In addition to the redesign of Red Tomato’s EcoCertified fruit totes and pouches, Red Tomato broadened the scope of the certification to include a variety of fruits and value-added agricultural products, providing a more cohesive and impactful brand for consumers and growers, according to a news release.

The redesigned packaging is timed for the 2024 apple season and includes paper totes, pouches, poly bags, and master cases. “The rebrand will help consumers choose EcoCertified fruit, which means they are investing in local and sustainable growing practices. EcoCertified is a promise of amazing fruit that is both local and ecologically grown,” according to the release.

EcoCertified is designed to be a grower brand, an integral part of their marketing stories, and to build a stronger, more recognizable certification that stands for sustainable, ecologically responsible farming practices.

The updated packaging will be available in stores making it easier for consumers to identify and purchase EcoCertified products. Insights from consumer research indicate a strong preference for clear, concise labeling that highlights the product’s sustainable attributes.

The most ecological farming practices differ by locale. More than 93% of U.S. certified organic apples are grown in eastern Washington. The climate in the Eastern U.S. is more rain, diseases and insects. The national organic standards do not offer viable treatments for eastern orchards
growing at a wholesale scale, according to the release.

“EcoCertified orchards are a powerful, resilient force in our region’s food system, combining the most ecological growing practices with the best of local foods,” said Angel Mendez, Red Tomato’s executive director, said in the release.

Red Tomato partnered with the Hartman Group, a marketing research firm specializing in the natural and organic grocery industry.

Keywords such as “sustainable growing practices,” “protect pollinators,” “promote tree and soil health,” and “growers care for the land, community, and earth” were instrumental in the design process. The packaging highlights the taste, ecological practices, and local sourcing that define EcoCertified. The front of the pouch proudly states, “Happy Bees. Healthy Trees. Amazing Apples.” while the back emphasizes the rigorous ecological practices that protect bees, ensure thriving orchards, and balance vital ecosystems, according to the release.

“It’s very hard for farmers to grow apples this way,” Diane Rast, Hartman’s creative director, said in the release. “I visit the farms. I have been designing for years and I know the challenge of communicating a complex idea dealing with sustainable growing practices with just a few words and a choice illustration.”

The EcoCertified program was launched in 2005, as a partnership of non-profit Red Tomato, the IPM Institute of North America and a network of farmers, scientists and fruit experts, to advance environmentally responsible growing practices for locally grown tree fruit in the Northeast.

The program’s goal is to support growers by bringing together the local and ecological growing practices, educating the public about their value, and building a market that keeps local orchards thriving and local apples abundant.

The program has certified more than 30 Northeast orchards, representing more than 2,000 acres. EcoCertified is actively expanding to new regional chapters east of the Rockies, with a focus on the Midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois), Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

Based in Rhode Island, Red Tomato works with partners throughout the U.S., including scientists and farmer networks, regional and national grocery stores, K-12 schools, community-based nonprofits, and other vendors. In addition to apples, Red Tomato also works with tomatoes and other vegetables.

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Key projects include evaluating alternative nursery practices to reduce graft union failure, testing drought-tolerant rootstocks, and examining the impact of stress on grafted rootstocks infected with trunk pathogens. Another project will assess the performance of rootstocks under drought and saline conditions in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

“These research efforts are essential for the prosperity of the California grape and wine industries,” said CGRIC Board Chairman Chris Lindelof.

Since its establishment in 1993, the CGRIC has contributed approximately $7.5 million to fund 133 research projects. The Commission, funded by an assessment on rootstock sales, has played a significant role in developing new rootstock varieties and improving grapevine resilience.

Grape growers can learn more about the CGRIC’s efforts and the new projects by visiting the Commission’s website at graperootstock.org.

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The event, to be held at 1864 Shyville Road, aims to provide both novice and experienced growers with insights into advanced production techniques.

Attendees will learn about orange rust-resistant cultivars, cover crops and beneficial microbes for tomatoes, long cane raspberry production systems, hardy fig cultivation, and grape production.

The event is supported by various agricultural grants and organizations, including Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association (OPGMA), the Ohio Vegetable & Small Fruit Research & Development Program (OVSFRDP), the Ohio Grape Industries Committee, and the USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture).

Registration is $25. For more information and to register, visit go.osu.edu/fieldnight or call 614-247-9680. For accommodation requests, contact Bradford Sherman at sherman.1473@osu.edu.

