Siouxland farmers looking at new ‘hopportunities’
Author
Published
8/21/2017
INWOOD, Iowa — As the growing demand for craft beer continues to cause shortages of a key ingredient, a few Siouxland farmers are hopping to the industry’s rescue.
Since 1946, the Bonnema family of rural Inwood, Iowa, has farmed the same plot of land just north of the Lyon County community of a little more than 800 residents.
Family patriarch Dale Bonnema said they’ve primarily grown corn and soybeans and dabbled in hogs and cattle on their land over the years, but four years ago they started growing hops.
Aware of the increasing popularity of craft beers and the ever expanding amount of breweries, Dale’s son, Mark Bonnema, wanted to get involved in the $23.5 billion industry.
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