PNMBR – LOUP VALLEY HOPS

If you’re a regular reader here, you’re likely familiar with Proudly Not Made By Robots, a semi-regular feature on what makes Scratchtown, Scratchtown. We’re switching gears today to focus on the suppliers and customers that make our jobs both rewarding, and possible.

Today we’re shining the spotlight on an up and coming local business, integral to the future of Nebraska beer. Meet Loup Valley Hops, one of two commercial yards right here in Valley County Nebraska. The proprietors of Loup Valley Hops are Cody Freouf and Zeb Augustyn.

Both Cody and Zeb started Loup Valley Hops three years ago, dedicated to growing and distributing high quality Nebraska grown hops. Both are Ord natives, growing up in the area and graduating high school here, and returning to Ord for professional and family opportunities. We brew several beers with their hops, and are planning several exciting new beers with new hops we haven’t had a chance to source from them yet. So let’s get to know Cody and Zeb.

What is your favorite SBC beer? Favorite non-SBC beer? Sargent Hwy Pale Ale of course (named after the road that leads to their hopyard). We been to too many great brewery’s and had too many great beers to pick just one.

Think back to your most memorable brewery experience: where and why?
Probability attending the Top Hop with Mike or helping you guys brew the double IPA we entered into it.

What do you do at your hopyard? Any particular items of interest we should know about?
Cody and Zeb both do a lot of hands on work in the yard. Zeb also does all the record keeping, book keeping and financials. Cody does mostly the agronomic side of things keeping the plants strong and healthy to produce high quality Nebraska hops.

Why did you get into growing hops? To prove we could provide a high quality Nebraska hop.

What are you most proud of at Loup Valley Hops? Growing a high quality Nebraska grown hop and growing strong relationships with a lot of really great people in the process.

Zeb & Cody
Hops growing on the bine at LVH