An article in the April 2023 issue of Our State magazine features the progress of ongoing research by hops breeder Dr. Luping Qu, a specialist with the Alternative Crops and Organics program at Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, NC.

Hops varieties that have been developed to produce a higher yield in the climate of western NC are now being grown and used by local brewerySideways Farm and Brewery in Etowah, NC, to produce a variety of beers, 

To learn more about how the program's research is benefitting local and regional breweries, read the article in the issue of Our State magazine.