The hop industry is getting hit with layoffs as the Administration finds cuts

As the Administration continues its push to reduce the government workforce, hop growers are feeling the impact.

The Washington Hop Commission says more than $1.5 million was spent on a lab at Washington State University, but now, their researchers no longer work there.

“So that’s establishing a lab, all the instruments that go in the lab, a six-acre research plot, as well as a hop yard, as well as a hop picker, and a kiln facility. There’s a lot of infrastructure that went into place, which was meant to serve him his entire career and to help us with this research. Unfortunately, as of now, that laboratory is empty, and all of his research work is indefinite. We don’t know what’s going to happen next,” said Maggie Elliott.

That facility was established as a hop stress physiology lab. Elliott says the Washington Hop Commission along with other groups invested around $300,000 to launch the program.

Related Stories
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer explains the USDA’s Stage Two Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, including application details, deadlines, and guidance for rural producers.
Bangladesh recently pledged to purchase 700,000 tons of U.S. wheat and has also become a new buyer of American soybeans.
Ethanol exports are expanding on strong demand from Canada and Europe, while DDGS shipments remain broad-based and supportive for feed markets.
Elizabeth Strom of the American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers joined RFD-TV to provide the latest perspective on post-harvest business planning and cropland markets in the Midwest.
Dalton Henry, with U.S. Wheat Associates, joined RFD-TV to provide insight on what the pending trade frameworks may mean for American wheat growers.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Tight feeder supplies and lower placements indicate continued support for the cattle market, with regional impacts heightened in Texas by reduced feeder imports.
National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens shares his outlook on farmland market trends, which remain under close watch as new federal assistance programs roll out — with experts analyzing potential impacts on land values, buying, and stability.
Michelle Perez shares more about the American Farmland Trust’s resource to help farmers and producers plan soil health improvements.
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer outlines the key difference between previous ECAP payments and the Farm Bridge Assistance Program.
Jeff Johnston with CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange explains the growing role of Rural America in supporting the nation’s digital infrastructure.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.