Good Fruit Grower

February 1

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QUICK BITES Read more Quick Bites at www. goodfruit.com. Wine industry foundation oversees grants T he Washington Wine Industry Foundation is administering three grants totaling nearly $525,000 that deal with clean plants, winery worker safety and training, and plant pests and diseases. The most recent award is a $174,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Safety and Health Investment Projects. The grant is being used to identify safety-training gaps in small to midsized wineries and develop performance-based safety-training methods to reduce employee illnesses, injuries, and fatalities. The grant will develop training manuals, mobile apps, and Web-based instruction materials in English and Spanish to establish a "safety culture" in smaller wineries. The grant period ends June 2014. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, through a section of the 2008 Farm Bill that provided for projects contributing to plant pest and disease management, awarded $100,000 for fiscal year 2013 to the Wine Foundation. The project extends work done under the Washington State Clean Plant Campaign, a coordinated effort of state, university, and industry to ensure access to clean plants for Pacific Northwest grape growers. The funds are being used for outreach and education in both English and Spanish. Lastly, the Wine Foundation is concluding the final months of a project funded by a specialty crop block grant of nearly $250,000 awarded by the Washington State Department of Agriculture to ensure access to clean plants in the Pacific Northwest. It involves testing vines in nurseries that sell certified plant material, and extensive outreach and education about the importance of using clean plants. Give feedback on crop insurance T he U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Department of Agriculture will hold listening sessions in February to get feedback from specialty crop growers on the effectiveness of the crop insurance programs available to growers. Judy Olson, director of the USDA's Farm Service Agency in Washington, said as the federal safety net for farmers moves more towards crop insurance, they want to ensure that the needs of Washington farmers are being met. The federal government subsidizes crop insurance, which is offered through private insurance agents and managed by the USDA's Risk Management Agency. The Farm Service Agency provides protection to farmers who grow crops for which no insurance is available through the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, but fewer growers are participating than expected, according to Olson. The first listening sessions will be held on February 20 at Washington State University's Research and Extension Center at 16650 State Route 536 in Mount Vernon. To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/specialtycrop-insurance-education-and-listening-sessions-tickets-8216468679. The second one will be on February 24 at the Confluence Technology Center in Wenatchee. To register, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/specialtycrop-insurance-education-and-listening-session-tickets-9407663575. For more information, call (509) 323-3000. Wine foundation honored T he Washington Wine Industry Foundation was named a benefactor last month during the fundraising Washington State University Foundation Gala in recognition of its high level of giving to the university. The Wine Foundation has partnered with WSU in many projects and has been an advocate for research funding and development of WSU's viticulture and enology program. Over the past decade, it has donated about $444,000 to support work on grapevine cold hardiness, the Grape Foundation Block, the Washington State Clean Plant Campaign, and a grape pest management survey. www.goodfruit.com Call for: • • • • • • TREES ROOTSTOCK INTERSTEMS BENCH GRAFTS SLEEPING EYES ROYALTIES HIGH QUALI EST TY FR TREES UIT ! ✔TOP QUALITY ✔VIRUS TESTED ✔VERY COMPETITIVE PRICING CONTRACTS for 2015 and beyond! Custom Contracted Apple, Pear, Cherry & Peach Trees Order 2016 Trees NOW PAUL TVERGYAK 509-669-0689 ptvergyak@genext.net We ship nationwide, so please call for price and availability! 509/662-6931 www.cameronnursery.com 1261 Ringold Rd., PO Box 300 • Eltopia, WA 99330 GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2014 5

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