On the Texas Gulf Coast, It’s Time to Start the New Vintage with the Grape Growers Field Day in Cat Spring
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Austin County Grape Growers Committee will co-sponsor the 19th annual Gulf Coast Grape Growers Field Day on Feb. 11 in Cat Spring, about 75 miles west of Houston. The field day will be held at the Cat Spring Agriculture Society Hall, 13035 Hall Rd. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with presentations and activities scheduled from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
According to Fritz Westover, Texas AgriLife Extension viticulture advisor for the Gulf Coast and South Texas regions and statewide coordinator for AgriLife Extension’s viticulture team, “We hold this field day annually to inform and benefit both the novice and experienced grower, and to introduce them to the latest in vineyard research, practices and products.”
Westover said last year’s program drew more than 175 participants from throughout the state. This was an all-time high in attendance for this event. Fritz said, “This is the biggest viticulture education event of the year for the Gulf Coast region and one of the biggest in the state.”
I attended last year’s event and it was truly an amazing site. I realized that wine grapes were an up an coming crop in the Texas Gulf Coast, but I didn’t expect that there were that many people interested. See: Link to Fritz’s grape grower newsletter: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=2910; and the link to my 2010 Cat Spring experience: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=1412, complete with bunkhouse tales. If you are interested in [or at least considering] grape growing on the rolling hills of Austin County, I can say from my experience last year that a day at the Cat Spring Field Day will be a day well spent.
This year, there will be an array of viticulture topics addressed at the Cat Spring field day. Topics will include grape pest and disease management, grape maturity for wine quality, management practices for new vineyards, grower discussion panels and the latest in Texas AgriLife vineyard demonstrations. Speakers will include experts from AgriLife Extension, industry, and the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association.
“We are expecting a record number of exhibitors in 2011 to showcase special offers on vineyard equipment and services,” Westover said.
A minimum of three continuing education units will be available to licensed pesticide applicators.
Registration cost, which includes lunch, beverages and a wine social, is $20. All registration for this year’s field day will be at the door and must be paid in cash or by check.
For more information, contact Westover at 281-855-5608 or fawestover@ag.tamu.edu.
REMINDER:
Grape Growers and Winery Affiliates,
The 19th Annual Gulf Coast Grape Grower Field Day agenda is complete
and attached to this email. This year we will host speakers from Texas
A&M University, Texas AgriLife Extension, the University of Houston –
Downtown, and the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. At the
price of $20 per person, this is one of the most affordable and
informative educational events for the Gulf Coast Wine and Grape
Industry. Additionally, we will host over a dozen industry vendors with
products and services for the industry.
2011 program highlights will include:
Harvest 2010 – A Year in Review for the Gulf Coast
Black & Blanc: What the winemaker is looking for from growers
Maturity Monitoring and Harvest Timing
Bacterial Endophytes in Blanc du Bois
Pierce’s Disease Update – Gulf Coast Vineyards
On the Road with George Ray – The Early Days of Grape Extension
Vineyard Demonstrations of 2010 – What have we learned?
Ask the Experts: Grower Q & A session with Extension Panel
Young Vine Training: A Grower’s Experience
Winery and Vineyard Contracts – What should be considered?
Wine Reception & Visit with Exhibitors
Date: Friday, February 11th, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (registration at door begins at 8:30
a.m.)
Cost: $20 – includes BBQ lunch, wine reception and literature (cash or
check at the door, no pre-payment)
Registration: All registration will be at the door on the day of the
event, no RSVP required
Location: Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall, 13035 Hall Rd, Cat
Spring, TX 78933
Location web address: http://catspringagsociety.org/index.html
Additional information:
The program will begin at 9:00 a.m. sharp but registration will begin
at 8:30 a.m. Please allow time to register and pay at the door. Seats
are available on a first come basis. Please dress according to local
weather: although this is a heated indoor event, the Agriculture Hall
can be a bit chilly during cold winter days. Feel free to bring a
bottle of your Texas Wine to the reception.
Please contact me directly if you have any questions about the
meeting.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Best regards,
-Fritz Westover