Groovy Hopster Farm to feed craft brew industry with local, organic hops

Just when it seemed Michigan entrepreneurs had found every way to be involved in the regional craft brew movement, Louis Breskman found another: hops farming. The University of Michigan MBA already runs real estate and manufacturing businesses and was looking for a way to expand into agriculture that would be unique to Michigan. The answer was Groovy Hopster Farm. "Michigan has one of the most exciting craft brew industries in the nation, and I wanted to find a way to enter this growing market segment in a way that I could support the industry and not just be another competitor," Breskman says. "Ann Arbor itself has a successful micro brewing scene and it made sense for there to be a local source of hops so that the Ann Arbor breweries could produce a product that was truly unique to the area."   Breskman found that small local brewers have a need for new sources of hops, something his boutique hop farm, slated to produce its first harvest in the summer of 2015, could provide. He plans to grow varieties that are in demand in the local market, and remain flexible to continue to meet local brewers' needs.  "Our long term plans are to establish ourselves as an integral part of the supply chain to the local brewing industry," he says. "As a local farm we plan to be able to deliver hops to our local customers with a minimal carbon footprint." Groovy Hopster Farm will soon launch a Indigogo campaign to help with the business' startup costs. Breskman plans to hire two full-time employees to manage the farm and additional employees during their harvest. Source: Louis Breskman, Groovy Hopster Farm Writer: Natalie Burg