-: My name is Eric Sannerud, and I am a hops farmer.
I grow 80 acres of hops in Minnesota,
and hops are primarily used for brewing.
We sell most of our hops to breweries in Minnesota.
We're a regional grower.
We're not a big grower.
We're not an average-sized grower; we're smaller.
So in order to survive, we're more vertically integrated.
So we grow all of the product that we harvest.
We harvest it all on site; we package it on site.
We sell it direct.
I'm the one selling my product to the brewer.
Hops are perennial, so that means they come back every
single year like a apple tree or a strawberry patch.
And so that means our season's a little different
than an annual crop, but every spring
when the plants are ready, they start growing again.
And we basically grow them throughout the season
and applying chemicals and fertilizers to grow them.
And then we get to the point of harvest,
which is about August here in Minnesota.
And when harvest comes around,
we throw on all the machinery and start harvesting.
Farming is primarily seasonal.
Harvest wraps up in about September,
and by November, Thanksgiving time,
the farm is pretty well put to sleep.
And then, I spend the next months
until Spring comes back around
primarily on the sales track.
And that's really when I have the time
to go out and visit the breweries
and make those relationships.
So that's when I like to go out and do some sales.
For me, it's about finding breweries
we can have a good relationship with.
I want to know you, and I want you to know me.
And so, for me, I think about it as
not so much sales but relationship building
and making sure people know that we're around,
what we have available, what our values are.
And we like to work with brewers who share our values.
So, that's quality, that's transparency,
that's really being authentic
and having a passion inside your business.
And it's not just about the dollars and cents.
It's about something a little bit more.
But really I think the biggest,
unique difference is that I'm the farmer.
I'm the one there talking to you
at your brewery about my product.
It's not a sales guy.
It's not a sales rep; it's not a broker.
It's all connected, and the story
there is really strong.