Hops give the 2nd best experience for leveling up your Farming skill in a single season (102 to 126 depending on how fast you grow it to maturity). It is only beaten out by a mature Ancient Fruit crop. A large amount of Hops Starters can be a great way to quickly level up your Farming skill your first summer.
Selling Hops Starter made from the Seed Maker can be more profitable than selling the Hops directly, and also potentially generates Ancient Seeds. Pale Ale and Pickled Hops are more profitable, but the Seed Maker only takes 20 in-game minutes.