November 20th Northern Grapes Project Webinar registration is open

The Northern Grapes Project Webinar Series

“Trellis Design and Construction and Pruning Fundamentals Prior to Your First Cut”

Steve Lerch Mike White

Cornell University Iowa State University

November 20th, 2014

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

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

Steve Lerch of Cornell University and Mike White of Iowa State University will present a two-part webinar on trellis design/construction and pruning basics. Steve’s portion of the webinar will cover the materials, equipment, and methods used to build a sound trellis that will stand the test of time. Mike’s portion of the webinar will cover the pruning fundamentals you need to know, prior to making the first cut, that will dramatically increase the chances of reaching that ideal vine balance (aka: nirvana in the vineyard) that we all read about but seldom achieve.

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 Monday before the webinar containing the web address (URL) for both webinar sessions as well as connection instructions.

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

https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4UuuZOElmDXT9kN

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 Monday, November 17th.

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.

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 and through the New York State Specialty Crops Block Program.

Chrislyn A. Particka, PhD

Extension Support Specialist

Cornell University

Department of Horticultural Sciences

630 W. North Street

Geneva, NY 14456

cap297

315-787-2449 (desk)

315-787-2216 (fax)

www.northerngrapesproject.org

2014 Tile Drainage School, Capital District November 12

This may be of interest to area growers. -TB

 

Hi folks,  We already have over 30 registrants.  Please do not wait until the last minute to register.  I know this topic is important to many of you. We have a great program planned.  See you there.  Aaron Gabriel

 

Register at http://cnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=157  or by calling (315) 866-7920. 

 

2014 Tile Drainage School at “The Factory Eatery”

20 Prospect Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

November 12, 2014

10:00a-3:00p

You will learn:

Tile drainage Economics and Agronomic Benefits

Conservation Compliance

Installing Drainage Systems

Minimizing Environmental Risks of the Drainage water

$40.00 per person and includes lunch.  Register by November 7th, 2014, space is limited.  3 Certified Crop Advisor CEU’s  available in Soil and Water Management! 

Register at http://cnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=157  or by calling (315) 866-7920. 

Aaron Gabriel                     Kevin Ganoe                               Ashley Pierce

(518) 380-1496                         (315) 219-7786                         (518) 272-4210

adg12@cornell.edu                    khg2@cornell.edu                      arp253@cornell.edu

 

Aaron Gabriel, Sr. Extension Resource Educator, Agronomy

Cornell Cooperative Extension 518-380-1496 cell

415 Lower Main St.                   518-746-2560 office

Hudson Falls, NY 12839           adg12@cornell.edu

www.fieldcrops.org

Cornell Cooperative Extension

Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program

http://blogs.cornell.edu/capitalareaagandhortprogram/

Grape Industry Advisory Meeting Announcement – Final

October 14, 2014

North Country Grape Industry
Advisory Meeting
With Dinner and Tour

Thursday, November 6, 2014
Willsboro & Keeseville, NY

You’re invited on a tour of on-going research projects and a meeting to advise the future of the cold-hardy wine grape industry in the North Country.
Cornell Cooperative Extension needs your input for determining the future of the grape industry in northern New York and Vermont! We invite you to participate in a tour of our grape variety trial at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm followed by an advisory meeting. This meeting is open to wineries and current or prospective grape growers, interested in growing cold-hardy grape varieties.
Your input will be used to guide the future of the wine grape variety trial at the Willsboro Research Farm and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s involvement in the industry.

We are trying to capture everyone from licensed wineries and amateur and potential growers/winemakers. Participants should complete page #2 of the attached registration form and return it with their $10 registration fee to the address listed.

For more information, contact:

Anna Wallis

CCE Extension Associate – Fruit Specialist

Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program

6064 State Route 22 Suite 5

Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Cell: 443.421.7970

Fax: 518.561.0183

aew232

Willsboro Advisory Meeting Nov 2014.docx

UVM ‘Cider apple’ research earns USDA grant

UVM Food Systems Faculty awarded USDA Federal State Market Improvement Program grant to study apple production systems to support hard cider industry.

Hard cider is big business in Vermont and across the U.S., with average annual growth of over 50% nationwide for the past five years. However, little research has been conducted in the U.S. on costs of production for apples grown for hard cider production, opportunities to reduce inputs and change management practices in cider apple orchards, or economic impact of cider apple production systems. University of Vermont faculty Terence Bradshaw, Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist, and David Conner, Agricultural Economist, were awarded a multi-year, $75,000 USDA grant (“Orchard Economic Assessment to Support Vermont Hard Cider Production”) to conduct that research through collaborations with commercial apple growers and cideries in Vermont. Supporting partners providing matching funds include Vermont Hard Cider Company and Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association. Specific objectives of the project include: an evaluation of production costs to grow apples specifically for processing into hard cider; quantification of per-acre yield and fruit quality of cider-grown fruit in diverse orchard systems; identification of orchard management practices that may be modified to enhance profitability of cider apple production systems, and; calculation of economic impact on the cidery industry using different scenarios based on the results of the above objectives. The project builds on work presently being conducted by the investigators through a complementary project, “Apple Market Optimization and Expansion through Value-Added Hard Cider Production”, funded by the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. More information on the recent USDA awards can be found here and a list of FSMIP project awards is available here.

