Gary and Susan Wyatt Oral History Interview, February 18, 2015

Partial Transcript: Okay, go ahead.

Segment Synopsis: In this joint interview with married couple Gary and Susan Wyatt, the two share about their lives and involvement in the hop and brewing industry. Susan begins the interview by providing a brief background on her early years, documenting her childhood in Bend, Oregon, and eventually her 2 daughters she raised in the area. Gary follows in a similar suite, sharing about his birth in Reno, Nevada before moving to Bend, Oregon where he spent his childhood.
The couple share some of the activities they participated in growing up, Susan focus on her passion for horseback riding growing up. She moves on to briefly share about the career paths of their two children, both involved in academics.
The interview shifts back to Gary where he further elaborates his family's decision to move from Reno to Bend while he was still a baby. He shares about his childhood filled with athletics, hunting, and skiing. He moves forward to speak about his decision to enlist in the navy, where he eventually spent two tours in Vietnam.

Partial Transcript: What was it like growing up in Bend?

Segment Synopsis: Gary shares in greater detail his remembrance of growing up in Bend, again highlighted by his desire to play baseball. The couples explains the changes in Bend that they witnessed throughout the years, specifically the rapid increase in population beginning in the '80s. They focused on the importance of the saw mill to the local community and the employment it provided for so many families.
Susan shares about some of her early employment opportunities, specifically as a receptionist and file clerk at a brokerage house. After the housing crash in 2008, the couple decided to utilize the 5 acres of the land they owned, and after doing some research they decided to use this acreage for hops. In their first year growing hops, they reaped 8 ounces of hops from 50 plants.

Partial Transcript: When we decided to do it, the man who sold us the hops told us he wouldn't guarantee their success.

Segment Synopsis: Susan speaks about their first grow, specifically how quickly the hops grew. You could see them at 2 feet in the morning and grow to 4 feet by the same evening. One of the issues they encountered when they first started growing hops was the lack of availability of hops seeds that were conducive to Oregon climate and soil. Gary mentions that the couple donates hops every year to the Tumalo Hops auction.
The couple shares about the appeal hops buyers had for their hops is in large part due to their variety.

Partial Transcript: So you started the Central Oregon Hop Growers Group

Segment Synopsis: Gary shares about how they initiated the Central Oregon Hop Growers Group which allowed for collaboration among growers to share information and tactics to grow hops in Central Oregon, an idea previously not considered feasible. The group provides information on irrigation, fertilization, variety and much more.
Sacramento is widely considered about as far south as hops can be grown on the west coast. Any geographic location closer to the equator does not provide a substantial climate to grow hops. Latitude is a very important factor in the quality of grows, with the sweet spot being considered near Yakima.

Partial Transcript: What we have to watch is that we can't grow 50 plants if he is the only one that is going to buy it

Segment Synopsis: In this section Gary shares about the supply and demand aspect of their industry, and how they have to manage the amount of hops they plant at the beginning of the season in relation to the demand they anticipate for their hops. The Centennials and Cascades are the best growing hops they have on the farm.
The interview moves forward to the science of a patent that greatly improves their process of growing hops, stopping the stabilizing ropes from sliding off.
They then share about the frequently asked questions that they receive. What is the initial investment? What is the typical return? How much does labor cost? How much manual labor is required?

Partial Transcript: Dried Hops for Aroma Therapy

Segment Synopsis: Susan shares about the various manners in which people utilize hops, ranging from aromatherapy, lip balm, and soap among other things. Gary talks about what he calls the Good Ol Boy Syndrome, an issue that many women face when operating within a male dominated industry such as agriculture. He speaks of experiences when many men have taken issue to the involvement and tactics of women in agriculture. As the interview winds down, they share about the process that occurs once the hops have been picked, and the necessary steps to be taken in order to bring their hops to the market.
The interview concludes with Gary and Susan sharing about their 2015 crop yield, and the fact that they were able to sell all of their product to Bridge 99.