Commonwealth Hops

The Commonwealth Hops Alliance (CHA) will provide hop harvesting, pelletizing, processing and hops brokering services for small to mid-sized hops farmers in Pennsylvania. We want to help bring our Farmer’s finished products to the Commonwealth’s growing number of craft breweries more efficiently and in the most cost-effective manner possible. We are helping the Craft beer industry here in Pennsylvania take the first steps towards meeting the drastic increase in demand for local hops by craft brewers. CHA will enable current and aspiring Pennsylvania hop farmers to bridge the processing gaps that currently prevent the widespread use of local hops by PA brewers.

At present, there is no infrastructure to efficiently harvest, pelletize and process hops for delivery to PA-based breweries. CHA's work will augment PA hops farmers access to the market by allowing for the processing of hops to a more usable form for a wider variety of brewers. This will then provide a premium price for hops farmers. By providing the capital-intensive infrastructure and expertise needed for hops processing, we at CHA are determined to reduce the instability of hops supply, helping to bolster the growth of a locally sourced, consistent and quality hop market in Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth Hops Alliance is a partnership of two Pennsylvania hops farmers; Tess Weigand of Happy Valley Hop Yard in Coburn, Joshua Brock of Hoffman Appalachian Farm in Saint Marys. Each running successful farming and hops operations with a combined fifteen years of hands-on agricultural experience.