I met Nick Green on my very first day as the new Ag and Natural Resources Extension Educator.
He walked into the Extension office and wanted to know everything we new about growing hops. He had a plan to convert part of his families 3rd generation into a Hops farm, eventually going for Organic Certification. 
I personally knew some about growing hops, but since I also have all the resources of Ohio State Extension behind me we were able to provide Nick and his father Greg with a ton of information to help him get started on the right path and try to eliminate as many right off the bat problems as we could. A 3.1 acre piece of pasture was plowed, then disked, then limed and then a cover crop was planted. The spot they have chosen to plant is easily one of the prettiest pieces of ground in Hocking County.
I am excited to follow the progress of this small farm startup. The Green’s are smart, motivated, and are going about this the right way. Extension support will be there for any help they need and I will keep you updated as thing progress.
Ohio State South Center Hops website is a great place to start learning. They also have a tour of the onsite hops farm every First Friday of the month.
Ohio State University is also hosting a Hops and Malting Barley Conference in February in Wooster for this very rapid growth industry.