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With prolonged triple-digit temperatures pummeling the state’s key agricultural regions—topping 110 degrees in some areas — farmers are irrigating fields more frequently, deploying misters and fans to cool livestock, and shortening daytime work for agricultural employees or working after sundown.

Persistent, scorching temperatures can put crops such as table grapes at risk. At Mirabella Farms in Fresno County, grower Philippe Markarian said he was working to prevent damage to the fruit. But he said he anticipates some crop loss.

“The vines will be under a significant amount of stress,” he said.

Last week, most of the varieties Markarian grows were going into veraison, when the grapes begin changing color and ripening. With high-enough heat, the berries will cook on the vine, especially if they’re in direct sunlight, making the fruit unsalable.

Markarian said he was increasing irrigation to help the vines weather the heat. He was also experimenting for the first time with applying a polymer coating designed to prevent vine stress by mitigating transpiration, helping the plants regulate their internal temperatures.

He typically begins picking Flame Seedless — the first variety to come off each year — around July 10-14, but heat stress on the plant will delay harvest, he said.

For Dave Vierra, who grows fresh-market fruits and vegetables in Yolo County, the growing season is still early enough that the heat won’t be too detrimental to his crops. He said he expects “minimal loss” on his watermelon, which might get a bit sunburned. His sweet corn will fare OK, he said, as will his tomatoes, which are still on the green side, with the plant’s huge canopy to protect the fruit from sunburn.

With high heat, there is concern of increased pest pressure, especially mites, worms and moths, all of which he’s monitoring for in his corn crop, he said.

Perhaps his biggest heat-related impact so far is on sales, especially at farmers markets, which have seen attendance drop. To maintain his presence, he said he continues to participate in all his usual markets. His on-farm fruit stand also remains open, he said, though sales have not been as severely impacted as at farmers markets. He credited the installation of shade and misters at his fruit stand for keeping customers and employees comfortable.

One bright spot has been watermelon sales, which he said benefited from the heat. Sweet corn and watermelon are typically big sellers during the summer, but he said sales of sweet corn have been sluggish due to higher prices at the retail level.

“It’s an interesting landscape at the moment, to say the least,” Vierra said.

With harvest crews working fewer hours due to the heat, he said there’s more spoilage in the field.  Trying to keep crops cool through the heat will add to his costs, Vierra said, noting the increased energy used for cold storage and other cooling equipment. Because they are running full throttle, he said, they tend to need repair.

“We rarely get out of a heat wave like this without some sort of equipment failure,” he said.

— Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert.

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Reflecting on the trials of the previous year, we can gain valuable lessons that can guide us towards more effective grapevine disease management practices for the coming season.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES

The surge in disease pressure experienced by grapevine growers last year was influenced by a combination of environmental factors, including delayed budbreak, cool spring, long duration of optimal temperature for disease infection, high humidity levels, and heavy rainfall.

These conditions provided ideal breeding grounds for pathogens, leading to widespread infections across vineyards. The consequences of unchecked disease proliferation were dire, with significant losses in yield and quality observed in many California grape regions.

One of the most useful disease forecast tools for grape growers is the Powdery Mildew Index (PMI). tinyurl.com/5etdb6v2. This index tracks the duration of canopy temperature between 70° F and 85° F after budbreak, ranging from 0 to 100. Higher numbers indicate a higher PM risk, necessitating a higher fungicide rate based on the label and shorter spray intervals when disease pressure is high. Guidelines on PM disease pressure corresponding to fungicide types and spray intervals are illustrated in Table 1.

In 2023, we experienced high disease pressure. How does the current disease pressure in 2024 compare? 

Recent data might provide some insights. The PMI from 2023 and 2024 is illustrated in Figure 1. In 2024, we had a high PMI right after budbreak, while in 2023, a low PMI was maintained from budbreak to the end of April, with an unusual cold spring and slow canopy growth. However, in both years, the PMI quickly spiked to 100 at the onset of May. 

Currently, we observe a similar PMI trend, with a decline at the end of May followed by another spike to 100. Additionally, in 2024 significant precipitation after budbreak has created a conducive environment for phomopsis cane and leaf spot, promoting early season canopy growth and favorable conditions for PM and botrytis. As Figure 2 illustrates, there was a total of 2.8 inches of precipitation after break and especially in mid-April there was a rain event with >1 inch.

