Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/450509
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower FEBRUARY 1, 2015 27 Washington's wine industry is steadily growing. Wine grape acreage has increased by an average of 5 percent annually in the last decade and the number of wineries by 12 percent. Industry officials project statewide acreage will be near 65,000 acres by 2018, up from around 45,000 acres reported in a 2011 grower survey. Change in culture One of the benefits of Klipsun's educa- tional emphasis has been a change in the vineyard culture, Kock says. "I now have lots of sets of eyes in the vineyard that can recognize pest and disease symptoms," she said. "If they see things like plugged drip emitters, they now tell someone, and they know it'll be taken care of." Several workers have attended clean plant and disease sessions and now understand the importance of reporting suspicious-looking leaves, she said. "Some have learned English, and with the newly published Spanish language Field Guide to Integrated Pest Management, we have a tool that can be used by all employees." Marcos Zambrano is an example of the employee mindset at Klipsun. Zambrano, 23, has been at Klipsun the last four years. He has a high school diploma but wants to learn more about grapes and is in his sec- ond year of the Latino viticulture program. "I'm really interested in agriculture and grapes," he told Good Fruit Grower. "After finishing the program last year, I under- stood more about soils, the plants, and how to spot virus on leaves. I'm more con- fident in my work because I understand things better." Zambrano has goals of becoming a crew supervisor and someday, perhaps, own a vineyard. Roy Garcia, vineyard supervisor at Klipsun, worked in the tree fruit industry before joining Klipsun. He graduated from the Hispanic Orchard Employee program many years ago while working for Yakima Valley orchardist Chuck Peters. "One of the reasons I hired him was because he had gone through the Hispanic Orchard Employee Education program," said Kock. "I didn't want a vineyard supervisor that wasn't supportive of worker education because it does take guys and gals out of the vineyard to go to class." Garcia, who never received a high school diploma, has worked in the grape and tree fruit industry for 33 years. "The program helped improve my English, reading, and writing, and move me to a supervisor position," he said. He continues to take night classes on his own in preparation for passing the GED (general equivalency diploma) test. • 1-800-250-5024 • www.CertisUSA.com ©2015 Certis USA Recommendations: Cueva, Kocide Integrated copper solutions for season-long fi reblight and summer disease control Double Nickel Broad spectrum foliar powdery mildew and fi reblight disease control OSO FRAC 19 fungicide for summer diseases and post-harvest protection CYD-X HP, Madex HP Codling moth and Oriental fruit moth control PFR-97 Broad spectrum insecticide and miticide Neemix Insect growth regulator for psyllid control Deliver Bt for leafroller larvae control Screen Duo For sunburn protection and heat stress reduction Diseases and Pests: Fireblight Codling moth, Oriental fruit moth Powdery mildew Psyllids, aphids, mites, leafrollers Summer diseases and post-harvest rots The Biopesticide Company Biopesticides. Short REIs and zero days to harvest. Resistance and residue management. Application fl exibility. Better harvest management and timely shipping. Screen Duo is a registered trademark of Crop Microclimate Management Inc. Cueva is a registered trademark W. Neudorff GmbH KG. Kocide is a registered trademark of Kocide LLC. All others are registered trademarks of Certis USA LLC. A CM CM CM De De J PFR PFR CX CX G Ma Ma DX DX DX BNS BNS BNS Se Se Se SL SL SL Nx Nx DN DN O SG SG SG Cu Cu R K2 K2 K3 K3 MK MK MK Tr Tr Tr SM SM SM MC MC MC FSO FSO FSO SD SD PHOTO BY TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER Klipsun Vineyards' Marcos Zambrano, who's enrolled in the second level of the Latino viticulture education program, hopes to own a vineyard some day.