Fulfilling the promise of local hops at Smokedown Farm in Sharon

SHARON — Four years in, Smokedown Farm in Sharon is taking flight. 

Husband and wife team James and Shrevie Shepherd purchased the property on East Street in Sharon in 2014 with a joint interest in land conservation and agriculture. 

Currently the 8 acres are home to seven hop varieties. Numerous wild, native varieties also flourish on the property. Smokedown Farm and Pioneer Hops in Morris have formed an alliance to promote Connecticut hops to New England breweries. With the vast majority of hop production occurring on the West Coast, it is both convenient and exciting for local breweries to have Connecticut-grown hops available at the ready. 

Kent Falls Brewing recently released Bird Post, brewed exclusively with Connecticut hops. At a pleasant 5% ABV, this is their first 100% Connecticut pale ale. A second batch is in the works. 

The past year has brought some impactful changes at Smokedown, including the addition of Ally Hughes as operations manager. Hughes moved here from Nebraska, and has a background in vineyard management. So far, she says, she loves life in the Northwest Corner. 

Another exciting addition at Smokedown was that of a pelleting line. When hops are harvested, they are whole cone, meaning that in appearance they look like flowers. 

While use of whole cone hops can be desirable, it is very dependent on the brewer’s timeline, space and equipment. “Pelleting” involves grinding the whole hops and compressing them into pellets, which can then be vacuum-sealed, frozen and sold. In this form, they are more shelf-stable and take up less space. 

The best part of this acquisition from the farm’s standpoint has been cutting out the hours spent on the road: No more transporting truckloads of fresh hops to an off-site pelleting line. They have also been able to take on limited appointments for custom pelleting at the farm. 

James Shepherd, an infectious disease specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital, is currently involved in a study focused on hops’ antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. 

Smokedown also now provides a hop variety called Teamaker to Harney & Sons. This variety creates a distinctively mild and citrus-driven caffeine-free brew.