Hops processor welcomes 'Dirty Jobs' film crew

The job may not have been all that messy, but that didn't stop "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe from picking hops in the Yakima Valley this week.

"They worked hard and played hard. I liked it," said Ralph Olson, general manager and part owner of Hopunion at 203 Division St. in Yakima. "Why they picked me, I have no idea."

"Dirty Jobs," shown on the Discovery Channel, features Rowe performing difficult, strange and/or grimy occupational duties alongside regular employees. These tasks range from castrating horses to milking and artificially inseminating cows.

Olson said producers unexpectedly called him about six weeks ago, and after communicating back and forth, a nine-member crew came to Yakima on Tuesday to film for a show.

Rowe spent two days picking and inspecting hops, working the kilns that dry the hops and making bales, Olson said. In addition to visiting Hopunion, which provides hop leaves, pellets, extracts and oils to the craft brewery industry, Rowe worked in the fields at Loftus Ranches in Moxee.

The crew left town Thursday morning. There's no word yet on when the show will air, but Olson said it could be any time from January to next October.

"The fun part to see was the whole crew and getting to talk to those guys," Olson said. "They all like beer, so it was an easy deal for me. They said they found Mecca."

A spokesperson for "Dirty Jobs" was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Olson said Rowe was a fun guy and a real gentleman -- both on and off camera.

"He's a professional at what he does," said Olson, adding that Rowe joked about how he'd been repeatedly fired from the QVC shopping network. "He's a character."

The crew had such a good time that they talked about the possibility of returning next spring, Olson said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if one day they'd like to come back again," said Olson, adding that he'd have different jobs for Rowe to do next time. "They're welcome back any time."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.