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Growing Organically: Pioneering Hops In NSW ft Ryefield Hops
407 Plays6 days ago
“We’re all from here, and we want to give back.”
When Ryefield Hops started producing hops commercially on land formerly used for dairy in the South Coast region, they were the first to do so in New South Wales. A decade on from launching the business, the family operation run by Jade McManus and Morgan and Karen Taylor remains the only grower in the state.
Now the third largest producer of hops in the country, admittedly with just 0.5 percent of the market, they’re standard-bearers when it comes to sustainability – in all facets of the business – and part of a small but growing band of indie suppliers working alongside the local brewing industry.
James joined them at their farm in the beautiful Bemboka Valley just as much-needed rain arrived – thankfully wrapping up the chat just as the heavens really opened. The trio took him through the genesis of the project, their first customers (Batch and Wildflower), subsequent growth, installation of a pelletiser, and plans for the future.
They addressed the challenges of being first-generation farmers, dealing with buying plants that weren’t as advertised, the steps they take to give back to the land as well as their local community, their delight at seeing Ryefield Hops introduced into core range beers, and partnering with fellow indies, such as Voyager Craft Malt and Mogwai Labs.
The discussion of the week’s news looks back at the weekend’s Hottest 100 countdown and forward to the impending launch of The Beer Championships – a new competition for the beer industry conceived by two of the country’s best-known brewers and judges.
Start of segments:- 13:51 – Ryefield Hops Part 1
- 36:59 – Enter the Royal Queensland Beer Awards
- 38:04 – Ryefield Hops Part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.
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Transcript
Experiencing Melbourne's Heatwave
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crafty Pine podcast. I'm Will. I'm James. How are you going Will? Surviving the 45 degree Melbourne temperatures today. Yeah, I'm absolutely loving every second of it. My thoughts are with everyone in Victoria because it's a brutal day when we're recording.
00:00:22
Speaker
Yeah, and I popped to do a site visit earlier today for a venue we might use for partner of origin in May and foolishly stopped outside my car for about 45 seconds to talk to one of our colleagues before heading into the meeting. And I felt like I'd been baked in an oven by the time I stepped in. It was literally it would be no more than a minute. It was really quite ah quite insane. and Thank the Lord for air con, I say. Yes,
Gab's Holies 100 Craft Beer Results
00:00:45
Speaker
definitely. I've lived a long time without it and I'm very grateful that those days are behind me Anyway, so on with the the the show this week. um I guess it's been another bit of a funny sort of one with the long weekend in the middle. So we you know haven't got as many stories to talk about since we recorded this one last time around. But I guess we have had the annual dropping of the results in the Gab's Holies 100 Aussie craft beers.
00:01:07
Speaker
Yeah, and congratulations to Mountain Culture for making it four in a row for the status quo. First brewery to ever do that, although Stone and Wood Pacific Ale did win it four times, but not back to back to back to back.
00:01:20
Speaker
And, yeah, Coopers, once again, number second, like last year, that that sort of a when we were doing the live stream last year made us quite nervous. We were wondering, wow, will this this be it pip? Mountain Culture and third place was Gage Rhodes with Single Fin. So congrats to the top three and to everyone else who bowled. I should say, and any nerves, wasn't anything to do with the fact that you have some sort of irrational fear of Coopers or Green Cairns. It was more the fact that we were expecting Mountain Culture to win and we were prepared for that.
00:01:51
Speaker
Well, we had we had them more more ready to go on the line than Tim Cooper. I think also within that top 10, you know, with One Drop, Filter, Seeker, Range and Beer Farm in WA all cracking into the top 10, you know, or staying in the top 10 in the case of a couple of those. um You know, I guess the ones at the top of it hasn't been too much movement, to but to see some of those smaller breweries finding success at the top end and even sort of pushing some of the Hollis 100 stalwarts and past winners down the charts was ah interesting. But I guess probably most interesting
Decline in Brewery Participation
00:02:22
Speaker
this year was... um as we covered in the last Friday's newsletter that we sent out and also in the coverage, was I guess there was a huge drop off in the number of breweries that entered. um I guess, you know, probably quite understandable given that the the in announcement about the Gabs Festivals for 2026 being cancelled came out just as the poll was about to open. um I thought it might actually have made a bit more change to the to the results. In the end, they were you know a lot of it was was fairly similar. um But yeah, it's certainly an interesting time. Obviously, the changing ownership at Gabs ah has always felt like this one might be a bit of a...
00:02:56
Speaker
don't know if it needs to asterix results or just a bit of a, you know, one that, you know, is almost holding pattern to see what, you know, is what comes next. You know, certainly the new owners are looking at what they're going to do with the GAPS festivals in 2027 and beyond. And perhaps this will be a time to look at the poll as well. um Obviously, we got the usual, um you know, feedback on socials, but, you know, people have been clamoring for quite some time for it to be, you know, purely whole list of 100 new releases, which I guess is tricky to do, especially as people are putting out less new releases. But, you know, you wonder whether this will be a time to take stock and maybe look at, you know, some changes for next
Shifts in Polls and Media Influence
00:03:29
Speaker
year. Yeah, and we'll include this in the show notes, but Daniel Ridd, who writes for Beer Reflections, he always analyzes the results and, you know, his numbers. Last year, 298 breweries entering versus 143 breweries. This year, that's a massive drop-off. So obviously, lot of breweries aren't seeing the value in it as they once did. big number that caught my eye during the countdown was Big Shed making it to 82 with Boozy Fruit. The brewery closed its doors only couple of days after voting opened. So based off that, you have to assume that the brewery is getting towards the lower level of the 100%
00:04:07
Speaker
probably aren't getting many votes at all. it's It's possible there was a big sympathy vote there or something like that, but I think that probably shows and and gap the Gap team haven't released the actual number of voters this year or anything like that. So with less breweries interested in it and less voters interested in it, those things feed into each other. I think um we've also seen a real decline in mainstream media coverage as well. A few years ago, used to always be in the the newspapers. I'm sure some of the local papers are covering their breweries and their areas that have done well, but, you know, the the Metro papers aren't aren't running the story anymore. It's definitely doesn't hold the sway that it once did. And, know, I was also thinking that Triple J itself probably doesn't either. us So, you know, this is a thing that was inspired by Triple J's Office 100.
00:04:56
Speaker
I'm not saying this because I'm no longer in the age demographic that listens to Triple but obviously with streaming, Spotify, people get their music in a very different way. And when I was, In high school and in my early 20s, Triple j was the place where you found interesting music and it it just doesn't have that cultural sway anymore. So you'd think something has to change dramatically to keep people interested in the pole or if they want to grow it as well.
00:05:20
Speaker
Well, I'm sure there'll be people out there, Will, that would say it's because it's been untied from January the 26th. Go woke, go broke. Yeah, we've stopped getting those comments, so let's let's hope that hasn't sparked sounds so something out in the ether, James, because we do live in a...