LESSONS LEARNED

Early detection and monitoring. One of the most critical lessons from last year is the importance of early disease detection and continuous monitoring. Implementing regular scouting routines and utilizing the PMI can help identify disease outbreaks early, allowing growers to intervene promptly with timely fungicide sprays and proper canopy management.

Cultural practices.

Proper vineyard management practices, such as canopy management, pruning techniques, and nutrient and water management, play a vital role in disease prevention. By optimizing vineyard conditions to improve airflow and reduce humidity levels, growers can create an environment less conducive to disease development and improve spray coverage. 

Shoot thinning when shoot length is about 8”-12” after the risk of spring frost passes can effectively manage yield and increase canopy airflow and spray coverage when irrigation is well checked. Basal leaf removal at fruit set either through manual or mechanical ways can reduce PM by over 50% without fungicides and increase spray coverage by 200 times.

Water Management.

Vineyard water management is crucial for effective disease management for several reasons:

1. Preventing canopy overgrowth: Over-irrigation can lead to excessive canopy growth, creating favorable conditions for fungal pathogens. This includes high relative humidity (RH), lack of sunlight penetration, minimal canopy airflow, and insufficient spray coverage.
2. Reducing berry splitting: Excessive irrigation can increase berry size, leading to splitting or cracking, especially in tight cluster varieties. This condition can exacerbate cluster bunch rot.
3. Managing nitrogen levels: Over-irrigation with high nitrate water can elevate the vine’s nitrogen status, promoting fungal growth and intensifying disease expression.

By optimizing irrigation practices, growers can help maintain a balanced canopy, reduce the risk of berry splitting, and manage nitrogen levels to create an environment less conducive to fungal diseases.

Susceptible Varieties and Vigorous Rootstocks.

Though all Vitis vinifera cultivars are susceptible to PM and botrytis, some varieties are more susceptible than others. In the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), susceptibility rankings can be generalized for several common varieties as follows: Carignan > Fiesta > Chardonnay > Thompson Seedless > Cabernet Sauvignon > Zinfandel > Rubired. 

Vigorous rootstocks tend to produce larger canopies, which might increase relative humidity, reduce sunlight penetration, and decrease spray coverage compared to weaker rootstocks. Growers should be more proactive with canopy management and spray programs when the combinations of susceptible varieties and vigorous rootstocks are present.

Integrated pest management.

Adopting an integrated approach to pest and disease management is essential for sustainable grape production. Integrating cultural, biological and chemical control methods, while prioritizing environmentally friendly practices, can help minimize reliance on synthetic pesticides and mitigate the risk of pesticide resistance. Growers can refer to Table 1 to guide the spray interval based on the PMI and fungicide types.

The battle against grapevine diseases is ongoing and fraught with challenges, but it also offers opportunities for growth and innovation. By leveraging insights gained from experiences and embracing a proactive approach to disease management, grape growers can navigate the complexities of disease pressure with confidence, ensuring the continued health and vitality of their vineyards for generations to come.

— Written by George Zhuang, the viticulture farm advisor  for the University of California Cooperative Extension at Fresno County and is a member of the Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty Class of 2024.

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The webinar covering piece rate recordkeeping is scheduled for July 11 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT.

The event is sponsored by the Washington Winegrowers Association and the Washington Growers League.

“Learn how to comply with piece rate laws while managing labor costs effectively. This webinar will cover compliant piece rate record-keeping and explore various perspectives on workforce efficiency and regulation compliance,” according to a news release.

“Targeted at vineyard and winery employers, it addresses the industry’s response to piece rate laws and offers practical solutions for balancing compliance with economic efficiency.”

For more information, visit here. 

Based in Cashmere, Washington, the Washington Winegrowers Association supports members by addressing industry needs through collaboration and partnerships to enhance Washington’s wine industry.

Headquartered in Yakima, Washington, the Yakima, Washington, the Washington Growers League is a non-profit, non-partisan association that provides services and support to agricultural employers in Washington as well as representation on critical agricultural labor and employment issues.

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Scheduled for Oct. 22-24 in Woodland, California, 11 miles from the Sacramento International Airport, FIRA USA is set to provide growers and other industry personnel the opportunity to view new agricultural technology in action in the global ag robotics sector.

