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 | | Photo by Nathan DeHart Photography |
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Lake County 2014 Winegrape Harvest Wraps Up
Growers Pushed by Compressed Season and Impressed with Quality
 Kelseyville, CA - Winegrape producers throughout Lake County have completed a "fast and furious" harvest yielding flavorful berries that match or exceed the high quality of recent years. Early in the season, vineyard owners and managers reported starting harvest about a week to 10 days earlier than last year due to dry, warm conditions. Growers reported grapes ripening quickly so vineyard crews were charged with picking blocks earlier for nearly all Lake County varietals.
Overall, information about this year's winegrape crop is positive, Lake County Winegrape Commission President Debra Sommerfield confirmed Monday. Read More, Click Here
On a steep hillside high above Clear Lake, workers pick grapes by hand and then carefully load them bucket-by-bucket onto a gondola for the trip down the mountain. (Dorn Vineyard, Kelseyville, Clear Lake AVA)
Photos by Nathan DeHart Photography
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 | | Bruce Bardessono (left), Coastal Viticultural Consultants, and Bruce Merrilees, vineyard manager for Bella Vista Farming, use a neutron probe to take soil moisture measurements at Rooster Vineyard in Kelseyville. Merrilees will use the soil data along with vine and weather information to determine precise irrigation water amounts for this block of grapes. |
Grape Growers Leverage Technology to Manage Vineyard Water Use
Part One in a Series
Kelseyville, CA - In this third consecutive year of drought, water supply and demand once again have become important issues across California. As of early October, more than 80 percent of California is experiencing "extreme" or "exceptional" drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a collaborative effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Integrated Pest Management Seminar: Register Now
Online registration is now available for the 17th Annual Lake & Mendocino Integrated Pest Management Seminar scheduled for Friday, November 14, at the Soper-Reese Theatre in Lakeport.
Sponsored by the UC Cooperative Extension, Mendocino College, and Lake County Winegrape Commission, this event is designed for QAL, QAC, pest control advisors, and agricultural managers and provides 7.0 Continuing Education Hours (1 law, 6 other) as determined by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
To register and pay by credit card:
http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=13761
To register and pay by check: please call 707-463-4495
IMPORTANT NOTE: There will be no at-the-door registration this year. Advance registration is required, so please be sure to sign up in advance. The deadline to register is November 7.
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Winegrape Growers: Complete Water Use Survey
Dear Lake County Winegrower,
As statewide drought conditions continue, understanding the water demands of all users - agricultural, environmental, municipal, industrial - has become increasingly important in our community and throughout California.
To that end, the Lake County Winegrape Commission is conducting a survey to determine current water management practices, strategies, and technologies used by Lake County winegrowers and to identify potential programsto address winegrower needs.
Please take a few minutes to complete the 15-question survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/vineyardwatermgmt
NOTE: Your individual survey responses will NOT be tracked;
only the aggregated data of all survey participants will be reported.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate in the 2014 Winegrower Irrigation Management & Technology Survey.
Questions? Contact the Commission Office at (707) 279-2633.
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Funding Available to Growers Through
State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting applications for a second round of funding for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), authorized by emergency drought legislation (Senate Bill 103).
SWEEP is a unique opportunity for growers to receive financial assistance to install water distribution systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gases. The funding can support a broad range of irrigation-related projects such as pump improvements, equipment to facilitate water saving measures, and other quantifiable water distribution and greenhouse gas reduction management practices.
Up to $150,000 will be provided directly to agricultural operations for water and energy conservation projects that benefit all Californians.
Applications must be submitted electronically using the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST) by Friday November 10, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. PST. NOTE: All applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov
LOCAL RESOURCES
The County of Lake's Office of Emergency Services is available to assist growers with grant writing and help applicants with managing projects. For more information, contact Marisa Chilafoe, Lake County's Emergency Services Manager, at (707) 263-2580 or via e-mail to [email protected]
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Lake County Winegrape Growers Offered
Special Discount for ROOTSTOCK
ROOTSTOCK, a revolutionary conference designed for top-quality grapegrowers, vineyard and winery owners, and winemakers worldwide, will be held Thursday, November 13, 2014, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the Napa Exposition Fairgrounds.
Presented by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), this one-day summit combines two of Napa's past events - the Wine + Grape EXPO and Viticulture Fair - into one showcase connecting vineyard practices to wine quality. In addition to seminars, wine trials, and an exhibition, the event also features a leadership and viticultural best practices program in Spanish.
NVG has extended an offer of up to six complimentary exhibition tickets to Lake County winegrape growers; to redeem complimentary exhibition tickets, enter the discount code: LCWC into the online registration platform. For information and to register, visit: www.rootstocknapa.com.
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Nominations Sought for Lake County Fair Board
Candidates are being sought to fill two vacancies on the Lake County Fair Board. In order to serve, candidates must be resident citizens of the district.
Terms are four years. To apply, go online to:
http://gov.ca.gov/s_appointmentsapplication.php
For information, please contact Ren� Macleay Santiago in the Governor's Office at 916-445-4541 or [email protected].
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