HAM LAKE, Minn. – Right out of college, two University of Minnesota graduates decided to venture into small-scale farming. Eric Sannerud and Ben Boo planted a few hop vines on Sannerud’s family’s farm.
“The first time we grow hops, I didn’t know anything about what we were supposed to be doing,” said Boo, who admits that they gained most of their knowledge along the way.
But just a couple years later, they are poised to become the largest hop producer in the state.
They have 80 acres of land in Foley, Minnesota. They planted 40 of those acres this years, and will plant the other 40 next year. Along with all of the plants, they will also add processing facilities to the site.
“We’re going from farming at a smaller enough scale where we have to build most things ourselves, we have to improvise and find homegrown solutions to our problems, and at Foley we’re taking it to a scale that’s big enough where we can buy equipment and gear our operation around that kind of equipment,” said Boo.
Hops are one of the four main ingredients in beer, along water water, barley and yeast. The hops give beer its flavor and aroma, while also helping to preserve the beer. Mighty Axe Hops will be going from just over three acres of hops to 83 acres of hops, which will help produce much more beer.
With this expansion, Minnesota and Mighty Axe Hops will be making their mark on the local, regional, and national hops market.
