Hop picking

We grew up in Kent, the home of hops. For the past twenty or so years the Kentish hop season has become shorter and shorter, as imported hops from Germany and America prove more cost efficient for British beer.
Hop farms have closed all over the place, and some have managed to hold on. For those that remain, things are looking better. On the farm we worked on for a few harvests, they are replanting the fields that 4 years ago they grubbed. This is no cheap undertaking, so times must be good.
On the farm they still retain the tradition of workers coming down for a season from London. Some of them have grandparents that also worked there.
This is a picture section…..so here is one of ginger and some other hop picking crew.