Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/53575
Manufacturing Excellence for over 60 years. MARQUETTE tested in Washington Marquette vines last spring. By the end of fall, vines had grown up to the wire. "I think Marquette has the potential to be a phenomenal variety," W Champoux said. The variety caught his attention when he was review- ing the list of certified varieties of the Northwest Grape Foundation Service because it shared the name of his high school alma mater. After he learned more about it, Champoux decided to plant a small trial to see what it does under Washington conditions. Grape growers in Horse Heaven Hills and other eastern Washington locations are still feeling the sting of cold temperatures in November 2010 that killed buds and vines and reduced crop yields. Eastern Washington is prone to bud- and vine-killing winter temperatures every seven to ten years, on average. The last widespread winter damage happened in January 1996 when temperatures across the state dropped to around -20°F. Champoux said the variety is reported to be high in acidity, but lower in tannins than some other red varieties. Paul Champoux "We have smart winemakers here, and they're used to dealing with high tannic grapes," he said, adding that he believes Washington winemakers will be able to craft high quality wines from Marquette. He believes Marquette could be a good insurance grape for cold winters and may be a good blending variety. —M. Hansen Minnesota's wine grape industry, though small on the national scale, has grown to more than 1,500 acres. At last year's Cold Climate Conference, hosted annually by the Minnesota Grape Growers, more than 450 industry members attended. In recent years, Hemstad has expanded the breeding focus to include table grapes. "We have no good table grapes right now, but with the locally-grown movement and so many good wine grapes, we believe we can find cold hardy and disease-resistant table grapes that will have intense fruitiness and not just be sugar water." • Prunings a problem? ashington State's Paul Champoux of Alderdale, known for his award-winning grapes grown in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation, planted a half-acre of greenhouse-grown The Edwards Brush Spider makes a clean sweep of prunings, leaves, and other debris from the difficult area between trees or vines. When combined with shredding, the Brush Spider makes a time-consuming job a fast, one-pass opera- tion. Brush Spiders can be mounted on shred- ders or mowers, or on the Edwards Front Mount 3-Point Hitch. Edwards also manufactures the Brush Rake for orchardists who prefer to push out the brush. Online catalog: www.Edwards-Equip.com 4312 Main Street Union Gap WA 98903 800-452-5151 509-248-1770 Web Site: www.Edwards-Equip.com E-mail: sales@Edwards-Equip.com WE MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER! BROWNIE TREE PLANTER HYDRAULIC WORK PLATFORM A properly planted tree produces like no other. • Adjustable tree depth. •Works on stony and tough ground. • Shoe swings for handling. The new Brownie features: • Three-wheel drive for maximum traction. • Swing bucket to save time and increase mobility. • Pedal control leaves hands free for pruning and picking. • Electronic distance marker also available. WE OFFER A FULL LINE OF FRUIT & VEGETABLE EQUIPMENT: Box Rotator Box Shuttle Double Fork Ground Hog Frost Fan Economy LIft 3-pt. Forks 3-pt Hi Lift Conveyors Freight-Mate Durand Wayland Sprayers www.philbrownwelding.com PHIL BROWN WELDING CORP. Phone (616) 784-3046 • Fax: (616) 784-5852 • 4689—8 Mile Rd NW, Conklin, Michigan 49403 www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2012 33 Versatile unit can be mounted on any available running gear or optional trailer.