USA, OR: Oregon hop growers preparing for first round of harvest next week

Next week, many of Oregon’s hop growers begin the first round of harvest, with fresh hop beer season soon to follow as brewers pick up fresh hops from local farms for a once-a-year beer experience unique to the Pacific Northwest, The Brewer Magazine reported on August 12.

“Oregon hop growers are proud to again be the second largest hop producing state in the US,” said Michelle Palacios, executive director of the Oregon Hop Growers Association. “The Willamette Valley’s unique terroir allows us to produce hops specifically for craft brewers. And with our proximity to major brewing cities, like Portland, aka Beervana, means our hops hit brewers’ tanks within hours of harvest. Our fresh hop beer season is unlike anywhere else in America.”

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oregon hop growers strung 5,421 acres in 2025 retaking second place from Idaho, which strung 5,109 acres, while Washington state continues to grow the most with 31,701 acres.

“We’ve been serving our communities for 130 years,” said Gayle Goschie, co-manager of Goschie Farms. “We’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the most beloved Oregon breweries, which desperately need our support as beer sales are down and brewery closures are up. Nothing is more exciting than inviting a talented brewer to visit the farm so they can feel the soil and see all the hard work and care that goes into producing the hops that will one day make their way into glasses, bottles and cans. Fresh hop beer season is the perfect time to celebrate local brewers and growers.”

Depending on the hop variety, some will begin harvest as soon as next week, while others will continue through mid-September. As beer sales decline, so has hop production. Last year, hop acreage declined -18% nationally as well as in Oregon. In 2023, hop production was down -12%. The Brewers Association is projecting craft beer sales down -5% halfway through 2025, and similarly, Oregon hop acreage is down just -4%.

Oregon’s more than 300 breweries help create 46,700 jobs, $2.8 billion in wages and $8.9 billion in economic activity for the state each year. Sadly, in the last two years, Oregon lost at least 70 breweries, taprooms or brewpubs. Brewers are dealing with inflation, supply chain issues, employee shortages, tariffs and fewer people drinking beer overall. Fresh hop beer season is a way to help support this vital, local industry.