00:05:36
Speaker
Very conservative time at the moment. Oh, yes, I may not make it into America um if I desire to go there. If anyone's if if the Trump administration is indeed monitoring the Crafty Pipe podcast, which um I very, very much doubt.
New Beer Awards Introduction
00:05:49
Speaker
um But talking, I guess, of beer competitions, we've got a story that's gone out this week about a was it so new it hasn't even taken place yet. The beer championships, very early days. But I spoke to the two um people behind this over the the last week um and so it's gonna be a second um i guess national and ultimately international they hope uh beer awards um launched by i guess two people who have i think we worked out between the more than three decades combined judging at various beer awards here and overseas and even had some chief judging roles they've won many trophies over the years as brewers as well uh justin fox who these days is mainly operating i guess as a um
00:06:32
Speaker
equipment supplier consultant and Jane Lewis, who was obviously the founder of Two Birds Brewing, is now a strategist. um They launched the beer championships. I started with Justin ah maybe five or so years ago, just thinking,
00:06:46
Speaker
There were things that could be done differently. They think better around beer awards in terms of how they're scored in terms of providing feet, you know, valid feedback to brewers, wanting to make it more commercial so that they're sort of more of focus on the beer styles that vent the retailers are stocking that people are buying. So in the first year, there'll be certain categories won't be judged. There won't be, you know, barrel aged, you know, sales won't be Imperial Stouts. It'd be much more sort of commercially minded. i imagine wheat beer won't be won' be there.
00:07:15
Speaker
Potentially. Who knows? what do If you take wheat beer out, you'd lose about sort of 70% of the ah grand trophy winners of the last 15 years, I reckon. um And yes, there's ah there's a whole number of changes. that I've sort of tried to summarize it within the article that's gone out this week um because, you know,
00:07:32
Speaker
There's a lot more I could have said after very long conversations with the two of them over the past week or so. The plan is that they'll open for submissions later in the year. um yeah It's looking to do things differently. And, you know, they've got experience of judging elsewhere. know, the way they're going to do nominees and then one winner, the know the way it's going to be announced, the timescales is, I think, different to pretty much any other beer awards in the world. They've looked at, you know, the World Beer Cup in America, which is arguably the biggest. They've, you know, worked inside a whole bunch of other ones as well. And the plan is that they will hold the awards ceremony, probably September, October this year. Initially, I think it's going to be just Australia, maybe New Zealand brewers as well. Then they want to push into sort the Asia Pacific region and see how it goes. So um pretty interesting. I think um you know you sort think, well, Australian International Beer Awards is going into its fourth decade now and is is one of the world's biggest. um At the same time, the Indies didn't run last year. and i don't think the Indies going run this year. So that you know that that was the other...
00:08:27
Speaker
major awards on a national scale. So, you know, the that there is that sort of gap for now. um And there's still going to be remain a lot of the sort of the the state-based judging awards as well.
00:08:39
Speaker
Yeah, it will be very interesting to see how this lands as well. i'm I'm sort of waiting to see what some of the immediate comment is and feedback and things like that. Some people I think will be really excited. I'm just eager to see what people think about it and the new award. I know people are still miss the indies and and wish there was that other competition as well as the Amos.
00:08:58
Speaker
Yeah, and and obviously, know, it's still tight out there, you know, for or most most humans, let alone, you know, small businesses and and breweries or whatever. So, you know, whether people look at it and go, oh you know, we're happy to enter a second awards or whether it becomes like I think it it became – sort of more recently with the indies the abas it's like well which one do we want to enter so whether there'll be a choice or whether people gone are we we want that feedback from both awards you know we want to we want to be part of it so um yeah interesting um yeah i think they were sort of chomping at the bit for us to sort of get back up to speed so they can have a chat and let Let us know and and help them spread the word. um But, you know, in terms of the people behind it, you're not going to have two people. You know, you you struggle to find two people in the beer industry with more sort of knowledge, insight and i guess respect within the world of beer judging and indeed brewing. So, um you know, it's not like a couple of people coming in from the outside sort of trying to pull a fast one. I think, you know it really is something that but they put a lot of time and and thought into and believe that this is something that is should be translatable on a global scale.
00:10:04
Speaker
Yeah, they both spend a lot of time working with associate judges as well and people who are new to judging. So I think they bring ah a pretty forward-looking approach to yeah judging
Ryfield Hops: Beginnings and Innovations
00:10:13
Speaker
altogether. Now, James, ah at the end of your holiday on the coast, you caught up with our guest for this week, Ryfield Hopps.
00:10:20
Speaker
That's right. Yeah, yeah. I've been lucky enough the last couple of summers, just done a bit of camping down just inland from ah Pambula. So about an hour away from where Ryefield Hops are based in the Benboka Valley. i Went out to see them last year just to have a look around and say hi. I think it was 39 degrees C that day. And I think they're kind of used to it. But I was down talking to Jade in amongst the binds going, there's just no shade here at all. Can we go back to the shed? This year was very different. It was just as the the storms were coming in ready to, you know, well better the southeast where we were they sadly they sort of missed out on a lot of the heavy rain because they think they'd only had 40 mils rain all season uh funnily enough as i hit record on the start of the interview in the shed uh the rain did start falling for the first time in many months uh we so we had sort of pause to pull the the roller door down and i think the lighting changed in the background a few times we were doing it and then
00:11:10
Speaker
just as I sort of wrapped up the chat, the heavens really open. So we were quite lucky to get it done in time. But um yeah, we just went went out to see those guys um have a chat about you know the evolution of the business. It started on um Morgan's parents' dairy farm.
00:11:26
Speaker
ah They've now got, you know, They've they've been increased um the amount of acreage they have ah with underbind. They still would like to expand it further and just chatting about you know their approaches that they're obviously certified as sustainable, ah you know looking into everything the best way they can, how you operate as ah you know as a hop grower in that part of the world, um you know how you get your hands on um the hops you're going to grow when so many of the you know the famous varieties are proprietary hops um and yeah and just what it's like to operate as a as a small family run indie supplier um how they found an audience you know how how they work with people I mean they've got to the stage now where they're saying a number of their you know key um breweries they work with are using their hops in some of their core range beers now which I think has meant a lot to them it's not just you know they're not just a novelty hey let's do a
00:12:14
Speaker
one off batch of something and put some Ryefield hops ah products in there. like you know That's a big thing for them. that They're now you know big enough that there are some core range beers out there with their hops in the whole time. So yeah, just really, really good. that you know They're a lovely bunch of people. um So it's always always nice to catch up with them. And yeah, so hear what they to say.
00:12:35
Speaker
Wonderful. Well, enjoy James's chat with Jade, Karen and Morgan. And if you do like it, make sure you subscribe, like, review, comment, however you listen to our podcast, make sure you engage with it in a way that helps other people discover us. And tell your friends. Tell your friends it's the best. Yell it from the mountains. Exactly. Cheers.
