The Hop Growers of America Records document the functioning of the organization. The HGA organization was founded in 1956 in Washington State. Its mission is to create a healthier and more efficient United States hops industry for corporations and farmers through education, advocacy, promotion, and support for technical and scientific research. As a trade organization and registered 501-C5 nonprofit, HGA also focuses on education, advocacy, promotion, and support for technical and scientific research.
Local, state, and regional hop growers associations were formed and dissolved with some regularity in the early decades of commercial production on the west coast. The first major nationwide association was the U.S. Hop Growers Association, founded in 1943 and based in San Francisco, California. The organization published the periodical magazine
Hops have deep roots in the United States. Early settlers to North America could pick native wild hops in the woods around their settlements. But by the turn of the 19th century, specific areas specializing in growing hops had formed in America. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and New York all became early hop growing regions. By the early 1800s, hop growing had declined in the northern New England states; New York had higher quality soil and was closer to large population centers, and as a result it became the major hop-growing region from the 1880s until the beginning of the 20th century.
Hop production shifted again, this time to the west coast. Hop growing arrived in 1850s and by the turn of the 20th century both Oregon and California produced more hops than New York. Early western farmers were also helped by the construction of the transcontinental railroad, which allowed them to transport their hops to the breweries in the midwest and east. Hops were still grown during Prohibition, but primarily for export; when the Prohibition was lifted in 1933, hop acreage rapidly increased. Oregon, Washington and California led in hop production, and soon Idaho joined the other three western hop producing states. Following World War II, the U.S. was the largest hop producing country in the world, and much of what was produced was exported.
The materials were received in 2014 from the Oregon Hop Commission as part of the Oregon Hop Growers Association Records and were separated at that time.
Collection is open for research.
Hop Growers of America Records (MSS HGA), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The Hop Growers of America Records are complemented by the
Other related materials can be found in the
The
Collections linked to Oregon State University research, as well as other manuscript collections are described on the
The Hop Growers of America Records are arranged into three series: 1. Administrative, 1956-2004; 2. Publications, 1961-2001; 3. Events, 1962-2011.
The Hop Growers of America Records document the functioning of the organization. The bulk of the collection is comprised of meeting minutes of committees within the organization, event planning materials, HGA reports, and U.S. Hop Promotion Committee minutes.
Series One includes annual reports from the International Hop Conference, in which many of the major hop-growing countries, such as Japan and Germany, shared crop statistics with each other. Also included are the original articles of incorporation, by-laws, and subsequent ammendments; reports on crop growth; organizational budgets and financial statements; grower directories; and correspondence. Series Two contains HGA publications, including the Hop Growers of America Bulletin and member newsletters. Materials in Series Three document the HGA Conventions. Included are convention booklets, correspondence with sponsors and advertisers, registration details, financial budgeting, and planning documents.
Series 1 contains annual reports, meeting minutes, organizational budgets and financial statements, correspondence, along with articles of incorporation and by-laws. The bulk of the records are arranged chronologically by year.
Correspondence, meeting minutes and acreage reports.
Correspondence, U.S. Hop Promotion Committee meeting minutes, International Hop Growers Convention report.
Hop Growers of America annual report, meeting minutes, statistics, correspondence, reports from Japan trip and International Hops Conference, German brewery summary, and U.S. Hop Promotion Committee.
Hop Growers of America annual report, statistics, budget correspondence, International Hops Conference and Hop Growers of America meeting minutes, and articles.
Hop Growers of America annual report, International Hop Conference report, U.S. Hop Promotion minutes and updates, and board meeting minutes.
Hop Growers of America annual report, meeting presidential address, board of director's minutes, International Hops Conference report, correspondence, promotional updates, financial and budget information, and research articles.
Hop Growers of America annual report, U.S. Hop Promotion Committee minutes, International Hop Conference report, various trip reports, budget and financial information, correspondence, articles, and board of directors minutes.
Hop Growers of America annual report, annual meeting presidential address, board of directors minutes, International Hop Conference report, U.S. Hop Promotion Committee meeting, and correspondence.
Hop growers of America annual report, Hop Growers of America grower directory, Hop Growers of America board of director's minutes, U.S.A. hop tour participant profiles, International Hop Conference report, U.S. Hop Promotion Committee minutes, market report, financial information, and correspondence.
Hop Growers of America annual report, Hop Growers of America board meeting minutes, Hop Promotion Committee, International Hop Growers convention, Hop Growers of America convention, correspondence, budget and financial materials, and statistics.
Hop Growers of America annual report, statistics, correspondence, Yakima hops cost study, executive director search, Hop Growers of America board meeting minutes, budget and financial information, Hop Promotion Committee, International Hop convention, and U.S.A hop tour.
Presentation materials.
Hop Growers of America annual reports, Hop Growers of America grower directory, Hop Growers of America convention materials, International Hop Growers convention, correspondence, information on fruit and vegetable marketing orders, budget and financial information.
Hop Growers of America reports, Hop Growers of America board of director's minutes, international travel reports, International Hop Growers convention, articles, and miscellaneous reports.
Hop Growers of America annual and statistical reports, Hop Growers of America board meeting minutes, international trip and market reports, event announcements, and research articles.
Hop Growers of America board meeting minutes, International Growers convention materials, and Hop Growers of America annual and statistical reports.
Hop Growers of America board meeting minutes, Hop Growers of America annual and statistical reports, and grower directory.
Original documents and revisions.
The series is comprised of different publications throughout the years. Featured is the Hop Growers of America Bulletin and newsletters starting in the 1960s.
Bulletins for 1987-1991 and 2000-2001 are included.
Series 3 is composed of different documents surrounding the Hop Growers of America Conventions throughout the years. Included are convention booklets, correspondence with advertisers and organizers, meeting notes and registration details.
Correspondence to advertisers, sponsors, and attendees.
Financial documents; event information; correspondence with sponsors, advertisers, and attendees.
Correspondence with donors and advertisers, financial documents, event notes.
Financial documents, advertising, registration information, and planning documents.
Marketing policy meeting materials, hop production statistics, international production report, and event agendas.
Ladies lunch program, receipts, and agenda.
Registrations, agendas, hotel information, receipts, and budget documents.
Receipts, budget documents, correspondence, and donations.
Financial documents, tickets, receipts, hotel information, and correspondence.
Conference program, "Ladies Lunch" activities, and planning documents.
Correspondence, activities, meeting notes, and advertisers.
Advertisers, registration information, hotel receipts, meeting agenda, and correspondence.
Advertiser applications
Registration information, promotional materials, Oregon hop report newsletter, sponsorship.
Advertisers, sponsorship, and correspondence.
Three photographs of Peter Coors and unidentified man.
Denver city guide, correspondence, hotel information, planning notes and financial documents.
Advertisers, sponsorship, and correspondence.
Door prizes.
Planning documents, correspondence, and draft of conference booklet.
Financial information, correspondence, and receipts.
Planning documents.