Sonoma County Genealogical Society

'Hop' on over to the Windsor Historical Society

To remedy this, and to highlight our roots, planted courtyard Steve Lehmann hop authentic this spring in the courtyard before the Windsor Historical Society. They will be ready to harvest in about two weeks.

"Hops are the main cash crop of Windsor for about 80 years from the 1870s to the 1950s," said Lehmann, president of the company. "They are like chickens in Petaluma are in Windsor."

The Windsor-Healdsburg also produces apples, pears and plums, but the hops were more lucrative, especially after the European harvests have declined after the First World War

Hops need at least 120 frost-free days to flowering, and rich, moist soil around the river was mostly Russian to cultivate. In fine weather, a simple construction increased by 80 acres took more than 1,000 people and took more than two weeks to harvest. Entire families and towns participated.

Things changed after World War II, when the fertilizer nitrate war surplus left crops vulnerable to mildew and public taste shifted to lighter beers that could be brewed with hops Sonoma County.

Santa Rosan Florian Dauenhauer put the final nail in the coffin in the early 1940s, when he invented a machine hop-picking that made it possible to grow crops in the largest hop sites. For the past 50 years, growers in Oregon and Washington have dominated the industry.

Evidence remains, however. Hop Kiln Winery in Healdsburg has always been one of the ovens that were used for drying hops for beer first. On River Road, one of the red barns near Martinelli Winery was once used for pressing into bales of hops.

Lehmann, 60, chose Cascade hops, the variety that has dominated the market in Sonoma County, for his demonstration garden. In the spring of 2010 he started a dozen plants at his home.

This year, he chose the largest of seven and, with a plant provided by local experts hop Raford Jones, transplant to the grounds of the Historical Society of Foxwood Drive.

The vineyards now extend to 20 feet tall leaves to a central pole and covered with small green cones, the flower of the hop plant.Next year, the Historical Society will add another half-dozen plants that come from the hip yards historical Russian banks of the River.

'Hop' on over to the Windsor Historical Society

To remedy that, and to showcase our roots, Steve Lehmann planted an authentic hop yard this spring in the Windsor Historical Society’s front yard. They will be ready to harvest in about two weeks.

“Hops were the cash crop of Windsor for about 80 years, from the 1870s to the 1950s,” said Lehmann, the society’s president. “They are to Windsor like chickens are to Petaluma.”

The Windsor-Healdsburg region also produced apples, pears and prunes, but hops were the most lucrative, especially after European harvests were diminished after World War I.

Hops need at least 120 frost-free days to flower, and the rich, moist soil around the Russian River was especially for growing them. In the heydays, a single 80-acre hop yard required more than 1,000 people and took more than two weeks to harvest. Whole families and towns participated.

Things changed after World War II, when war-surplus nitrate fertilizer left the crops vulnerable to downy mildew and public taste shifted to lighter beers than could be brewed with Sonoma County hops.

Santa Rosan Florian Dauenhauer put the final nail in the casket in the early 1940s, when he invented a hop-picking machine that made it possible to grow the crop in larger hop yards. For the past 50 years, growers in Oregon and Washington have dominated the industry.

Evidence remains, however. Hop Kiln Winery in Healdsburg still has one of the kilns that were used to dry raw hop cones for use in beer. On River Road, one of the red barns near Martinelli Winery was once used for pressing hops into bales.

Lehmann, 60, chose Cascade hops, the variety that dominated the Sonoma County market, for his demonstration garden. During the spring of 2010 he started a dozen plants at his home.

This year he chose the strongest seven and, together with a plant donated by local hops expert Raford Jones, transplanted them to the Historical Society’s grounds on Foxwood Drive.

The leafy vines now stretch 20 feet high toward a central pole and are covered with small green cones, the flower of the hop plant. Next year the Historical Society will add another half-dozen plants that come from the historic hop yards on the banks of the Russian River.

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