00:12:55
Speaker
Cheers. Cheers.
00:12:58
Speaker
Attention brewers! Entries for the Royal Queensland Beer Awards, supported by King Street and the Star Brisbane, are closing soon. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the best beers in Australia.
00:13:10
Speaker
For brewers, it's an amazing opportunity to see where your beers stack up against your peers, with helpful feedback provided by expert judges on every beer you enter. And if your beer is selected as the Grand Champion, you'll win a $5,000 Lion Bursary aimed at furthering your own knowledge and advancing the Australian beer industry.
00:13:29
Speaker
All entrants also get the chance to network and mingle with fellow brewers and industry leaders at the awards presentation. An evening you won't want to miss. Enter the Royal Queensland Beer Awards at rqa.com.au before Friday the of January.
00:13:46
Speaker
And if you submit nine beers, you'll get 10% off all additional entries. Jay, Morgan, Karen, welcome to the show. Thank for putting up with all the technical difficulties beforehand. i agree It's all going to go beautifully smoothly now, I'm sure. um I guess first, Sean, I guess tell us a little bit about the trio behind Rifefield Hops and how you came to launch the business.
00:14:07
Speaker
um I'm Karen and how we started Ryefield Hops was about 10 years ago with just an idea. um And we are farming on Morgan's family farm.
00:14:17
Speaker
So it was an old dairy farm. And pretty much, yeah, just we' were all moving back to the area. We all grew up here, moved back to the area and... um Just decided to give it a crack, really. None of us had experience in growing hops at all. Jade was hobby brewing in Sydney and kind of looked into where hops are grown and why they're grown where they are. And Ben Boca kind of suited that climate.
00:14:41
Speaker
um But yeah, so we're back on Morgan's family's land, which is great. Yeah. And so what did you have to do to, I guess, get it prepared then? And what i don' i why, I guess, did you know that this idyllic location was going to work for hops?
00:14:55
Speaker
ah Well, there was a lot of work to be done in the start. um So yeah as Karen said, my family did dairying here for close 60 years. And then towards the end of my father's um career in dairying, he got pretty sick. So the land was kind of just left to,
00:15:16
Speaker
um kind of, I guess, fall apart in in um some kind of sense. But yeah, when we come back, um I'd come back after being in the mines. So I'm a fabricator, world of trade. um And I came back to spend time with my father. And in that time, Jade was in Sydney, Ammoner Brewing, as Karen said. um And I think Jade did your ACL. or something. Yeah.
00:15:44
Speaker
did't ico Yeah. let um the couch Yeah. Was back here. Um, and i wanted, I wanted to stay back around this area, to be honest, like I love it down here.
00:15:55
Speaker
Um, I grew up here. Um, and yeah, the came I guess through discussions with where hop product come from and we couldn't find any good local um source for Jade's Brewing in Sydney and then there was this farm down here that wasn't really being utilised and it had like Karen said a lot of aspects from the dairies like it has water licences it's got river flats it's got a lot of things going for it it was just ah a big block though at the start And to people who've not visited or don't know Ben Boca, how would you describe the location in terms of where it is in the world and in New South Wales?
00:16:34
Speaker
ah ah it's It's pretty it's pretty far um out of the way, i would say. um It's a unique little town, I guess. So um it's it's been here for obviously a long time, but it was predominantly dairy farmers back in the day. They all supplied beaker cheese. There was, I think, ah seven or eight dairy farms around this area. I think there might be two now. And they all just started as the older generation got to their time to retire. They retired and kids didn't want to take it over really. yeah So it was a town that was kind of going out of population. It was obviously an older generation around here. um
00:17:19
Speaker
But, um yeah, we had this opportunity to bring something back to it, I guess. And geographically, though, we're kind of halfway between Sydney and Melbourne and we're about three hours away from Canberra. So, um yeah, we're far enough away from the cities. But, yeah, people still come down for a...
00:17:38
Speaker
like a week holiday, not just a yeah a day trip, guess, from the city. And how did you go from the idea of, you know, that initial idea to pulling it together and work out who's going to do Because know you're all doing other jobs at the same time as you're sort of building the business. still So, yeah, exactly, 10 years in. So how did how did you sort of formulate it into something could work? A lot of research, a lot background research, a lot Googling in terms of – Like that's, sleep I think that's naturally happened. Like we all have different strengths. We all have different interest areas and we all have different abilities to bring to the table. And I think it's like works in the way that each person does have those that they are separate and those, that separation does just has happened naturally. Yeah. And so what's, what's the main hat within Ryfield that each of you wears that I'm sure there's plenty of, you know, doing what needs to be done, but over one hundred percent but like generally there's like different. So for me, I'm i'm like more, um,
00:18:39
Speaker
like farm manager role i guess you would say, field management, um black oh like harvest timing, all of that sort of stuff. And then also, i guess that the brewing sales sort of things as well.
00:18:58
Speaker
What about yourself, Morgan? So I'm more like... Nice dramatic thunderclap there as you announce your role. um So I do a lot of um the, like, installation and um fabrication and putting things together. Well, I think when came through last year, were you working on the pelletiser? Is that right? ah Yeah. So any new machinery that kind of comes in, I kind of put it all back together and get it functioning. And then there's obviously breakdowns through so many moving parts. Make things fish think. Yeah, so, and then... Big thing. Yeah, so just... um But I mean, that it's not exactly my background. The building of the shed kind of was, or it is. But then the the like the mechanical side, I'm just kind of picked up as I went. Like, always tinkered with things, so ah it was just a... Got more things to tinker with now. Yeah, that's it. That's exactly
00:19:51
Speaker
Have great self-care. I'm all of the boring back-end stuff. And then, yeah, obviously help out in the field here and there. And then, um yeah, to and the nursery as well, kind of control the nursery. But, yeah, just just general. Taves of all running. Yeah. Nursery, and that's where you're developing or trialling new varieties? We're not really developing new varieties, but we're just propagating and growing for selling to home brewers and anybody, any brewers that want to grow hops, but also to replace...
00:20:19
Speaker
stock in the field or change varieties or anything like that. So instead of buying... Or expansion. Yeah. So instead of buying hops from a nursery or another grower, um in Australia, it's really hard to find wood stock basically. So yeah we just propagate it all. And it is what it is, is the other challenge that we have.
00:20:37
Speaker
that we faced right at the early stages. We were buying stock through nurseries and yeah, there wasn't the varieties that were advertised to us, so I guess, okay which made huge difficulties at the start because we had mixed rows and Oh, so it's the initial rhizomes you bought, you thought were X, y and Z varieties. We was sold them as that. And then over time, um, we've worked out that it's not what we've been sold or ones that we were sold, even from different growers, we were told the same variety and we planted them side by side and like, these look, they're different, you know, the growth habit.
