Hoppy Times at Cloverfield Organic Farm

We are harvesting our organic Cascade hops cones at Cloverfield Organic Farm now, in mid-August.  We will air-dry them and package them for sale in our farm shed or for purchase on our website store.  They can be purchased now while they are still fresh, or we will package them up for sale once they are dried.

Ripe Cascade Hops Cones

Cascade hops are the most famous plant used to flavor American craft beer. Released in 1971 by the USDA breeding program, this special green cone-shaped flower single-handedly started the modern craft beer revolution. It is a hardy, fast-growing vine that brewers use to give beer a signature bright grapefruit citrus and soft floral taste.

🍋 Flavor and Aroma Profile

Cascade is a "dual-purpose" hop, meaning it can add both pleasant bitterness and great smell to a brew.

Main Flavors: Strong grapefruit zest, sharp citrus, and clean pine or pineapple.

• Underlying Notes: Soft floral petals, fresh-cut grass, and light herbal spices.

• The "Terroir" Effect: Funnily enough, Cascade hops taste different depending on where they grow! Ours will have a characteristic Cloverfield Organic Farm taste profile.

🍺 Famous Beer Styles

If you have ever had an American craft beer, you have likely tasted Cascade hops.

• American Pale Ale (APA): Cascade defined this style. It is the star ingredient in the famous Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

• India Pale Ale (IPA): Used heavily for "late-hopping" or "dry-hopping" to give West Coast IPAs a massive fruit aroma without making them too bitter.

• Other Brews: You will also find it in crisp lagers, dark porters, and sweet wheat beers.

🏡 Growing at Home

Because Cascade is a public variety and not trademarked, anyone can grow it in their backyard! We have a few potted plants available to purchase at our farm.  They are easy to grow and just need a fence or tall support to grow up onto each year.

• Growth: They are wildly fast growers, exploding from the ground in spring to reach up to 20 feet tall by the summer.

• Sun and Soil: They need full sun (6+ hours) and rich soil that drains well so the roots do not rot.

• Hardiness: They are very tough plants, able to survive freezing winter zones as cold as USDA Zone 4. El Sobrante is in Zone 9, so there are no issues with cold weather here!

Hops Growing on a Sunny Wire Fence

Cascade hops possess strong medicinal properties, making them highly valued by herbalists as a natural sleep aid. Long before they were used to make craft beer, humans used the hop plant (Humulus lupulus) to treat anxiety, calm the stomach, and heal the body. Because Cascade hops are packed with rich essential oils like myrcene and humulene, they are an excellent choice for natural home remedies.

💤 How Hops Help You Sleep

The powerful sedative properties of hops were first discovered when workers harvesting the plants kept falling asleep on the job. When you consume or inhale Cascade hops, they interact with your brain to cause drowsiness in several ways:

• Boosts GABA: Hops increase GABA, a chemical in the brain that acts like a "brake pedal" for your nervous system. It slows down racing thoughts and tells your body it is time to rest.

• Activates Melatonin: Natural compounds in the hops plant turn on your melatonin and adenosine receptors, which directly control your body's sleep-wake clock.

• Outcompetes Caffeine: Some scientific studies suggest that the chemicals in hops can actually block caffeine from sticking to your brain cells, helping you sleep even if you had coffee too late in the day.

• Give You Happy Dreams: the lupulin in hops are considered a hypnogogic as they interact with your endocannabinoid system in your brain to induce pleasant dreams during sleep.

🌿 Other Medicinal Qualities

Beyond helping you sleep, Cascade hops offer several other notable health benefits:

• Relieves Anxiety and Stress: Hops serve as a "relaxing nervine," which means they soothe nervous tension, irritability, and panic.

• Eases Physical Tension: It works as an antispasmodic to relax tightly wound muscles, stomach aches, and painful menstrual cramps.

• Aids Digestion: The intense bitterness of the hop plant stimulates stomach enzymes to help your body break down fats and heavy foods.

• Cools Hot Flashes: Hops contain phytoestrogens, which mimic estrogen in the body and can help ease the symptoms of menopause.  

🛏️ Ways to Use Cascade Hops for Sleep

1. The Hop Pillow (No Ingestion Required)

If you do not want to drink a bitter beverage, you can make a "dream pillow". Simply take a small cloth pouch and fill it with dried, whole-cone Cascade hops. You can mix in dried lavender, mint, or chamomile to improve the scent. Place it inside your pillowcase; as you move during the night, the friction releases the sedating essential oils for you to breathe in.

2. Bedtime Hop Tea

You can brew a soothing tea by pouring boiling water over a few dried hop cones. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Warning: This tea will taste incredibly bitter! It is highly recommended to blend your Cascade hops with peppermint, chamomile, or honey to mask the sharp flavor. Cloverfield Raw Honey is perfect for sweetening a bitter brew of Cascade Hops.

3. Herbal Blends and Tinctures

Hops can work even better for sleep when paired with other calming herbs. A mix with lemon balm is one suggested combination.  Other sleep-promoting combinations are valerian root or passionfruit.

A Big Harvest of Cascade Hops

⚠️ Safety Note: Because hops are strong sedatives, you should not use them if you already take prescription sleeping pills or alcohol. Because they mimic estrogen, consult a doctor if you are pregnant or have hormone-sensitive health conditions.  

This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, please consult a professional.