charlebois Truck Parts (Burlington, VT) and Sparks Belting Co. (MI).

Here is a video overview of the machine:

Here is another video in which Gene L’Etoile of Four Star Farms in Northfield, MA explains his hops operation, the mobile harvester in its first year of use , and his approach to drying and packing for a local market.