00:21:15
Speaker
cone like uh how they the cones look and then like also the um sensory and aroma and then also not so much the alphas but yeah everything else it's you know different so how they behave in the brewing as well so it's been a ah big um process of like um Yeah, really over those 10 years of understanding what we have and then trying to work out what they are. And that's why the ongoing conversation is like these varieties, even that we are now still growing with the original names that we sold them as, which is a Centennial, like the constant feedback is that it's different to what people use. Okay. Yeah. And it's, and I'll maybe jump over, is is that that what led into RHO1, like your sort of experimental variety? Is that sort of. Yeah. So it's similar background story. Like Morgan said, you get sold something, it's named as one thing, and then you start growing it next to the other one that's named that, because there's no quality control of probably variety hops in Australia. There's no. Like, you know, we are the largest public variety growing farm.
00:22:25
Speaker
You know, there's everything we've been able to get is from back backyard growers or nurseries. And nurseries don't have any, they they they don't have any quality control of where stuff came and where stuff went because primarily just selling it for decorative plants. It'll grow on the side of someone's house. Mm-hmm. Backyard growers generally they named them because someone told them it was that and they put in the ground their brews and beers with that like that usually is that variety So we we got sold our HO1 is Chinook We grew it next to Chinook. We noticed some differences and that's why it's also a slow process because you can only notice those things every 12 months isn and We're like this just is different and yeah, so we're like, okay We'll probably get a thousand of those put it into its own little area
00:23:12
Speaker
and on the first um yield of that we put it out and we'll like just name it something. does need to be renamed so we're open to any suggestions but um but yeah it's just like it did it behaves like more like a noble European noble cult so that's where it's being used is like in these Eurobeers cultures and things like that so yeah so it's sort of um For us, we can only use public varieties. So that's the most we can sort of get into the space of like new varieties, but with our, most of our hops, they're new to people because they aren't commercially available elsewhere. Yeah. Fair enough. I knew you mentioned research earlier, Karen, like you tell me what's sort of, level and depth of research he had to do? I mean, was there some farming knowledge there at least? Well, none of us were... Well, farming knowledge through just through Morgan with, like, working with his dad, like, as a kid. But in terms of... None of us have grown hops before. I'd never even...
00:24:12
Speaker
We didn't even know one. I didn't even know one. I've actually seen one like as a flower before that. Yeah. Researching the climate. So hops obviously need height, they need lots of sun, lots of water, and then they need to go dormant in the winter. So Benboka is perfect location for that. But yeah. Have anyone ever grown hops around here before? Not that we're aware of. Okay. No. Yeah. So we are the only grower commercially that we're aware of in New South Wales. Yeah. But yeah, essentially research everything. Research through the trellis through to the height of the shed. Had to research. So Morgan's made all the conveyors himself, like research angles, like everything you can pick from. Yeah. Yeah. So I spent a lot of time in New Zealand with the guys over there. Extremely helpful. Great people. Great industry that they've got.
00:25:06
Speaker
um and yeah made some really lifelong friends and contacts to assist in you know the construction, as Kari said, the shed size, how you're going to at what your footprint's going to look like, how you're going to get it to run from back to front, where you're going to have be
Sustainability at Ryfield Hops
00:25:25
Speaker
drying. So it all kind of, you want it to move in a and a continuous run, I guess. You don't want to be crossing back over and different things like that. So energy spent that doesn't need to be done.
00:25:35
Speaker
And so when we say it's like 10 years, was this was this taking place before this 10 years? with No, so we did our trials 10 years ago, basically. And we we contacted a few brewers, which again, I guess is research in a sense to say, what varieties do you want us to grow?
00:25:51
Speaker
um We basically planted probably about, I don't know, 10 or 15 varieties. Saw what grew well in our area and yeah, just culled it down from there. So we kind of, yeah, elaborated on the ones and we grew the ones that, uh, I guess yielded well and people liked and wanted, yeah. And which ones have people like from the off? Victoria's gone well for you, is that right? Yeah, well, it's been a bit of a transition really in that way. Yeah. because um Trends over 10 years, obviously. Yeah, we, you know, also like Centennial back in early days was pretty popular, but that's probably because we had the most of it.
00:26:28
Speaker
But um yeah, definitely as times progress, Victoria has definitely been the one that everyone's interested in. yeah And, you know, and who were those first customers? How did you meet your first brewers to like do test batches for you?
00:26:42
Speaker
Uh, just cold calling. i Really? Yeah. So a few contacts maybe that Jade had in Sydney, but mostly kind of cold calling in the area as well. Um, work off but yes yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, think right back in the day, early days, it was Instagram. what We, we just put up some posts and then Batch, Chris, um, and Topher were, saw that there was some hops being grown in New South Wales and contacted us.
00:27:09
Speaker
So that first, really the flagship first beer that made commercially was in Loretum. And that was a yeah really great collaboration. It was like...
00:27:20
Speaker
It gave the opportunity for that all New South Wales, first ever all New South Wales and Brittany there. And so that really was like the flagship and the like, um, for us. And also it was obviously when Wildflower was just starting Batchelor and Sinos, it's only just pretty new year. So Stu was new as well. Yeah. Just with all of that. Um, it was really great timing in Rio and I. Yeah. But back then, 10 years ago, we were still handpicking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, we were kind of really… And not pelletizing. So, they're two big key things that have changed in the last, like, coming into our fourth season now of really commercially growing us in, like, yield-wise, harvester-wise, we pelletize off. And was that where you're at now? Was that that way you always hoped or intended to be when you started? I mean, what was the, that was the plan? Not really. When we first started, it was a smaller field. So we kind of, obviously looking back at the plants and photos, our yield, and obviously through the maths of things, but our yield was quite small compared to what we've got now. So yeah, we've improved every single year on our yield. Obviously that comes through learnings, but also,
00:28:31
Speaker
flat maturity of the plant. um yeah If we get one more field in, then we'll be wherever we want to be in the end. And this shed has an ability to do that. So what are you up to now in terms of acreage? I know you have expanded significantly from the first copy. So 12 acres down there. This shed capacity is 20 acres. yeah um I think that like would be pushing Probably everybody. We could push 22, but yes. So 20 comfortably then, 22 pushing.
00:29:00
Speaker
You can hold it tight now because it's his on camera. That comes back to ah the reliability of the machine. Like it's a 52-year-old machine. yeah Like it's great old machine, but there's no other...
00:29:11
Speaker
growers around here so if we have a yeah catastrophic breakdown we've got no one else strip there's no time to waste is there once they're off you got it yeah you're off you were on the clock so before they're off like yeah like there's no time to waste when they're ready on there you need to get them off so yeah and you can't pick them and then just like wait you have to be like they have to go straight from the field to the harvesters so that's yeah there's a lot of stress and pressure around harvesting time and um we you know one of the big things i think that like any new hop roll, there's probably none out there, but, um, it's all around your processing needs to match your field, not the to that you always need to build. No, no, I'm just checking you guys aren't getting wet. It's finally raining. yeah so any day rain on our season here we are i brought it with you. yeah with hey right thank you Sorry. You Oh, you just, yeah, you need to think about,
00:30:04
Speaker
your field or your goal, it needs to be all around to processing capabilities. That it determines your field size. yeah And in terms of, umla you said talk about the evolution, so there's also been the expansion and the addition of the pelletiser.
