Ohio Grape-Wine Electronic Newsletter

Editor: Imed Dami, PhD
Assistant Professor, Viticulture Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
1680 Madison Avenue
Wooster, OH 44691-4096
Phone: (330)-263-3882
Fax: (330)-263-3887
E-mail: dami.1@osu.edu
 www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/grapeweb/
 

2 November 2006
 
 
===========================================================
 Content:
 
Harvest Wrap-up
2007 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference
"Ask The Experts" Panel
What's up with MALB?
Want to learn more about MALB?
Grant Funds Opportunities
Value-Added Grant Awards
Upcoming Events
 ============================================================


 Harvest Wrap-up
by Dr. Imed Dami, HCS-OARDC

Harvest has been challenging to say the least. Persistent rain and cool weather during fruit ripening in September and October were conditions that promoted high rot incidence and less than ideal fruit ripening of mid to late season varieties. Sugars were lower and acids were higher than normal. Why? Photosynthesis, the engine that manufactures sugars, is less efficient under cool and cloudy days experienced during September and October. In addition cool nights are not favorable for acid breakdown. Malic acid is a predominant acid in grape berries and its breakdown (through respiration) increases with increased ambient temperature. Thus cool days means less respiration and higher acids. Deacidification during wine making needs to be used to resolve this problem in the winery. Contact Todd Steiner (steiner.4@osu.edu) for ways to deacidify wines. Add to that, we have experienced higher than normal depredation from wildlife (birds, deer, and raccoons). Killing frost, in general, occurred about normal and forced growers to harvest grapes still hanging from very late varieties. It is definitely not an exceptional vintage year as was 2005....However, many wineries are pleased with flavors and aromas of the harvested fruit even though they were low in sugar. This is another proof that Brix doesn't tell the whole story about flavor and aroma development. I suspect that the lower than normal yield due to an early spring frost has contributed to these observations.  This "natural thinning" may have been a "blessing in disguise" and has yielded an "unexpected good fruit quality" from a "fair season".


 What's New in the 2007 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference
by Dr. Imed Dami, HCS-OARDC

The 2007 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference (formerly known as Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course) will be held on 12-13 February 2007 at the Shisler Conference Center at OARDC in Wooster, OH. Several changes have been made to this annual educational event with the primary objective to make the conference more affordable, more informative and more diverse in topics to reach a wider audience. These changes have been made based on feedback from members of the grape and wine industry in Ohio and evaluations that we have collected in previous years. Why the name change?  Our industry has expanded tremendously in the past decade or so and needs for more educational programs and training in the field of viticulture and enology have increased as a result. The Viticulture and Enology Program at OSU has delivered, in addition to the annul short course, numerous workshops (13 in 2005-2005) at OARDC and throughout the state. Our intent in the future is to provide half-day and/or all-day short courses in viticulture and enology with specific topics to satisfy the needs of our new and existing producers. In order to avoid confusing the newly-developed "short courses" with the "Ohio Grape -Wine Short Course", the name has been changed. Expect a conference announcement postcard in the mail within the next week or so. On behalf of the Viticulture and Enology Program at OSU, I would like to extend my thanks to all members of the grape and wine industry representing OWPA and OGIC for sharing their ideas and suggestions toward a common goal of assisting the growth of our industry.  I'll follow up with more information in the next O-GEN issue.


"Ask the Experts" -- New Panel Session at the 2007 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference: 
by Dr. Imed Dami, HCS-OARDC

One of the new additions to the 2007 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference is to include a panel of "Experts" in the field of grape growing, diseases, insects, weeds, wine making, and marketing. Specialists will answer questions provided by producers. In order to cover a wide range of questions and answers and make best use of time, questions will be solicited before the conference and compiled on a first-come first-serve basis. Each question will be addressed by the "Expert" in that field. Please send your questions to the following: We look forward to your questions, so please keep them coming...


