YCR was started in the late 1980’s as three hop-farming families — the Carpenters, Smiths, and Perraults —came together to form a new hop production and research farm in the Yakima Valley under the name Yakima Chief Ranches.
Yakima Chief Ranches is proud to work with a diverse group of growers in the Pacific Northwest. To assure hop supply is met for brewers, we continue to expand and manage the amount of grower acreage. Beginning in 2011 with the three grower owners, YCR has now expanded across three states — Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Of the 43 farms we work with, there are multigeneration to first-generation operations. Each farm brings unique value to the hop industry, lending knowledge and inspiration to continue growing the finest hops possible.