00:30:24
Speaker
Was that always part of the plan as well or is that adjusting to customers requirements? Yeah, definitely. Yeah, it was always, yeah, absolutely. It was always whole hop cones. Yeah, we finally started with whole cone and thought that, you know, that extra step of processing for pellets is we'll just try and stick with whole bone and be great, but really it's not what brewers want. Brewers want pellets. And so, yeah, we've,
00:30:49
Speaker
Yeah, so i initially, I guess, right at the start, um after visiting new Zealand, because we all went there the first time, and we kind of looked at, you know, big farms, small farms and farms that probably would, you know, be our size. And we kind of looked at it and went, how much flat kind of land we were going to use or thought we could fill, and then trying to find a machine to match that. What's that pilotising there?
00:31:14
Speaker
for harvesting yeah yeah for harvesting so um we knew we had uh about 22 acres 23 acres that we could potentially trellis out and grab hops on uh and then we needed to find a machine that would fit that and we kind of contacted wolf but they're all super subbed all these old machines and the smallest machine now is like a 500 which is good for 30 hectares which is like 65 acres so yeah we were well under that so we were going to have to find a second hand machine that was in pretty good position i mean condition and then getting it here from wherever it was in the world which Karen done an amazing job with putting it back together and then powering it up and getting it moving again Yeah. And I'm thinking, I'm just going to back to those first customers talked about as well, like Topher and Chris, when Topher Bain was at Batch.
00:32:09
Speaker
I guess that would be ah probably how we first heard about you at Crafty Pine. And did those sort of initial customers really help you find more customers? Oh, absolutely. Were they real good advocates for you? Well, that was the first New South commercially available New South Wales beer.
00:32:23
Speaker
I guess got a lot of media attention. Yeah. So people read that, saw that and, yeah, reached out. For the early days, it was definitely yield dependent. yeah And, you know, we only had so much to give.
00:32:35
Speaker
Whereas now, yeah, we've got the capacity to fu fulfill orders and we're poor range beers and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, and I think it also is like when someone sees that they can be like, oh, I know that beer and oh I like it and that's your ingredients in there, then that gives them some confidence to be able to purchase and fruit with. And I think that, you know, that is evident now whereby people are like,
00:33:00
Speaker
talking with us about trialing stuff in their core range and you can show them all like, oh, these people have done that with their core range and it's the same thing. You're no longer sort of the novelty limited release beer. No, but more so it gives them confidence to be like, oh, if you can do that. So the same with the Waratah, it's like, oh, you can feel like, oh, this has got a product in there and then that can give them confidence that they can be like using something and make with something. Yeah. yeah yeah and in terms of before we come on to the sustainability side of things um have you faced any sort of unique or unusual challenges along the way all the time yeah all the time i mean we're the only there's been can think off the top of my head three there's definitely more farms hot farm sort of
00:33:42
Speaker
started or came here and visitors told they're going to be starting and all of them have not gone ahead. It's very... Within New South Wales? There's been two in New South Wales Victoria. yeah i'm like There's two in WA that are just starting up, which is awesome because you know we are taking up a space that doesn't really exist out there where we're like the third-line of this farm.
00:34:05
Speaker
but we're 0.5% of Australian acres. So there's a big drop off from the first to the second and the second to the third. we're like, great, like start up, we will have some like comrades, you know, yeah but um but that's been difficult, but literally every single step because there isn't anyone to turn to. And that's what Morgan was saying for us luckily. New Zealand has been really great and really helpful and always like one person in particular, always on the ah end of the phone when you need him. And because everything like everything, like growing the holes, but the processing, you know, how you process the drying. That's like a dark art. We're like, maybe you can just get like a monitor. We'll tell you when they dried. Nope.
00:34:48
Speaker
You have to pull them out. You have to squeeze it. You have to feel, you have to look and like you only can do that while that drawer is out for like a couple of weeks in the year. Okay, so there's lot a lot of sensory, you can't just get everything with analytical tools. Okay. And all three of you out, like it's checking you all agree with it. Yeah. Yeah. So there's two different ways, the two different like sensory like monitors, personal sensory monitor. so One's when the field's ready to be actually harvested. And then the other is when the pots are dried to the, you know, 10, 11% of the one.
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah. And both of those are different. yeah And that's where I guess it would be beneficial to be like a second, third generation grower, because then we could go ask grandpa, grower, dad, whatever, mum about, oh, what do we do in this scenario? What do we do in that scenario? And there's an instant reply.
00:35:43
Speaker
Oh, this happened five years ago, whatever. um But that'll be you guys, you'll be in your rocking chair in years to come. Oh, I remember when we first encountered that problem, son. Well, thankfully we can do that now for five years ago. yeah That's one thing. But yeah, so the first generation farming is hard for that reason. You've got no like instant feedback I guess.
00:36:05
Speaker
And the other part of it is yeah all the specialized things needed to be imported. There's no like, you know, in Europe or the States, there's other farms who go, oh, can I buy that? I'll buy that second hand one. I'll just get it over here. Like everything, nothing exists in Australia. So yeah, like everything even needs to be built.
00:36:25
Speaker
or it needs to be imported. So that's the other challenge. Yeah. And I guess it's all about trying to get a, you know, you maximize your yield, but consistent product. Yeah. Which know is of impossible with an, you know, agricultural product, but I guess that's the, that's where you, you know, for. That's right. And that's really honing in on your processing. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:42
Speaker
Your harvest timing and your processing. Yeah. Excellent. Well, we'll take a quick break there because I'd love to chair chat a bit about the sustainable side of the business as well and also the challenge of being a small indie producer. So we'll come back after the break. Cheers.
00:36:56
Speaker
Bye-bye.
Royal Queensland Beer Awards
00:36:59
Speaker
The entries are flying in for the Royal Queensland Beer Awards, supported by King Street and the Star Brisbane, where winning a medal or a trophy can really benefit your brewery.
00:37:10
Speaker
Here's Gavin Croft of Slipstream Brewing, reigning grand champion beer brewer on just what it can mean to take home a trophy. Winning a trophy is a phenomenal feeling. you know that That's a large part of why we're going into it. We want to win. We want to be yeah known as the best beer in Queensland. Apart from the warm and fuzzies, I think it allows our customers to have a confidence in in our product you know with the cost of living crisis that's going on. and People just have a bit less money in their pocket at the end of the week.
