A long form article that explores the farming of hops in Aotearoa and the importance of supporting community hubs under threat in Naarm Melbourne. This article is about embracing innovation, locality, and sustainability to drive a narrative of social justice.
Written & images by Haley Kigbo
Late last year I had the opportunity to visit a unique agricultural region nestled at the foot of Kahurangi National Park in the South Island of Aotearoa. This visit was encouraged by my love for funky farmhouse ales and a deep dive into farming Humulus lupulus (hops). Having resided in Naarm for many years I reached out to the farmhouse ale specialists Costa and Eva, founders of La Sirène Brewing, to organise a visit to the hop farm that supplies them with the NZ Hop they use in their signature farmhouse sour ale Paradoxe.
Farming cooperative NZ Hops Ltd put me in touch with MacHops, who have been farming hops for five generations. Impressively, the McGlashen farm has been able to adapt, grow and improve the farming of hops in the Motueka region through what was at times an uncertain and risky commercial venture in Aotearoa. With the universal craft beer furore demanding high quantities of high-quality hops, the original MacHops farm of thirty hectares was outgrown, as Brent and his team converted another eighty-five hectares to farming hops.
Touring the original farm it was clear that this space is the foothold for everything that the McGlashen’s modestly put their name to. There is no doubt they are dedicated to learning everything and anything about hops, just like there is no doubt they are at the forefront of the hop trade. Much like the years of work La Sirène Brewing put into crafting beers that are recognised on the international stage, it’s a kind of dedication that sees farmers, suppliers and retailers work together to improve an industry and nurture a quality product.
Walking through the rows of young bines, it was apparent that the McGlashen’s have worked hard to develop hop diversification and implement sustainable practises. MacHops choose to work with native soil types, implementing companion planting between rows of hops for soil regulation. They switched their coal burner to an eco-friendly wood chip burner that powers custom-built kilns which efficiently dry hops and improve drying consistency. They also helped develop Earth Twine so that the string used to support growing hop bine can be composted with the green waste after harvest and later used as fertiliser. Earth Twine has the potential to collectively eliminate string waste not only in the hop industry, but also the broader horticultural industry.
La Sirène Brewing pairs the NZ Hop variety from MacHops & NZ Hops Ltd with their localised House Yeast and resident airborne wild bacteria from Darebin Parklands. Their signature beer Paradoxe is an incredibly powerful beer, a tribute to innovation and their local environment. The citrusy pineapple aromatics present in this beer aren’t just a flavour profile, they also represent a love for simple quality ingredients nurtured by artisans. However, this unique space for collaboration, community, sustainability and diversity is under threat. La Sirène Brewing along with many other innovative and circular businesses like, Reground, Sporadical City Mushrooms, The Mushroomery, Farmwall, The Melbourne Food Hub Farm, have been asked to vacate their urban space by April this year (2023). After a time of uncertainty starting late last year*, it is important to emphasise how each of these businesses support the wider Naarm community, some even inspiring industry on an international level.
Reground has a recycling point at the Alphington site which helps create a circular economy through waste collection and waste minimisation projects. A nice way of giving back after the sites former use as a landfill tip. Sporadical City Mushrooms grows oyster mushrooms onsite and supplies to some of Naarms top restaurants like Etta, Neighbourhood Wine, Smith and Daughters, Old Palm Liquor, Bar Romantica, Lona Misa, Naughtons Hotel, and many more. The Mushroomery was one of the first to bring organic mushroom farming to the urban agricultural realm in Naarm and has been supplying the local community for many years. Both mushroom farms also offer their mycelium rich hay, waste material from mushroom farming, to avid gardeners, community farms and not-for-profits like Fair Share. Farmwall transforms the future of food through education by offering circular aquaponic systems to schools, businesses, and individuals – something that the Darebin community can champion as our city food systems evolve. The Melbourne Food Hub Farm grows fresh vegetables and cut flowers to the local community and local businesses. Sitting alongside the Alphington Farmers market, these productions have been part of the Alphington and broader Darebin community for many years, some for more than 10 years.
The decision to renew leases now lies with the CEO of Darebin Council, Peter Smith. He can save these foundational businesses and their communities by renewing their leases. As the Melbourne Innovation Centre backs out of leasing, the Darebin Council now has the opportunity to directly lease to each business long term. This site does not need another quick development to replace it, what it needs is support and transparency. Rather than succumbing to the pressure of re-developing another site for profit, support this unique community to continue what they do best. Darebin Council has the chance to act on their ethos that values inclusion, sustainability, service excellence, diversity and inclusion. Please deliver for your local community, there is so much to be proud of.
*Head to the links below for more information on the recent closure of the Melbourne Innovation Centre