ASHVILLE, N.C.—The South Atlantic Hops Conference for hops growers, brewers and others with an interest in the hops industry will be held March 24 and 25 at the Crown Plaza Resort in Ashville, N.C.

The event is being organized by Virginia State University, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State University. Participants will have an opportunity to tour local hop yards, breweries and related businesses and attend presentations for beginning and experienced growers. Agenda topics include brewers’ opinions of local hops, regional research results, hop cone chemistry and up-and-coming varieties.

Dr. Jeanine Davis, an NC State associate professor, noted that all conference speakers are from the South Atlantic region. “In previous years, we brought in experts from the Pacific Northwest and other northern states where they have more experience growing hops,” she said. “But now we have growers and researchers who have been working with hops for six, eight and more years—long enough to tell you which varieties grow well here and what challenges you’ll face.”

For conference details and online registration, visit go.ncsu.edu/SoAtlanticHops.