Northern Grapes Project: October News You Can Use: Wine Deacidification

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News You Can Use

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Wine Deacidification

The effectiveness of seed crystals to reduce acidity is being evaluated in La Crescent, Frontenac, and Frontenac gris in a study at Cornell University.

photo: Chris Gerling

One of the challenges in making wine from cold-hardy cultivars is the high acid levels in the grapes.  Therefore, one of the objectives for the Northern Grapes Project Enology Team is to optimize deacidification methods for these cultivars, which has been a focal point in their research projects and outreach activities.

As harvest is either underway or complete in most of the cold-climate states, now is a good time to review deacidification strategies.  Two Northern Grapes Project webinars (Managing Acidity in the Wineryand Malolactic Fermentation) and two newsletter articles (Necessary Evil: Chemical Deacidification for High Acid Wineand Using Selected Yeast Strains to Reduce Wine Total Acidity) have focused on this topic.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Practical Considerations for Managing Wine Acidity by Ellen Butz.

 

Managing High Acidity in Grape Must and Wine by Jim Harbertson and Thomas Henick-Kling.

Cider Apple Survey: Please respond by September 1

August 25, 2014

As part of the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative-funded project “Apple Market Optimization and Expansion through Value-Added Hard Cider Production,” we are conducting a survey of orchards and commercial hard cider makers to assess demands and production capacity for apples that may be destined for the hard cider market. There are two surveys, please complete the one most appropriate for your business. If you both grow fruit and make hard cider as separate or related businesses, please feel free to complete both surveys. Wineries that produce apple-based products are also invited to participate.

Even if you don’t make cider or sell fruit to cideries, it is important to complete the survey in order to assess Vermont’s capacity to continue to serve a leading role in this growing market.

Orchard survey:
https://survey.uvm.edu/index.php/635332/lang-en

Cidery survey:
https://survey.uvm.edu/index.php/957663/lang-en

Please complete these short surveys before September 1.

The hard cider industry is growing at a rapid pace, with annual sales growth of over 50% for each of the past five years. Through this project we will: identify production capacity and needs for market expansion; identify orchard production system and varieties suited for hard cider; and conduct economic analysis to determine price points for cider apples. This survey will provide important baseline data that will inform this and future apple research that will support increased market expansion for Vermont-grown fruit.

Terence Bradshaw, UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist


Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.
Always read the label before using any pesticide.
The label is the legal document for the product use.
Disregard any information in this newsletter if it is in conflict with the label.

The UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Program is supported by the University of Vermont Agriculture Experiment Station, a USDA NIFA E-IPM Grant, and USDA Risk Management Agency Funds.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR 2012 FRUIT CROP LOSSES ANNOUNCED

August 7, 2014

From Pam Smith at UVM Extension Risk Management:

DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR 2012 FRUIT CROP LOSSES ANNOUNCED
Enrollment Began July 22
Producers who experienced losses to bush or tree fruit crops due to frost, freeze or other weather-related conditions during the 2012 crop year may be eligible for assistance through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). The program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides supplemental NAP payments to eligible producers.

Farmers who did not have access to crop insurance and are in primary and adjacent counties that received a Secretarial disaster designation because of frost or freeze in 2012 are eligible for NAP assistance. Losses due to weather damage or other adverse natural occurrences may also qualify for program assistance.

Vermont counties eligible for 2012 NAP fruit crop assistance are Addison, Bennington and Rutland Counties.

NAP enrollment begins July 22, 2014. Applications must be submitted to FSA county offices by Sept. 22, 2014.

To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses are encouraged to collect records documenting these losses in preparation for sign-up. Producers also are encouraged to contact their FSA county office to schedule an appointment. Limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and beginning producers are eligible for premium reductions and also may be eligible for fee reductions.
Interested producers can view the 2012 NAP Coverage for Frost, Freeze or Weather Related Fruit Losses Fact Sheet at http://go.usa.gov/5kSQ, or visit a local FSA office. To find out if land is located in an eligible frost/freeze county, visit http://go.usa.gov/53rz.

Terence Bradshaw, UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Specialist

Where trade names or commercial products are used for identification, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.
Always read the label before using any pesticide.
The label is the legal document for the product use.
Disregard any information in this newsletter if it is in conflict with the label.

The UVM Tree Fruit and Viticulture Program is supported by the University of Vermont Agriculture Experiment Station, a USDA NIFA E-IPM Grant, and USDA Risk Management Agency Funds.