Apologies for cross-posting.

Help us Evaluate the Northern Grapes Project

Dear Northern Grape growers, winemakers and winery owners:

Over the past five years I’ve had the privilege of being Project Director for the Northern Grapes Project. With funding from the USDA and support from 23 grower and winery associations across 12 states in the Midwest and Northeast, we’ve developed research and education aimed at providing more research-based information on vineyard management, winemaking methods, and marketing and business management options to you. Our overarching goal is to foster the growth and sustainability of the emerging Northern Grapes winery businesses in the Midwest and Northeast.

As we bring this project to a close in 2016, we are asking for your help in evaluating the project.

We have posted a followup survey that asks many of the same questions as our initial Northern Grapes Project Baseline and Economic Impact survey in 2012. Resulting from the Baseline Survey were 12 publications, which can be found at http://northerngrapesproject.org/?page_id=544 (scroll down to “Publications resulting from the Year 1 Baseline Survey.”)

We need to find out how the acreage planted to these varieties and wine production has changed from 2012 to 2016, and estimate the economic contribution to your state’s economy as we did at the start of the project. Results of this survey will help us estimate the overall impact of the project and report it to our funding agency. Data from this survey will be published and we hope will serve as useful resources for building support and recognition for the industry – both in your state and regionally across all the states involved in the project.

The survey will take about thirty minutes to complete, and individual results will be confidential. If you have participated in Northern Grapes Project events or projects, please consider how the project has benefitted you and your industry friends and neighbors, and help us complete this important piece of the project evaluation.

Please help us by participating in this survey. The survey will be open through February 29th.

Survey Link:

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Brigid Tuck at the University of Minnesota Extension. She can be reached at 507-389-6979 or tuckb.

I thank you for your participation!

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850

2016 Northeastern New York and Vermont Winter Grape School

Thursday, March 17, 2016
Time: 8:00 am-4:00 pm

Location: Holiday Inn Lake George, 2223 Canada St (US Route 9), Lake George, NY 12845

Cost: $30.00 per person (includes lunch) Pre-registration is required by March 10, 2016!

The Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program and the University of Vermont Grape Program is offering a one day educational program on Cold Climate Grapes for current or prospective growers in Northeastern NY and VT.

Program: The program will offer 2 concurrent tracks. We hope each operation will be able to send 2 people – one for each track!

Viticulture Track:
Anna Wallis & Terence Bradshaw – Vineyard Practices, Marketing, & Business Management

Enology Track:
Anna Katharine Mansfield & Chris Gerling – Winemaking Techniques: Managing Acids and Polyphenolics

Click the following links to see more information:

Registration Form (PDF; 220KB)

Agenda (PDF; 385KB)

Announcement (PDF; 523KB)

To register on on-line and pay by credit card click here

Charles Bornt

Extension Educator

CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program

Office: 518-272-4210, Ext. 125

Cell: 518-859-6213

http://enych.cce.cornell.edu/

Apologies for cross-posting.

Here’s an announcement for a webinar series on nursery stock and the National Clean Plant Network. Its aimed especially at producers in the East, but may be of interest also to others. A one-page PDF flier is also attached. One-time online registration is required.

Thursdays at Noon (Eastern Time). March 10, 17, 24, and 31.

Clean Plants for the Future of the Eastern Wine and Grape Industry

How the National Clean Plant Network, new testing protocols and a revitalized NY certification program will reduce the risk of nursery-transmitted viral pathogens.

Since 2008, National Clean Plant Network Centers have joined together to efficiently produce, maintain, and distribute healthy grapevine budwood to the industry. These materials are starting to make their way to nurseries, and ultimately, to end-users. This four-part webinar series will cover the process of producing and distributing virus-tested plant material, graft-transmissible diseases and their impact, New York State’s new testing and certification program, and New York nurseries’ investment in new motherblocks and propagation procedures.

March 10: The Pipeline: From tissue culture to your vineyard.

Joshua Puckett, FPS, UC Davis and Tim Martinson, Cornell University

March 17: Viral diseases transmitted through nursery stock in the East: Grapevine Leafroll Disease, Tomato Ringspot, and Grapevine Red Blotch

Marc Fuchs, Cornell University; Annemiek Schilder, Michigan State University; and Mizuho Nita, Virginia Tech

March 24: Crown gall biology and management; Value of virus-tested plant material.

Tom Burr, Cornell University and Shadi Atallah, University of New Hampshire

March 31: New York’s revitalized grapevine certification program, and New York nurseries’ plans for the future

Marc Fuchs, Cornell University; Margaret Kelly, NYS Department of Ag and Markets; Dennis Rak, Double A Vineyards; Eric Amberg, Grafted Grape Nursery; Fred Merwarth, Hermann Weimer Nursery

Preregistration is required. Register online at: http://tinyurl.com/NCPNgrapes

For more information and list of speakers:

https://grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/extension/ncpn-webinar-series-clean-plants-future

Timothy E. Martinson, Ph.D

Senior Extension Associate

Section of Horticulture,School of Integrative Plant Science

New York State Agricultural Experiment Station

Cornell University

PH 315-787-2448

FAX: 315-787-2216

Cell: 607-592-2616

http://hort.cals.cornell.edu/people/timothy-martinson

Clean Plants for the Future Webinar Series.pdf

Apologies for cross-posting.