00:37:40
Speaker
If they're going to spend good money for good craft beer, that kind of certainty that that it is a really good craft beer, it's not lost on on our consumers. you know We've had ah a really good year off the back of the results.
00:37:53
Speaker
Don't miss your opportunity to be part of the Royal Queensland Beer Awards. enter today at r qa dot com dot you
00:38:05
Speaker
Welcome back. um now we Anyone that knows Ryefield Hops i know that sustainability is kind of the core of the business. um And I guess part of your pitch to Brewers, why was that important to you guys when you when you started Ryefield Hops?
00:38:18
Speaker
I can answer that. trumps words i guess oh not but um is Your specialty subject. Yeah, well, ah for me, it's like... an intentional thing of how how we wanted to do the farm and the business. So it's important because it's like how we can operate here on Morgan's, you know, family's farm, but also within the environment we're working in and within the community that we're working in So we're all, like Karen said, we're all from here and we want to give back. So for for us, sustainability is not just
00:38:52
Speaker
you know, sustainability, how people might think. There's lots of ways that people look at sustainability now. Now it's like, from a business perspective, it's all just coming down carbon, how much carbon you use. But for us, it's more multi-faceted and it's around like how we interact with the environment, how we grow our plants, how we manage the soil, you know, how we revegetate and bring life back to the property, but also how we operate within the business and within the community as well. So, um yeah, that that for us is really important. And I think that, um
00:39:26
Speaker
we we've stuck to, you know, integrating that into our business. And I think now it's really great that there's, well, for us, we're certified sustainable, which is a independent certification, which recognises environmental, social governance principles.
00:39:47
Speaker
And that's really good that like ESG stuff is getting bigger within Andrew Mashman, The Brewing Industry in general, but also obviously corporate reporting is driving that lot. Andrew Mashman, And then for us as well it's about like reducing it's definitely around like reducing emissions or our like purchasing so like, for example, down there in the field we use.
00:40:12
Speaker
we like our main area is by hardwood that's from trees that got through a thinning project in the forestry, like local forestry operations here. There's a lot of stuff that we've been able to use in the shed that would have been going to waste.
00:40:30
Speaker
Obviously, you know, we wanted to use as much solar as we could. we've got 20 kilowatts of solar on the roof. And for that, you know, when we're harvesting a sunny day, it offsets our harvester. um And we're selling, you know, power back as much as we can at the moment, what the griddle led us to that three quarters of the year. um so yeah, it's sort of like, why is it important for us? Because it's like how we want to be operating within the world, within our community. And also for the general industry, we can now have those conversations with people because that's how they want to be using um or doing their businesses and also focusing within their supply chain. Yeah. Did you have to do much to the land, you know, to bring this, you have healthy soil? You we talked with Stuart Voyager and about this in the past and Topher and Chris Greenwood, or going into the Greenwood, about, you know, the importance of soil health. Did you have to do a lot of work here or was it was in pretty good condition anyway?
00:41:23
Speaker
Oh, you know, it's definitely an ongoing thing. um The area that we, like, started farming on on the hill, i mean, both areas have been obviously... had dairy um for how long i don't but you like 60 years i think it was off before yeah yeah and conventional conventional dairy so um for us yeah we we aren't growing conventionally we're growing as um there's different terms and we call it just say regenerative agriculture um and in within that it's like looking at soil it's looking at water um and it's looking at like you catch an area around the farm
00:42:01
Speaker
So yeah, that soil was like pretty, I mean, it was pretty compact. Yeah. So it had like depleted of nutrients. Um, yeah. Um, I mean the bigger, the big area down on the flat, is definitely got three very distinct soil types. Uh, and each one of those needed, uh,
00:42:18
Speaker
Obviously a lot of work in some of them and not so much in the others. So it was a ah huge amount of drainage. One was really clay, heavy-based, really hard to grow, held water like nothing else, root rot, everything to go with it. Then the other end next to the creek is extremely sandy. So you're forever putting water on that and it's you know dry again and within a few days. So all of that needed to be looked at and rectified. um And through some of the process that we do now at Rofenops is obviously the inter-row crop, which is a multi-species crop. um And that's hugely beneficial for both areas for
00:42:57
Speaker
ah sandy end to hold water and the clay end is to help break that um clay down so there's still work to be done on some of those areas but the the crop has improved every year on year yeah through process that we've done and that's purely i think because of the amount of um nutrients that are back in the soil for our plants to grow and once you start that process does nature just sort of take over after a while and you know if if you sort of look after the right way that it does keep improving this does in the bug world so we have huge amounts of benefit beneficial bugs near uh um early in our stages our plants weren't they looked healthy for us back in like early but they were getting attacked big time by like two spotted mine and things like that would have outbreaks where it would like kind of almost decimate
00:43:51
Speaker
part of the crop and that's more to do with the plant health whereas this year extremely dry year which is generally when you get your two spotted mire touch wood, we haven't had ah a breakout or a problem as yet. Yeah.
00:44:08
Speaker
So yeah, it's all like, ah it's all the intention of like, improve the soil health and that will transfer to improve plant health. Yeah. And so as soon as you get get a better end product, product you reckon as a result as well? Yeah, a hundred percent. And like at grain stock, you know, you heard people talking about the quality of the grain or sorry, how the grain was grown, transferred into the quality of the product. And, you know, we have the like our product is tested through the certified sustainable is tested each year for chemical residue where we have to have nil chemical residue on it. And we, cause we do not put anything on our plants.
00:44:48
Speaker
or our slash our product. So, you know, we don't put insecticides, fungicides or pesticides on our product. And so people are getting an organic product, plus they're getting a product that was grown through natural nutrient cycling, plus a focus on microbes, big focus on microbes. like So soil microbes, they're the they're what you were saying before, they're the thing that will generate that natural sustainability within the soil. Um, and then. you give the right conditions to do what they need to do. Yeah. Well, it's about growing that micro population. And so that all transfers to the plant and then that transfers to your product and then that product, people can see the the difference in that, in that product that you're giving, that you're selling. And do you find that many of your customers are drawn to you because of that side of the story?
Local Supply Chains and Market Challenges
00:45:39
Speaker
I think it's, that I think that. We would like to say it's probably higher just for that reason, but it's it's definitely, um I would say, not the primary reason why people are. We are having the conversation with them. And then, like Morgan was saying, for example, with the inter-row management that we're doing here, like, you know, conventional farming in hops, they are tilling that inter-row. When you're tilling inter-row, you're breaking up the soil structure, you're releasing any nutrients and especially any carbon that you've
00:46:14
Speaker
stored in that area. So for us, we we are very like so conscious conscious, active management of that area. And that area is approximately one and a half metres wide over a 12 acre area. And in that area, we're drawing down carbon.