The core focus of the conference is to afford growers the opportunity to network, exchange feedback and to learn more about existing solutions through grower roundtables on specific crops sponsored by commodity boards, said Gwendoline Legrand, co-director for show sponsor FIRA and GOFAR (Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics).

“The end-users are the key. You can not develop disruptive solutions without having them in the loop,” Legrand said. “They need to share their vision, they need to touch, to test, to say ‘No, I want this that way’ and finally, get the exact systems that work for them. The growers’ needs is where everything started for FIRA. We are not showcasing and presenting robots and autonomous solutions as an end by themselves. Those machines need to represent a proper solution to specific needs, as diverse as the farmers are. The manufacturers understand that, and are very often building the solutions together with the growers, directly operating in the fields.”

Free grower admission

This year growers will receive free admission, a longtime World FIRA Europe policy that allows even more industry stakeholders and small to large-scale growers to leave the event with more autonomous and robotics technology information and vision, Legrand said.

To address the tree fruit industry’s automation needs, the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and the California Almond Board are signed up as new sponsors.

Both organizations have long been part of FIRA USA support, promoting the event to their communities and visiting the show. This year, however, will be the first year the grower organizations decided to sponsor the event, to highlight the problems faced by tree fruit and nut growers, and to help them discover stand-alone solutions already on the market, Legrand said.

The sponsorships also prompt interest from other commodity boards and research institutes and motivate them to organize specific programs for their growers, she said.

As previous FIRAs explored many topics relating to ag robotics, organizers want this year’s education component to be as relevant as possible for growers, and include sessions designed to discuss issues growers are facing and existing autonomous solutions for individual crops.

Commodity group and research involvement are critical. Panelists are set to share stories on how the industry is “automation-ready” and provide examples of vendors working in the space with commodity groups and universities.

Tech solutions

The educational portion includes crop-specific themed roundtables covering topics including tree fruit automation and reducing spray drift and improving spray coverage in the almond and tree nuts industry. To address the tree fruit industry’s tech needs, sessions will include strategies, failures, plans and expectations and be focused on priority areas and timelines to affect crop load management and harvest labor, Legrand said.

Real-life demos will occur in the fields, displaying existing autonomous solutions from a variety of agtech firms. FIRA plans to include suppliers of autonomous irrigation solutions, a big leap forward for this year’s edition, she said.

To allow growers to lace their boots and trek through fields to see automation in action, a new event is being offered — a pre-show bus tour, Oct. 17- 21. The Cal Ag Robotics Discovery Tour is scheduled to show growers and other industry participants the latest in agricultural technology by visiting a wide range of farms and crops using tech across the Sacramento, Central and Salinas valleys.

Through viewing the operations’ daily challenges and the solutions they use, the California Ag Robotics Discovery tour will allow participants to immerse themselves in and deepen their market understanding of tech in California’s leading and most powerful growers, Legrand said. The five-day tour will bring a broad vision into fruit and nut trees, vineyards and berries, vegetables, including tomatoes and leafy greens, and supply a network of growers and participants at the stops, she said.

“This is what is impressive with many ag robots: They are versatile, they can adapt,” Legrand said. “This is also what we do with FIRA, through traveling across California to meet different growers, and present what could be their next-gen machines.”

The show will also tackle commodity commission funding, industry collaboration and automation readiness, with sessions showing participants the need for funding and investment to move products across the finish line, Legrand said.

France-based GOFAR is a nonprofit organization that promotes and develops the agricultural robotics sector at international level.

For more information, visit fira-usa.com.

—  By Doug Ohlemeier, Assistant Editor

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He’s not just a user of biologicals, however. As the former CEO of AgraQuest, a biopesticide company, Meadows-Smith is recognized as a pioneer, selling the company to Bayer CropScience in 2012 for almost $500 million. This signaled the first major investment in biologicals by a traditional chemical company.

Now he is the CEO of BioConsortia, a Davis, California-based company that discovers, designs and licenses microbial products.

Marcus and Jenny Meadows-Smith share a passion for wine and food, which led to them develop Great Bear Vineyards. The winery hosts events ranging from wedding receptions to comedy nights and birthday parties.

