Followup – David Bernard’s Madhops! : 8.17.10

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Photos By Heidi Crandall : ©2010 www.nelsoncountylife.com : David Bernard braves hot temps and high humidity to harvest hops from his farm in Southern Nelson County. Click any photo to enlarge.
Photos By Heidi Crandall : ©2010 www.nelsoncountylife.com : David Bernard braves hot temps and high humidity to harvest hops from his farm in Southern Nelson County. Click any photo to enlarge.


Massies Mill
Nelson County, Virginia

Back in our July 2010 issue of NCL (page 25) photographer, Hayley Osborne and writer Jennie Tal, told you about David Bernard and his Madhops farm in Massies Mill. By trade David is a residential carpenter, but over the past year, he’s been waist deep in the hop business. When we wrote our original story David was still waiting on the hops to mature. Within the past two weeks they were ready to harvest!

David and his crew harvest hops from his Madhops farm in Massis Mill. The varities consist of five varieties: Cascades, Willamette, Chinook, Galena and Zeus.
David and his crew harvest hops from his Madhops farm in Massis Mill. The varities consist of five varieties: Cascades, Willamette, Chinook, Galena and Zeus.
Head Brewmaster, Jason Oliver (left) from Devils Backbone Brewing talks with David Bernard at his Madhops Farm. Jason purchased some of the hops for use in his wet hop brew called Blue Ridge Hop Revival. It will be ready in about a month.
Head Brewmaster, Jason Oliver (left) from Devils Backbone Brewing talks with David Bernard at his Madhops Farm. Jason purchased some of the hops for use in his wet hop brew called Blue Ridge Hop Revival. It will be ready in about a month.
Just a tiny sample of the recent harvest at Madhops!
Just a tiny sample of the recent harvest at Madhops!

David is selling to a wide variety of custom breweries in the area.

Can’t wait to try out some the beer brewed with these!

Congrats David!

6 COMMENTS

  1. Kudos to Dave, and any other builder in the current economic climate, that is resourceful enough to figure out alternative methods of income and ways to keep the Re-po man off the back step. I’ll drink to that!

  2. The beer we’re making from David’s hops here at Devils Backbone is called “The Blue Ridge Hop Revival” and is currently bubbling away (fermenting). It should be on tap in about three weeks. We used 105 pounds of the fresh hops. It was a fun brew and I look forward hoisting a few with David and all the folks who helped pick them in this brutal heat. Thanks guys.

  3. I droped by for an hour and help pick some hops with David and crew. It is tough work. A huge amount of work has gone into the production and picking of these hops and I love the aspect of keeping our money local. We pay David for the hops and he buys our beer and we pay David for the hops and he….you get it. Also buying local means we do not have to get these from the west coast. saves fuel and helps the planet. Thanks David and Crew for your hard work and awsome quality hops.

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