SOLON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa's newest and largest hops farm is harvesting its first commercial crop that's already supplying local craft brewers around the region. Buck Creek owner Mark Pattison expects to harvest about 1,000 pounds of hops this year, but that's just a fraction of what he and his partners hope to grow in the coming seasons. Pattison said it's beneficial for them in creating batches of "wet hops" beer, using the cones straight off the vine before they're processed and dried. [...] what could set Buck Creek apartment from its competitors in the long run is the up-front investment Pattison and his team have put in to establish a larger operation with automated equipment, he said.