00:46:29
Speaker
and in that process of drawing down that carbon you're storing deep carbon within the soil it's called soil organic carbon and then that along with the revegetation projects we've done on the farm which is restoring 14 hectares of riparian corridors which is like a big chunk of work we've done over this time we've been operating on this property because when you know we took over i guess the area we're managing you know the cows were grazing in the creek the like impacting soil quality ah sorry water quality in there, sediment movement. So that was a big operation and a lot of work to fence out the cows and then, you know, prep the area for revegetation and plant it. So that with us um with our drawdown, you know, we're in net
00:47:20
Speaker
um our on-farm emissions is minus 20 tonne of CO2. So it's like those things we've been doing over time and they're finally getting to a point where we now have like hard data around our carbon like our carbon emissions. And then that's the conversation that corporate companies generally want to have yeah because everyone's looking at scope one, two and three emissions.
00:47:43
Speaker
And so with our emissions now, For our per kilogram CO2, we're at 25 to 75% less yeah than industry, than like regular industry. And and it's wanting to operate that way and reach the point you're at. has that Obviously, it's time-consumed, but it's an expensive process as well well. Could you be doing this more cheaply if you wanted to? You don't get bang for buck straight away. yeah So it's it it's a slower, longer process.
00:48:13
Speaker
process i guess but when you get it established that's when you see the benefits so the it's like reducing your imports is a big thing yeah economically it'll come in time once you have that system more established you know and then you're saying that it's sort of one reason that some businesses might be attracted to using your products what what are the bigger draw cards then is it the independence something that's a Uh, great product. Yeah, yeah with being um baby yeah no we get we get feedback from people and I guess a testament to the product is like Jade said before, of the core range fears that yeah people, we have the the yield now that yeah, people are liking our product and I guess see that the um consistency of and the product that they've used us all year round, which is great. And that's the best feedback you can get, I think. And on the independent side of things, so last year yeah um like last year you put out a video with the guys at Voyager and with Josh at Mogwai in Wollongong.
00:49:18
Speaker
um i I guess how did that come apart? So, you know, and and I get guess how significant is the fact that you're a small independent family run business as part of your messaging as well? um i mean, I can say that like, I feel like it's something that is important for people, but sometimes maybe
00:49:40
Speaker
like not the only thing that will get them across the line for purchasing. You know what I mean? I think that for us recently, it's, it's nice to be, I think, starting to be recognized. I guess it's nice that a conversation around independent supply chain is starting to be at, probably is more to point.
00:49:56
Speaker
Like Karen went up recently to an industry event, um, in New South Wales. That was sort of like that momentum is starting to be generated around local supply chain, which is what we wanted from that video really. Yeah.
00:50:09
Speaker
Yeah. And and and and did did you get come to know those guys because I guess you are similar businesses? I'd imagine Josh would be there, Mogwai would be the youngest of them. Was he sort of like, right, I'm in New South Wales, I'm starting a business. Hey, Ryfield. Yeah. Well, it was initially from kind of the wall Wildflower, Waratah beer, and it kind of just grew from there really. Like obviously Stu's a great guy to get along with and yeah um that hells holds a lot of great events down there too. But yeah, from that, just organic growth, I guess. yeah And with Josh, um we just thought, well, obviously Topher makes his own yeast and develops that there. But yeah, with the addition of Josh, it lets people create a New South Wales beer. Yeah.
00:50:52
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah. and It's just great that now it's not a specialty thing. People are actually just using us just because they want to It's not like they're banging on about a big New South Wales beer that they're advertising.
00:51:07
Speaker
yeah well i guess whatever the reason is, whether they're looking for just a different supplier or a different product yeah or whether they're in sustainability or independence,
00:51:18
Speaker
anything that gets into trying the product the first time is what you want you know it's like brewers always say say the the best um sort of selling tactic they have is put a beer in someone's hand yeah you know and i guess it's saying these one brewer's using your hops and going oh okay yeah yeah sure yeah and then what what was was the response after you put the video out you get much feedback from people going up you know I'm going say not really. okay i watch So it's hard to like, we've got on the YouTube, so we can see that he's there, but, um, not really any direct feedback. Yeah. Yeah. We've got another few people don't really like to do anything, you know, other than maybe drink a beer. I think they'll like watch it three second to five second little video on Instagram. And then that's like,
00:52:04
Speaker
That's it. Like, yeah, I think that transfer rate to actually watch it and the whole thing probably isn't. So it's only seven minutes though. It's not movie. It's only seven minutes. The tension spans aren't great these days. I mean, you can like keep trying to put it out there and, you know, it's one of those things.
00:52:20
Speaker
It'll just probably take time and people will see it. But I'd imagine that, you know, you guys, you know, would talk up other independent suppliers you work with or that you like and the brewers working with your products would talk it up as well. So I guess everything you can do it helps that word of mouth. Yeah, absolutely. Have more mouths. Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's good thing, like, that everyone can kind of cross market, you know, and man that's really an important way to be able to generate business. Yeah, I know that on um sort of panels at past events, we've just and i myself or Will has discussed this with use of other people. But, you know, what do you consider the biggest challenge of being a small independent producer um in this industry? aside Even if we take aside the fact that we're living through a bit of an economic downturn, you know, well what are the greatest challenges that you're facing?
00:53:06
Speaker
A little bit of economy of scale, I guess, for us and just in terms of reach, I guess, to get people to try us initially. um martin We don't have a marketing budget, so it's like...
00:53:22
Speaker
Yeah, like to get out there and visit people and do all that, it's it's it can be a full-time job. And so we we just try and do it as, you know, opportunistically as we can. i mean, that is definitely something that if we probably had a dedicated person, that would be different because you are getting in front of people more and chatting. But I think that'll Yeah, it's a bit of a hard one, I guess, because, I mean, we...
00:53:49
Speaker
We want to be out there visiting the brewers that use out yeah our product. We want we want to be part of their story. we want to be you know We want them to come here and see how we've they grow up well we grow their hops. and They're more than welcome to any brewer that you know come and use come for ah a visit and Karen does farm tours or just come down and say good day. and That was a dog. thats all right ah yeah Come down and visit and then you know see what we do. and get to know us and you know the relationship is great because they know exactly what row it's coming out of or you know who we are what families we have you know kids you know everything that goes with it but the same vice versa with the independent side of things it's being such a small farm that we don't have the advertising out there for the products so for people to firstly know about us and then have the confidence to switch over to our products
00:54:47
Speaker
But, yeah, we we don't have a big bright light saying who we are and and where we're from. And it's a little bit of trust in there that thatll that they'll, yeah, give us a go. and But you do bring people down. You've done the Dine in the Binds. Is that the right name? Yes. So you've been doing that for a couple of years. and i that looks like you're doing more open days now. So is that sort of part of the sort – That was all – I mean, the tours initially were just because we are the only hop – farm in the whole area. Um, we had a lot of interest locally just to be like, Oh, who are they? What are they doing out there? So people kind of were interested to kind of see it all. So, and then through the agritourism, I thought, well, there could be something in this and we'll try and, you know, beef up a little bit of our funds a little bit through agritourism.
