Mark Johnson of MI local Hops photographed on the deck of the old High Pointe Golf Course Clubhouse
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or the last year, Mark Johnson has been entrenched on the rolling greens of renowned High Pointe golf course, and his swing hasn’t benefited one bit. His vision is blurred with Beer Goggles, thanks to listening to a crazy idea on a new venture that his business partner, Dan Taber, raved about. Dan was inspired by Empire farmer Dan Wiesen’s recent success in growing and producing commercial Hops.
Today the partners wait for the fruits of their labor to materialize. After undertaking a massive operation, they are banking heavily on High Pointe for its “Hoppy Potential.” You see, the once acclaimed Tom Doak–designed golf course located on M-72 has been drastically overhauled. The golf greens are gone, and it’s strategically been transformed into a Hops farm to cultivate another kind of green gold. Thousands of wood poles and cable line the vista, waiting for the bines to grow and hop to it! Mark and his partners are creating The Napa Valley of Beer with 400 acres of hops planted solely to capitalize on the thriving explosion of the Craft Brew Industry. In these very soon to be glorious green fields, their dream will become a reality, doubling the production of Hops in the entire state of Michigan.
Mark is the epitome of Living the Northern Michigan Dream. As we sat by the sparkling blue Grand Traverse Bay chatting, we asked about what brought him here. He points to the bay and says, “We’re looking at it. Of all the six continents, we live in the Best Place on Earth!” With a background in the Air Force and college years spent at the University of Michigan, Mark, like so many others, summered here. The turning point for him was when a friend planted roots in Northern Michigan by opening up a surf shop. “That was it. I loved travelling for my work, but I was done, I had hit the wall with it,” says Mark. That was 1989, and Northern Michigan has been home ever since—“not long enough to be called a native, but long enough not to be called a fudgie!” laughs Mark. MAY/JUNE 2016 | BAY LIFE NORTH
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