As a boutique winery, Great Bear Vineyards produces about 2,000 cases a year, most of which are sold at the winery and through a wine club it runs. The winery has gained a reputation for its grapes, some of which are sold to Napa Valley wineries, a 45-minute drive from Davis. Marcus Meadows-Smith and his wife, head vintner Jenny Meadows-Smith, bought the former tomato, sunflower and corn ranch about 10 years ago, incorporating historic buildings into the business, including the barn and original homestead, built around 1860. Jenny Meadows-Smith, a chemist, attended the University of California- Davis’ renowned viticulture and enology program. The couple planted 10 acres of grapevines, about 600 olive trees, lavender and assorted fruit trees around the property. They process and sell olive and lavender oils and donate fruit to local charities.

Great Bear Vineyards offered its first wines for sale in 2018, and quickly became noticed, earning silver, gold and double-gold medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Great Bear Vineyards was voted Best Local Winery by Sacramento Magazine readers in 2020 and 2021. Its Chardonnay, Roussanne varietals and Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon have received high ranks from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Great Bear Vineyards kept the original barn and homestead at the former ranch. Marcus Meadows-Smith and his wife Jenny, who own and operate the winery, also live at the property.

The winery attracts visitors from UC-Davis, including international visitors, who are interested in Great Bear’s sustainable and organic growing practices. Weeds, wildlife, water and more Davis has hot, dry summers, so pest pressures are low, Meadows- Smith said.

Permanent cover crops include a mix of ryegrass, wildflowers and clover. Under the grapevines, weed control is critical because a grape’s flavor can be affected by plants touching the fruit. As an organic grower, Meadows-Smith said weed control is the most difficult challenge. “In the first year, you have to protect the very young vines, because if they get an insect attack, then you can lose the flowers,” he said. “Now that they’re mature, a small amount of insect pressure on the leaves does not affect the quality of the grapes at all. And then we tend to do like a lime sulfur (application) when the vines are dormant and then through the growing season, it’s mostly just a natural oil that is sprayed.”

To be effective at limiting pest damage, the treatment has to be repeated during the growing season. “Is it better for the environment? I don’t know, because we have to go through the vineyard more frequently,” Meadows-Smith said. “So you’re using more fossil fuels by taking the sprayer through on a more regular basis.”

Great Bear Vineyards uses Bayer’s Serenade ASO, a biological fungicide developed by AgraQuest, as well as Pyganic Crop Protection EC, a bio-insecticide derived from chrysanthemums, the biofungicide Regalia and a microbial insecticide containing spinosad, which has been used by organic growers for more than 20 years. Meadows-Smith describes himself as a “keen ornithologist,” and the property is home to owls (including a pair of great horned owls), kestrels and hawks, and other assorted wildlife.

If coyotes aren’t keeping the wild turkey population in check, they’ll eat the grapes, so a friend with a crossbow is invited to hunt them. “So having those birds of prey around is certainly a deterrent for other birds that come in,” Meadows-Smith said. “The problem you have is, once they’re pecked, the sugary liquid comes out, and then you can get disease, bunch rot. And then as an organic grower, it’s almost impossible to control that.” The winery stopped growing Petit Sirah and Zinfandel grapes, because they’re thin-skinned and prone to bunch rot.

Marcus Meadows-Smith tests winegrapes to to determine when they are ready for processing.

To ensure the grapes receive enough water despite the dry climate, Meadows-Smith employs deficit-irrigation techniques to train roots to grow deep. Quality, and not tonnage, is a goal in growing winegrapes.

“You’re looking to have small berries with intense flavors, and therefore you don’t actually want to fill them with water because then the berries just swell up,” he said. “Then you get a lot of juice, which means you can make a lot of alcohol, but you lose flavor.” Genetic editing Meadows-Smith said BioConsortia uses gene editing to maximize the beneficial potential within a microbe’s genome. For example, the company’s work on nitrogen-fixing microbes uses a proprietary research and development platform to improve a microbe’s nitrogen- fixing capabilities.

“Microbes are very clever, and when they detect ammonia in their immediate surroundings, they switch off nitrogen fixation because nitrogen fixation is very energy intensive if you do it in a factory or if you’re a microbe doing it, because you have to break chemical bonds,” he said.

BioConsortia removes the microbe’s feedback loop that tells it to turn off the nitrogen-fixing process, essentially causing those microbes to continue to provide nitrogen in the soil after synthetic fertilizers would have dissipated. “It’s different from genetic modification,” Meadows- Smith said. “What we’re doing, we are just unleashing the natural power of the microbes so they naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen or they naturally control nematodes — we just help them do it better.”

