VSU program aims to help farmers, craft brewers
Amid the goats, fish, bees and soybeans on a farm in Ettrick, Laban Rutto’s vision of making Virginia State University a beer mecca is taking shape.
Standing in front of his rows of hops – the plant used to give most beer its flavor – the Kenyan native is exploring dozens of varieties to see which types grow best in Virginia’s climate. The hope is that farmers across the mid-Atlantic will be able to use his findings to cash in on the rapidly growing craft beer industry.
“We can afford to fail,” explains Rutto, an associate professor of research at VSU. “A farmer cannot.”
More: http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2...
Standing in front of his rows of hops – the plant used to give most beer its flavor – the Kenyan native is exploring dozens of varieties to see which types grow best in Virginia’s climate. The hope is that farmers across the mid-Atlantic will be able to use his findings to cash in on the rapidly growing craft beer industry.
“We can afford to fail,” explains Rutto, an associate professor of research at VSU. “A farmer cannot.”
More: http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2...