Here is information about the upcoming NGP webinar.

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

“Branding and Best Management Practices for Cold Hardy Wines and Wineries”

Bill Gartner Dan McCole

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

12:00 Noon Eastern (11:00 am Central)

7:00 pm Eastern (6:00 pm Central)

Branding is a marketing activity that aims to establish an image in the consumer’s mind in order to attract and keep customers. Because of dramatic recent growth, branding is especially important in cold-climate wine regions where consumers (and potential consumers) are less familiar with cold-hardy wines and the areas where they are produced. The key to a successful and sustainable cold-hardy wine industry relies on creating a positive images in consumers’ minds of cold-hardy wines, emerging wine regions and the individual wineries. In this webinar, Bill Gartner of the University of Minnesota and Dan McCole of Michigan State University will share best practices for branding cold-hardy wines based on several branding-related studies conducted recently as part of the Northern Grapes Project.

If you have received this email from someone other than Chrislyn Particka, you need to register via the link below:

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9npPU5gPibzoTLn

Registering for one Northern Grapes Webinar will place you on the mailing list, and you will receive announcements and connection instruction for all further Northern Grapes Webinars.

Registration will close at 8 am (Eastern) on Friday, February 5th.

Registration is NOT required if you received this email directly from Chrislyn Particka, as it means that you are a member of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

All members of the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list will receive an email the Friday before the webinar containing the web address (URL) for both webinar sessions as well as connection instructions.

There is no charge for this webinar. If you cannot attend one of the live sessions, recordings of all webinars are posted on our website (http://northerngrapesproject.org/?page_id=257) within one week of the webinar date.

Feel free to email Chrislyn Particka (cap297) with any questions, if you want to check your registration status, or if you’d like to be removed from the Northern Grapes Webinar mailing list.

Please note: WebEx will no longer be supporting the following operating systems:
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows XP
• Mac OS X 10.6
This means that WebEx users will be unable to join or start WebEx meetings, or use any other WebEx application from computers that use these operating systems. Please upgrade computers to a supported operating system so you can continue to use WebEx without interruption.

Further Northern Grapes Project information is available on-line at

 

The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850.

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

I am forwarding this request to participate in a grape survey with USDA from Gary Keogh in the Concord, NH office. This survey is critically important to maintain an accurate count of the scope of the grape industry in New England. Results are used to apply for research and outreach funds, develop crop insurance opportunities, and advocate for the grape and wine industry. Participation is encouraged regardless of the scale/size of your operation.

Thanks,

Terry

From: Keough, Gary – NASS [mailto:Gary.Keough@nass.usda.gov]
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2016 11:22 PM
Subject: New England Grape Survey, press release

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, New England Field Office is about to conduct the 2015 New England Grape Production and Value Survey. Last year the survey results indicated the value of New England grown grapes sold in 2014 to be $4.2 million. We were able to publish some State estimates but limited response for some States didn’t allow us to do so. The results were published in the 2014 New England End of Season Fruit and Vegetable Yield and Price Report, http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/Special_Reports/eos2015v2.pdf

I’m asking for your help to encourage grape producers to respond. We will be mailing questionnaires in late January and phoning those that do not respond around mid-February. Below is a press release we will be sending out to press release email subscribers. If you are not already receiving our press releases or survey results you can do so at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England/Subscribe_to_New_England_Reports/index.php.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Gary R. Keough, State Statistician

U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service

Field Operations | New England Field Office

53 Pleasant St. Room 3450

Concord, NH 03301

T: 603-227-3129 | F: 603-225-1434 | M: 603-568-6535

Gary_Keough | www.nass.usda.gov

NEWS RELEASE

United States Department of Agriculture

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE

New England Field OFFICE

53 Pleasant St. Rm 3450, Concord, NH 03301

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Gary Keough
January 18, 2016	(603) 227-3129

USDA TO MEASURE NEW ENGLAND GRAPE PRODUCTION AND VALUE

Concord, New Hampshire – According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the number of New England grape growers and the acres planted to grapes continued to show substantial growth over the last few years. To learn more about the trends of New England grape production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now conducting the 2015 New England Grape Production and Processing Survey.

“The New England Grape Industry has been asking for more data on the types of grapes grown and the value of production,” said Gary Keough, State Statistician of the NASS New England Field Office. “This is an opportunity for New England grape growers and processors to provide more detailed data to that shows the economic importance of their industry.”

NASS will mail the survey in late-January to all grape growers and processors in New England. The survey will look at the acreage, production, value of production, and utilization of the 2015 grape crop.

“The results of the survey will help show the importance of grape production in New England,” Keough noted. “In addition, the information can help producers make informed decisions about the future of their own farming operations.”

Recipients are requested to respond by mail by February 29, 2016. NASS will publish the results in April 2016. For more information about the New England Grape Production and Value Survey, call (603) 227-3129.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Gary R. Keough, State Statistician

U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service

Field Operations | New England Field Office

53 Pleasant St. Room 3450

Concord, NH 03301

T: 603-227-3129 | F: 603-225-1434 | M: 603-568-6535

Gary_Keough | www.nass.usda.gov