Field trials and the future

Before AgraQuest, Meadows-Smith led Chemtura Corporation’s plastics additives and crop protection business. Now, he’s helping growers reduce reliance on chemicals at BioConsortia. The company recently closed on a $15 million round of financing, spurred in part by successful field trials, according to the company.

Great Bear Vineyards grows four varieties of white grapes and eight varieties of red grapes, some of which are blended. As a boutique winery, Great Bear produces about 2,000 cases of wine a year.

“Particularly now at BioConsortia we’re looking to produce very high-performing products that are equivalent to the chemistry and their efficacy as (synthetic) products, or in the area of nitrogen-fixing microbes, that will displace a large percentage of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer,” he said. “You know, my philosophy is we don’t want the grower to compromise on quality. What we’re looking to do is to provide an easy-to-use, cost-effective product.”

The first U.S. regulatory approvals are expected on BioConsortia’s products this year and the company has agreements with companies to distribute specific products when EPA approves them. That includes a broad-spectrum biofungicide for diseases in apples, berries, grapes, stone fruits and vegetables from Nichino America, and the biostimulant Zaffre from The Mosaic Co. that has shown average yield increases of more than 15% in fruit and vegetable crops, including tomatoes and beans. Other partnerships haven’t been announced yet.

In recent years, BioConsortia’s products have been through about 3,000 field trials across the U.S., Meadows-Smith said, on a wide range of specialty and row crops. Trials are also ongoing in Europe and South America. More than a dozen seed companies are testing BioConsortia products as seed treatments. After selling AgraQuest, he became head of strategic and business management of biologicals for Bayer for a brief time.

It’s now common for the major chemical companies to have similar divisions, acquisitions or partnerships to advance biological products.

“I think growers are starting to see advantages to soil health, regenerative agriculture, that replacing some of the sprays with biologicals is giving benefits to the soil, to their ultimate yields,” he said. The products are becoming more shelf stable; some products had to be refrigerated, and were not easy to use or mix with other products in the sprayer tank. Inconsistent results concerned growers. But field trials in recent years have proved some biologicals do work as advertised, Meadows-Smith said. “So with the best biologicals, it’s no longer a question of compromise,” he said. “It’s now a question of getting the message out.”

— Chris Koger, contributing editor

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The funding is part of $300 million allocated to 66 U.S. organizations under the USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP), designed to build demand for American food and farm exports in high-potential markets worldwide.

Fruit concerns include:

• Washington Apple Commission, $7 million
• Pear Bureau Northwest, $4 million
• California Cherry Marketing and Research Board, $750,000
• Cherry Marketing Institute, $450,000
• U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, $1.3 million,
• Cranberry Institute, $1 million
• California Table Grape Commission, $3.3 million
• California Prune Board, $4.2 million
• California Fresh Fruit Association, $1 million
• California Agricultural Export Council, $1 million
• Washington State Fruit Commission, $900,000
• New York Wine and Grape Foundation, $1.3 million,
• Northwest Wine Promotion Coalition, $2.4 million
• Organic Trade Association, $2.5 million

The full list of recipients is here.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack authorized $1.2 billion in Commodity Credit Corp. funding in launching RAPP to help U.S. exporters expand their customer base beyond established markets, focusing on regions including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.

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The over 70,000 square foot facility will be named the National Grape Improvement Center and will house the ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit and ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit. In addition, four Cornell grapevine research projects will move into the research facility.

“Ag research conducted by USDA and Cornell University will both enhance U.S. grape production and ensure farmers are better able to fight the impacts of climate change,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to work with Leader Schumer to invest in the USDA-ARS National Grape Improvement Center, which in turn helps maintain our nation’s food security while also building a stronger and more resilient food system.”

ARS and university employees will focus on research to advance grape production through interdisciplinary research, breeding and technology transfer. Their work will aim to enhance grape production efficiency, profitability and sustainability for the United States grape industry.

“The USDA-ARS National Grape Improvement Center will provide an excellent platform for deepening the productive synergies in grape research between ARS and Cornell University and will offer tremendous opportunities for collaboration,” said ARS Administrator Dr. Simon Liu. “This facility will provide our researchers with greater resources to continue the pioneering work that has cultivated a legacy of innovation and enhanced grape quality worldwide.”

The partnership between ARS and Cornell University brings together researchers with diverse skills and knowledge to develop technology that will solve agricultural challenges impacting farmers, producers and consumers nationwide.

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