00:55:34
Speaker
um The dinners are just a bit of fun yeah and a bit of extra work. But um ultimately, yeah, it's to celebrate what you But it is you nice to show people yeah down there just before harvest. So, like, it's, you know, you do so much work through the season to get these plants looking amazing and then just cut them down. So it's, like, really nice to share how nice vehicle at one particular time, which is like right at the end January, right at the start of February and that's it. And it's like, so it's nice to like bring people in and like have that experience with them and like also just sort of sit back and be like, fire out. Okay. We've done this. Education's a big part of that too though. Cause a lot of people don't even know
00:56:25
Speaker
Like some people drinking beer wouldn't even know hops are in beer, let alone what they look like as a plant. and So to come and get what one, you know, just prior to harvest and have a smell. yeah go him with mor i think they can I think it's like hard to like transfer looking at a plant to getting that sensory aroma that you get. Like it's, it's, you know, it's, it's like, you can smell roses these days, but unless they're an old rose, they have no smell. So that like smell kind of.
00:56:55
Speaker
thing that comes from a plant, its really it really does blow through the plant. Yeah, and really and it's great that you know the brewers in six or eight or six months' time can do the same thing, crack the packet open and go, I remember being in the field and I remember, oh, that's amazing, let's get this in. And people don't know the event, you basically put long tables down between the vines on one of the rows and catering, entertainment, the whole the whole works. Yeah, and pretty much... um yeah just entertain them for an afternoon really for a night yeah yeah yeah it's extremely long amount work though like yeah they're having a break this year probably sometimes don't grasp that it's just a naked field with plants in it that everything has to go to yeah so so i guess you hold a pretty unique position in the industry like what's your take on the health of the beer world right right now i guess because you know
00:57:47
Speaker
you're seeing orders come in or
Current Beer Industry Health
00:57:48
Speaker
not come in? Like will see what's your feeling, how how we are after a pretty challenging few years? Well, um yeah, I mean, I guess I have this from us a bit when I'm like, than leavinging people self and and stuff. And for me, when I'm visiting people around and for us, I guess as well, it's like, I feel like some people,
00:58:09
Speaker
They're doing really great and, you know, they're making really nice beers and they're operating in a in a community that they're really nourishing that community. And they're, yeah they they you know, most most of them, i say all sorry, all of them would have a tap room that, you know, they have created a community space and they will have beers, obviously, production going out.
00:58:33
Speaker
but they're like really well-sustaining and a lot of people I talk to um maxing out their production space. And so you've got that that's super healthy.
00:58:44
Speaker
um And then, yeah, obviously you do have people that we talk to still that like, um you know, for whatever reason don't want to pay this or have still got contracts or whatever so they're in a situation where they can't buy stuff. So it's a, let's say it's a like a very big difference. because Because you work with big and large, memories as the cap indicates, you know, than the beer with stone and wood. But at the same time, I guess a lot of your customers would be at the smaller end the market, would they? No, like mid-rillion. Like it's very broad ranging. Yes, we have smaller customers, but we, you know, are also starting to work with
00:59:19
Speaker
larger companies. I don't really know what you would even describe that really in in Australia right now. But for us, you know, yes we're independent, but the people that supported us,
00:59:32
Speaker
and kept us through some pretty difficult times, like both. And for us, you know, um weve yeah, we work with Stone & Wood and where we work with Four Pines and they've got some people they've got people in there that are amazing. We love working with people. And they their morals are just like, you know, and what they want to bring. It's obviously they have things that they need to do now as part of the, like, large companies. But...
00:59:58
Speaker
um But yeah, we, we you know, ah but our biggest orders, the three biggest orders this year would be Rocky Ridge, Four Pines and Spinifex. Okay. Yeah. And so. a w a yeah And so we, you know, so they're like multi-palate orders, which for us is great.
01:00:18
Speaker
And then, yeah, like Karen said, building up with people into their core ranges into, you know, prioritizing us or like running different stock out then using our hops. So, I mean, for us, I would say it's gone pretty well. Like our yields are going from three years ago, 650 to 1.9 to 4.7. Tonne. Tonne. And this year targeting seven and... That's dry. Yeah. And like...
01:00:45
Speaker
Already we like have to say, no, we don't have any Victoria for you. Sorry. And we haven't even started harvesting. So yeah um I feel confident whether that we're going to sell this crop again, which is great. you know yeah yeah But the amount of capital that went in to get it off the ground is ridiculous. So it's great that we see...
01:01:07
Speaker
it's great that we see um Hop's leading, but we're still we still still a little bit off. We're still getting ripple of momentum keep it in starting to like, bringing anything in.
01:01:21
Speaker
Yeah. But that's the the hope and that's why the extra fields have been prepped, starting to be prepped. So, yeah you know, when that time comes, we can
Future Goals for Ryfield Hops
01:01:30
Speaker
yeah fulfill. Yeah. Well, I wanted to ask, what does the coming year and beyond look like for Ryefield hops? And obviously more hops. You finally had some rain. um on Yeah. yeah just Just as we sat down to record this, that'll hopefully help matters. But, you know, looking a year, two, five years ahead, what what's the hopes?
01:01:47
Speaker
and Quit our day jobs? The hope is, yes. The hope is to bring in some... income for us obviously. So I mean within the next five years we would love to have maxing out this processing shed which means putting in about another eight acres of field yeah um and then that way we can sustain employment year-round for at least one person um other than us three um and then yeah just good great yields hopefully.
01:02:18
Speaker
Yeah yeah and and keeping on building on what we've with we've created I guess this far. So just keeping on building that momentum I guess is what we want to do really. Yeah. no well it so What is the sort of split at the minute? but How much time can each of you dedicate here and not you know to other jobs to keep those players? Oh we're out here every, like we all have a hand in the the seasonal work. Absolutely. Yeah. So we're here during the season almost every day. Yeah. So and in winter there's maintenance to do and all that kind of stuff. So Yeah, it's, ah as anybody would know, owning a small business, you never switch off. Yeah. um You're either physically near thinking about it or on the computer doing something about it. So, um yeah, i don't know, but it's fun. And, yeah. Five years.
01:03:06
Speaker
Personally, i would love to have a Bentley out the front. No, definitely not Bentley. But um no, essentially like we'd have people who could be there managing the field without you having to be there. but And then for us having enough yield that we can focus on sales and really continue to build on those relationships.
01:03:30
Speaker
And then we when we come into Harvest, it's just like seamless and we know what we're doing. Yeah, yeah. That would be the ideal in five years. All you want everything just to be perfect. Essentially. Stuff would be running smoothly and a little bit of like outside stress coming off us where we can just focus on this more in that way. I hope that comes as well. i hope you have a great harvest. Hopefully this rain's going to help. Yeah. And thanks for having me out to the farm again. Yeah. No worries at all. Thank you.
01:03:58
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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