July 6, 2015
Beckstoffer Vineyards, Red Hills AVA
Photo by Nathan DeHart
In This Issue

State Board of Food and Ag To Discuss Groundwater Management at July 7 Meeting

cdfa logo

 

Groundwater management and agricultural land trends will be the topics of discussion at the next California State Board of Food and Agriculture meeting on Tuesday, July 7, 2015. The meeting will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street (Main Auditorium), in Sacramento.

 

The meeting also will be streamed online.

 

Read CDFA's full news release announcing the meeting.

  At Frei Ranch in Dry Creek, Trini Amador, E&J Gallo Northern Unit Ranch Manager,   discusses vine balance and winegrape quality with 2015 MVA students (from left)
  Osbaldo   Puhida, Ismael Sonato, Gerardo Cortez, Maria Azucena Garcia, and
  Ruben Perez. 

LCWC's Master Vigneron Academy in Full Swing for 2015

 

The 2015 Master Vigneron Academy (MVA) is well underway with a class of nine vineyard supervisors participating in the eight-month Spanish-language professional development course put on annually by the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

 

The June session included Sonoma area vineyard visits in Dry Creek, Rockpile, and Alexander Valley; a stop at Jackson Family Wine's Skylane facility to view bottling, the impressive wine cellar, and lab; a visit to E&J Gallo's Frei Ranch to examine budded vine training and soil management techniques; and a final stop at the Healdsburg Wine Library to check out viticulture books. In July, the class will visit UC Davis, Foundation Plant Services, and Novavine in Woodland.

 

  At Jackson Family Wine's Skylane bottling facility, MVA
  class members (from left) Roman Calderon, Osbaldo
  Puhida, Maria Azucena Garcia, and Jose Calvillo 
  observe automated bulk glass placement to line.

Facilitated by Paul Zellman, LCWC's Education Director, the MVA curriculum is designed to strengthen each student's knowledge of viticulture and the wine industry, while fostering an in-depth understanding about the supervisor's role in implementing quality winegrowing practices and improving farmworker productivity.

 

Class participants for 2015: Roman Calderon and Osbaldo Puhida of Beckstoffer - Red Hills; Ruben Perez Lepiz of Bella Vista Farming Co.; Marie Azucena Garcia Garcia and Ismael Sonato, both of JAC Ag Services; Juan Calvillo and Jose Calvillo, both of Rogers Vineyards; Fernando Martinez of Six Sigma Vineyards; and Gerardo Cortez of Trinchero Family Estates.

 

Read more about the Master Vigneron Academy.

 

Western Weather Group Launches 
New Lake County Weather Features

 

Western Weather Group (WWG) provides agricultural weather forecasting and a range of weather information services as an important resource for Lake County winegrape growers. WWG maintains a network of weather stations in and around the county and collects the data, making available a comprehensive array of weather services. 

 

Daily Weather Forecasts

Daily agricultural weather forecasts for Lake County include weather highlights (today, tonight, tomorrow), short-term forecast statistics, a short-term weather discussion, extended forecast discussion, and an extended range outlook. 

 

Access daily Lake County Weather Forecasts:

In addition to the daily forecasts, the Lake County Weather Web Page provides a wide range of other resources, including a powdery mildew stress index, data from the automated weather stations, satellite and radar imagery, as well as a variety of links to other weather and climate information. 

 

Weather Database

The Lake County Weather Page also features a new Weather Database that provides access to historical weather station data. View weather observations from the automated weather stations (via smartphone or PC) in either tabular format or map format

 

The Weather Database also features a Degree-Day Calculator which, when used in conjunction with the automated weather station data, allows growers to compute degree-days for phenology models like Grape Leafhopper and other pests.

 

These weather services are made available to Lake County winegrape growers with major funding from the Lake County Winegrape Commission and LCWC's Affiliate Sponsor American Ag Credit.


Affiliate Sponsor:

Roy Gillham
  Roy Gillham

PG&E Introduces Customer Account Manager for Lake County

 

Pacific Gas & Electric, an LCWC Affiliate Sponsor, recently introduced Roy Gillham as the new customer account manager for agricultural commercial customers in Lake County.  

 

In his role for PG&E, Gillham will provide customers with resources for their service needs, serve as liaison for community outreach and relations, and assist with PG&E's products and services including rebates,incentives, and renewables.

 

Gillham has been with PG&E since 2011 and moved to Mendocino County in 2014. He brings utility account management experience in the agricultural segment to the job, having worked in the Salinas Valley and Yolo County areas for PG&E earlier in his career. 

 

He is enjoying his new assignment serving Lake County customers, saying, "Each day is different. One day I may be assisting a vineyard manager with saving costs with one of our rebate programs; another day I may be helping a winery analyze its electric rate to save money."

 

"Customers are often surprised to learn PG&E provides an account manager to assist them with their energy needs and ways to save energy," Gillham said. "We want to help our businesses and local communities thrive and grow by helping them manage their energy use and costs."

 

Gillham may be reached at (707) 380-3052 and roy(dot)gillham(at)pge.com.

 

Affiliate Sponsors

Umpqua logo
Allied Grape Grower logo
North Coast Vineyard Services logo

Bob Bartley Pump logo

PG&E logo

Ag Unlimited logo

Novavine logo
Savings Bank logo
Lincoln Leavitt logo
American AgCredit logo
Guillaume logo

Ranch winery logo

Peterson logo


Ag Unlimited Lyman logo