 What's up with MALB? 
by Dr. Roger Williams, and Dan Fickle, Entomology-OARDC
 
It has been a slow year for the Multicolored Lady Beetle (MALB) in Ohio vineyards. We attribute this to a season with reduced aphid activity. Particularly on soybeans, very few aphids were seen on the crop until the last few days of the season in a few scattered places. After the soybeans began to turn brown and lose their leaves a few aphids were found on buckthorn, an alternate host, where the aphids overwinter. In general, we have to have a substantial aphid population in order to see large numbers of Lady Beetles. However, Lady Beetles can feed on many different kinds of aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects such as scales, psyllids, tiny worms, etc. There is reason to believe that we may have more Lady Beetles next year.
 

Want to Learn More about MALB? 
by Dr. Roger Williams, and Dan Fickle, Entomology-OARDC

For those that are interested in learning more about the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (MALB) there will be a special meeting in Northeast, PA on Wednesday Nov. 29th 2006 devoted entirely to the Asian Lady Beetle. 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
American Legion Post 150 17 South Mill Street, Northeast, PA  16428

Featured Speakers include:      Deputy Secretary Cheryl L. Cook, PDA
                                                Mr. Kevin Ker, Brock University
                                                Dr. Tom Baker, Penn State University
                                                Mr. Jay Hardenberg, Nat’l Grape Cooperative
                                                Dr. Gary Pickering, Brock University
                                                Dr. Roger Williams, Ohio State University
         
Please join us in a discussion of the problem, its effect, and the current state of research into possible solutions. The meeting is FREE but registration is required in order to receive a lunch.  For registration please RSVP by November 20th to:
       
                       Erie County Extension Office
                       Attn: MALB
                       850 East Gore Road
                       Erie, PA  16509-3798
                       814-825-0900

Direct questions to:            Andy Muza, 814-825-0900 or ajm4@psu.ed or
                                Mark Chien, 717-394-6851 or mlc12@psu.edu


 Grant Funds Opportunities for Producers:
(Source: Facts for Fancy Fruits 06-10)

Any farmer or rancher will tell you that there is always room to implement a new idea to improve their operation.  The problem is that those ideas usually require money.  Now there is a solution to help match funds with the most innovative ideas.   The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Program is currently accepting applications for their 2006 Farmer Rancher grant program.  NCR-SARE awards grants to farmers and ranchers for on-farm research, demonstrations, and education projects.  By providing funds ranging from $6,000 per individual grant to up to $18,000 for grants awarded to groups of three or more, NCR-SARE helps facilitate essential agricultural research and development.  Funded topics include pest and disease management, soil conservation, local marketing, public education, waste management, agri-tourism, crop diversity, aqua-culture, and many others. NCR-SARE grants are awarded based on the applicants ability to describe how their project will be sustainable in terms of having long-term profitability, being good for the environment, producing healthy foods, being socially responsible and supporting their community.
 
Last year NCR-SARE funded 47 grants totaling $414,489. This year farmers and ranchers throughout the North Central Region will once again have the opportunity to apply for roughly $400,000 in grant assistance.  The 12 states that comprise the North Central Region are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.  The NCR-SARE program receives its funding through the United States Department of Agriculture.
 
Grant proposals are due in the NCR-SARE office by December 1, 2006. Interested applicants may contact NCR-SARE at 1-800-529-1342 or ncrsare@unl.edu.  The current Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals application can be found on the NCR-SARE web site at http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/prod.htm.  Previous project reports are made available through the national SARE web site at www.sare.org.


 Value-Added Federal Grant Awards to Ohio Producers:

[Editors comments -- please open attached press release -- One of our wineries in Ohio, Maize Valley Farm Market Ltd. was awarded $83,721 in value-added grants]

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Office awarded $630,471 in Value-Added Producer Grant funding to seven recipients during the FY 2006 funding cycle. The funding will help Ohio’s agriculturally related businesses increase their profitability.
 
