Gorst Valley Hops in Wisconsin: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Gorst Valley Hops is a hop growing, drying and pelletizing company headquartered in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, launched in 2008 by Altwies after about a decade as an agricultural researcher. It partners with farms in Nekoosa and sells 14 varieties.
| Location | Mazomanie, Wisconsin; partner hop farms in Nekoosa |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 (as published) |
| Sectors | hops; pelletizing; grower training |
| Scale | 14 varieties; seven charter partner farms; largest partner has 22 acres of hops |
| Why it is notable | Early commercial hop network in Wisconsin, with university workshops |
| Ownership | Private company led by Altwies, per Isthmus (first name varies in the article) |
| Official website | Isthmus profile of Gorst Valley Hops (not an official site) |
History of Gorst Valley Hops
Isthmus reports Gorst Valley launched in 2008 after its founder spent roughly a decade as an agricultural researcher. Hops once grew widely in Wisconsin, and the company is part of the revival of hop yards for craft brewers.
The article names seven charter partner farms. The largest, the Arendt farm in Nekoosa, has 22 acres of hops, and its owner also farms 150 acres of cranberry bogs.
What Gorst Valley Hops Grows and Raises
Hops are grown and dried at partner farms, then taken to Mazomanie for pelletizing. The company sells 14 varieties, and its two original varieties are Skyrocket and Top Secret.
Its Aroma Smart drying system dries hops without heat. The article says this takes about three times longer than high-heat drying but is said to preserve more aroma compounds.
Company staff guide partner farmers from planting to harvest and run hop-production workshops twice a year.
How Gorst Valley Hops Makes Money
Hop sales to brewers
The company sells hops and hop pellets to craft breweries; the article names two Wisconsin brewpubs considering it as a supplier.
Processing
Pelletizing at headquarters adds value to partner-grown hops and gives brewers a storable product.
Education
The article says universities including Cornell, the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa have hired the company to hold workshops, and its founder teaches hop chemistry for the Siebel Institute.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Gorst Valley Hops
A processor that also trains its growers builds a reliable supply chain from many small yards.
Specializing in aroma and a drying method gives craft brewers a reason to pay for local hops rather than commodity pellets.
Hops that climb 18 feet and then get dried slowly to protect their aroma are farm satire with excellent manners. At farm.FM we file the three-times-slower drying under farm humor, plus ranch humor about patience as a business plan. Our farm jokes are lupulin-laced and always friendly.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact Gorst Valley Hops
Website: https://isthmus.com/food-drink/drinks/gorst-valley-hops-is-starting-a-new-era-in-wisconsins-brewin
No official operation website with published contact details was found in my sources, so the link is the best verified public page about the operation, November 2026. Confirm any visit or business inquiry directly before traveling.
Gorst Valley Hops Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Isthmus profile - Company history and partner farms
- UW Extension hops field notes - Current Wisconsin hop guidance
- WPR hops comeback - Wisconsin hop revival coverage
- USDA SARE hops project - Federally funded Upper Midwest hop research
- USDA Census of Agriculture - Official farm counts and acreage for Wisconsin
Gorst Valley Hops FAQ
Where is Gorst Valley Hops?
Headquartered in Mazomanie, Wisconsin.
When did it start?
In 2008, per Isthmus.
What does it sell?
Fourteen hop varieties and hop pellets.
How can I contact it?
No official site was found in my sources; the Isthmus profile is the best public page.
Gorst Valley Hops shows how a processor-grower network can rebuild a regional crop. For the wider picture, read the Wisconsin farms guide.