CEDAR FALLS – Keri and Mike Byrum “hopped to it” not long after they moved here from Orlando, Fla.

Keri, a Cedar Falls native, and husband Mike, originally from Virginia, were previously involved in real estate development in Florida and spent a big part of the spring on their hands and knees planting nine acres of hops plants – about 4,200 in all. They plan to add another three acres yet this fall.

The result is Cedar Falls Hops Co. While there are a number of smaller backyard-style hops-growing operations, this is one of the larger hops-growing operations in Northeast Iowa, just west of Cedar Falls, in partnership with Keri’s dad, Rusty Leymaster.

They got into the business for two main reasons: The first is craft brewing is a growing industry in Iowa.

The second?

“We also like beer a lot,” Keri said with a smile.

Read the full article on the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier website.