CARLISLE, Pa. — Michael and Sharon Reifsnyder of Carlisle started GEMS Farm in 2017, planting about 3.5 acres with five different varieties of hops.
The Reifsnyders were preparing to hang support lines for this year’s hops vines in January when they got some unexpected news: Michael had prostate cancer.
Despite the diagnosis, they decided to cultivate the plants. A few months later, however, doctors told the Reifsnyders that Michael would need surgery on Aug. 22.
“We’re like, oh, that’s the first week of hop harvest,” he recalled.
Rather than let the hops go to waste, the Reifsnyders published a post online inviting local farmers and craft brewers to harvest them together.
Nearly 50 people showed up on Aug. 21, ready to pick hop flowers from the vines. They included brewers from Aldus Brewing, Molly Pitcher Brewing Company, Back Porch Brewing and Lindgren Craft Brewery, as well as volunteers from Heidelberg Hop Heads, the Pennsylvania Veteran Farming Network and Iron Valley Real Estate.
There was never any question of whether to help, volunteers said.
“In the whole brewing community people help each other with everything from, ‘Can I get a sack of grain? Can you come out and help me get some hops down?’ That kind of stuff. We’re very close-knit,” said Tim Fourlas, owner of Molly Pitcher Brewing Company in Carlisle.
Instead of charging for the hops, the Reifsnyders asked for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Many of the brewers said that they plan to donate some of the proceeds from the beer made with GEMS' hops, which will be available in a few weeks.
“Fresh hops are really unique because impart this really grassy, very vibrant hop flavor profile. And it’s neat because it’s only once a year. You don’t get that from dried pellets,” said Michael Lindgren, co-founder of Lindgren Craft Brewery in Duncannon.
Michael Reifsnyder said he was overwhelmed by the show of support from fellow craft brewers.
“Quite a few of the brewers we know locally, they’ve reached out different times just to see, ‘Hey, do you need help with this? Do you need help with that?’” he said. “They’ve been really, really supportive.”
GEMS Farm plans on hosting additional hop harvesting days, with more information to be released on their Facebook page.