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The year 1932 marks the start of Puterbaugh Farms, a family with big passion for growing hops in Washington state’s Yakima Valley. Fast forward 60 years: Diana Puterbaugh, while at home with two young sons Levi and Drew, was struck with the idea of selling their hops on the internet.
It may not sound like the most groundbreaking idea now, but this was the 1990s and ecommerce was brand new. Few people had cell phones, let alone a personal computer, and many internet companies were going out of business quickly. Diana’s husband Stacy’s response was appropriate: “Diana, that’s crazy.” Ultimately, the Puterbaugh’s passion for growing hops and their mission to stay family-owned and farm-direct trumped their fears of taking the dot-com plunge.
“Each one of these fields is a part of us. For me, success is being able to get this farm into the next generation. We’ve shown our kids how to raise a good hop, and they’ve understood that.” —Stacy Puterbaugh
Stacy, Diana, and the family took what they knew about hops and farming, paired that with a new knowledge of beer, brewing, and what brewers needed to get started and thrive in the booming craft beer industry. This understanding and one big leap of faith led to the birth of their online store: Hops Direct.
For more than 20 years, Hops Direct has functioned as the merchant side of the Puterbaugh Family Farm. Together, these two entities grow, process, package, and store more than 1,200 acres of hops in 19 different varieties, all of which are shipped directly from the family farm.
“Growing hops is our true passion. That’s one reason why we love having the selections directly with the brewer. For them to give us their feedback directly—it’s a way to verify the job that we do.” —Drew Puterbaugh, on being an independent grower and merchant.
“I wouldn’t want to do anything else; if I get to come home and see my family, and if I’ve spent the day with family too, that’s a great day to me.” —Levi Puterbaugh
Five generations have called this land home. Growing hops is in our blood. We need each other. You brew beer, and we grow hops with a passion for quality. We share a love for life, connection, and creativity—and with Hops Direct, that runs across the globe. To us, you’re family.
So here’s a virtual introduction to our story. Meet our family and walk around the farm. See what it means to be an independent grower in the craft beer industry. Get a taste of what goes into our hops and what it means for you—in the beer you brew, and the stories you tell.
It’s simple, really: We grow hops, we sell hops, we ship hops—straight from our farm. Visit us at Hops Direct.
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