Shelton High School FFA member Lane Stoney stands behind his homegrown hops.
From the young age of 2 years old, Shelton High School FFA Member Lane Stoney has always been fascinated with the idea of growing and brewing his own hops.
“I started growing my Hood and Cascade varieties a few years back when I became more involved with the brewing and creation,” says Stoney, a current junior and third-year Shelton FFA member. “I was also learning about the importance of hops for its chemical properties and contents. After I harvest them, I plan on using my hops for my brewing methods and creating a wide range of drinks.”
Stoney tends to the younger Chinook hop variety.
Shelton, Wash., is located on the southern end of the Puget Sound coast, where it collects a staggering 65 inches of rain per year. This creates a dynamic challenge for hop operations.
“Hop plants are most suited for warm and dry conditions, making it much harder to grow in my hometown,” Stoney says. “This forces me to specifically select varieties that work better in the more wet and cold conditions.” With so much consideration, “it can be a struggle,” Stoney says, “requiring me to explore new ways of helping the growth of the hops.”
Stoney says he hopes his passion for hops grows far beyond his time in FFA. “I continue to see myself expanding any production of plants in the foreseeable future, with the potential of including more varieties in the alpha acid range.”
Premier Leadership
Stoney recently shared his SAE with the community at the Southwest Washington Fair, where he dove into the economic impact of the hop industry and how it affects the state. He earned the Champion ribbon in his division and Reserve Grand Champion out of the other presentations.
“This project has taught me a lot to being a leader,” he says. “I can fully say it has prepared me for explaining ideas and knowledge on a multi-wide scale to anyone.”
Stoney presents the economic impact of hops to attendees of the Southwest Washington Fair.
As Washington continues to be the largest hop-producing state in the U.S., there’s no doubt that Stoney’s work will continue to show the value of his home state’s agricultural roots.
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