“We continue to see a growing and emerging value-added agriculture sector in Ohio as producers seek new ways to become more entrepreneurial and profitable,” said State Director Randy Hunt. “The Value-Added Agriculture Producer Grant program continues to help Ohio farmers and agri-related enterprises reach their business development goals.”
 
There were 194 Value-Added applications approved nationally totaling $22.6 million. Some of the funding was targeted to the development of alternative fuels from renewable energy sources – part of President Bush’s comprehensive national energy policy.
 
Ohio’s seven successful applicants included: Select Sires, Inc. receiving $300,000, Egg Tech. Ltd. receiving $94,500, Maize Valley Farm Market Ltd. receiving $83,721, Jackson Farms Energy, LLC receiving $53,500, Dale Stokes Raspberry Farm, LLC receiving $34,500, Ohio Corn Grower Association receiving $33,000 and Mercer Landmark, Inc. receiving $31,250.
 
Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities, such as feasibility studies or business plans, or to provide working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based bio energy projects.
 
Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. The Value-Added Producer Grant program was authorized by the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 and the 2002 Farm Bill.
 
USDA Rural Development serves as the lead federal entity for rural development needs, and administers program assistance through three agencies: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. Further information on USDA Rural Development can be obtained by contacting any USDA Service Center or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.


 Upcoming Events:
 
November 9-11, Southeast Strawberry Expo, Sunset Beach, NC (near Wilmington). Farm tour, intensive workshops on Strawberry Plasticulture ABCs and High Tunnel Production, tradeshow, many educational sessions on production and marketing. For more information, contact the NC Strawberry Association, 919-542-3687 or ncstrawberry@mindspring.com

November 14, Horticulture High Tunnel Workshop, Fisher Auditorium OARDC Wooster.  The workshop starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m.  Cost of the workshop is $65 and includes a local food luncheon, a tour of the high tunnels at OARDC, trade show and reference materials.  Please contact Leah Miller, Director of The Small Farm Institute, at 740-545-6349 or leah@smallfarminstitute.org for more information.

December 5-7, Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO. DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.glexpo.com..
 
January 7-9, 2007, Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Olympia Resort and Conference Center, Oconomowoc, www.wisconsinfreshproduce.org
 
Jan. 8-9, 2007, Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference and Trade Show, Holiday Inn North, Lexington, KY. Contact John Strang 859-257-5685; e-mail jstrang@uky.edu

January 11-13, Illinois Specialty Crop and Agritourism Conference Crown Plaza Hotel, Springfield IL.  For more information contact Rick Weinzierl, 217-244-2126

January 15-17, Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress, Ohio Direct Agricultural Marketing Conference, Mid American Human Resource Conference and National Bramble Conference, Greater Columbus Convention Center.
 
January 25-28, 2007, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Conference. The Galt House Hotel and Suites, Louisville, Ky. For more information (678) 494-0696
 
January 30-February1, 2007, Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Convention. Hershey Lodge &. Convention Center, Hershey PA

February 6, Southern Illinois Tree Fruit School, Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, Illinois. For more information contact Elizabeth Wahle, 618-692-9434.

February 9-12, 2007, North American Strawberry Growers Association Strawberry Symposium. Ventura, California.  More program details (abstract deadlines, keynote speakers, etc.) and opportunities for industry, organization and agency sponsorship will be announced on the NASGA website http://www.nasga.org/.
 
February 12-13, 2007, Ohio Grape and Wine Conference. Shisler Conference Center at OARDC, Wooster, OH. 

February 14-15, 2007, Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Expo  Syracuse, N.Y. For more information  www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/expo.
 
February 16-17, 2007,  North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Conference and Trade Show.  Hyatt Regency Hotel, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For more information www.nafdma.com..

February 27-28, Illinois Small Fruit and Strawberry Schools Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  For more information contact Bronwyn Aly, 618-695-2444