Wine-Grower-News #269 4-29-14

Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Wine

Information in this issue includes:

In Search of Cold Climate Kosher Wine 5-2, 2012 Census of Agriculture Full Report will be available Upper Midwest Results from the 2014 Pacific Rim Wine Competition 6th Annual International Cold Climate Wine Competition 5-15, Deadline for Organic Farming Research Foundation Grants Making just a few seconds count for $$$$$$$$ (Good Marketing Stuff!) Presentations from the 17th NE Winery & Grape Growers Conference 5-3, Vineyard Canopy Management Workshop – Mechanicsburg, IL 5-4, Wine Barrel Profiles and Barrel Toasting Demo – Kasota, MN 5-(4-6), Inside Missouri Cooperage Seminar - VESTA 6-(6-8) Kothe Distilling Technologies Workshop – Chicago Two Upcoming Distilling workshops – American Distilling Institute Show n Tell Neeto-Keeno Stuff 6-9, Society of Wine Educators CSW & CSS Exams – ISU FREE: Society of Wine Educators CSW and CSW Study Webinars U.S. Total precipitation map for the year ending 4-29-14 Videos of Interest Marketing Tidbits Notable Quotables Articles of Interest Calendar of Events

In Search of Cold Climate Kosher Wine

I recently was called by a Rabbi located in a metro area in Iowa. He was a hobby winemaker looking to find vineyard to pick some grapes this coming harvest season. He was looking for some Chardonnay! That is when we began an interesting but awkward conversation. An uncultured Lutheran trying to explain Cold Climate hybrid winegrapes and a Jewish Rabbi trying to explain the methodology of making Kosher wines. This conversation ended on a high note with both parties increasing their wine IQ.

This conversation tweaked my interest into Kosher Wines. I decided to study-up on this topic. First, I needed to refresh my memory on what a Kosher wine is. According to Wikipedia, a Kosher wine is produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). To be considered Kosher, Sabbath-observant male Jews must supervise the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, 1 must be kosher. Wine that is described as "kosher for Passover" must have been kept free from contact with grain, bread and dough.

When kosher wine is produced, marketed and sold commercially, it must have the hechsher ("seal of approval") of a kosher supervising agency or organization, or of an authoritative rabbi who is preferably also a posek ("decisor" of Jewish law) or be supervised by a beth din ("Jewish religious court of law").

There are two styles of Kosher wine: mevushal and non-mevushal. “Wines marked as mevushal have been flash-pasteurized so that non-Jews—say, waiters in kosher restaurants can uncork and serve them to observant Jews according to strict Jewish law. Non-mevushal wines undergo no pasteurization and for the most part are favored for home use by the Kosher community. (1)

What kind of potential Kosher wine market could there be in the Upper Midwest? I found the following Jewish population levels in Iowa and our neighboring states*:

State 2012 Population % of Population IA 6,240 0.2 IL 297,935 2.3 KS 17,775 0.6 MO 59,175 1.0 MN 45,635 0.9 ND 400 0.1 NE 6,100 0.3 SD 345 0.0 WI 28,255 0.5 U.S. 6,721,680 2.2% * Jewish Virtual Library

As you can see from the above table, the pickens are pretty slim in ND and SD, but producing and marketing Kosher wines in the more populated metro areas could offer a profitable marketing niche. For a few wineries, marketing to both the consumer and to other wineries for resale could provide income and increase the wine selection our region has to offer.

So, what kind of Kosher Cold Climate Wines are available on the market today? I went to Kosherwines.com located in central Illinois. They are the self-professed largest Online Kosher wine retailer in the U.S. Concord was the only Cold Climate wine they offered. French vinifera dominated 99+% of their wine offerings.

In recent times, there has been an increased demand for kosher wines and a number of wine producing countries now produce a wide variety of quality kosher wines under strict rabbinical supervision, particularly in Israel, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Australia. Two of the world's largest producers and importers of kosher wines, Kedem and Manischewitz, are both based in the Northeast U.S. Kosher retail wine sales in the U.S. currently run in the $28+ million range. (2)

Do we have any Cold Climate wineries in the Midwest producing Kosher wine? If so, I sure would be interested in hearing about them. mlw 2

References: 1. Imbibe Magazine 2. America’s Kosher Wine Scene, 3-23-13, The Jewish Week

5-2, 2012 Census of Agriculture Full Report will be available

On May 2, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will publish the 2012 Census of Agriculture full report. Iowa had the 3rd highest survey response rate, ranking just behind Alaska and Indiana.

You can join NASS on May 2, 11 a.m. CST for a live national webcast of this census data release.

- During the webcast, you will learn about the latest Census data at the national, state and county levels on a range of topics, including value of production, marketing practices, on-farm conservation, demographics, organic production, and many other topics. - As part of the webcast audience, you can ask NASS officials questions, either via Twitter or directly through the webcast tools. - If you miss the event, it will be posted online along with a number of other materials that highlight the results. Visit www.agcensus.usda.gov for event log-in information.

NASS created a number of online tools to find and use data of interest. The complete data series will be available in multiple formats from www.agcensus.usda.gov, including:

- The entire report or individual tables will be available in text or PDF format. - Quick Stats 2.0 – an online database to retrieve customized tables. You can now view a new tutorial video online that will walk you through the process of easily finding the data most valuable to you and your organization. - Desktop Data Query Tool- a downloadable desktop tool to analyze data without Internet access once you have downloaded and installed this tool. - API – a tool for developers.

As you start using the Census data, you and/or others in your organization can share benefits it provides you and the agriculture industry. The online portal, Your Census. Your Story, is an easy way to speak up about the value of Census data.

Upper Midwest Results from the 2014 Pacific Rim Wine Competition

The 29th Annual Pacific Rim Wine Competition was held on Wednesday and Thursday April 23 & 24, 2014 at the National Orange Show Events Center in Southern California. Here are the results for our Iowa and neighboring states wineries.

3 State Winery Award Wine______

Iowa Ackerman Winery Bronze Peach Bronze Plum Gold Raspberry Kansas Holyfield Vineyard & Winery Gold Chardonel Missouri Augusta Winery Bronze Norton Gold Chambourcin Gold Chardonel Gold Vidal Montelle Winery Bronze Vignoles Silver Chambourcin Gold Seyval Blanc St. James Winery Bronze Norton Bronze Vignoles Bronze Blackberry Bronze Blueberry Silver Norton Silver White Blend Silver Raspberry Gold Peach Gold Strawberry Gold Best of Class Red Blend Gold Best of Class White Blend Gold Best of Class Muscat Gold Best of Class off dry Riesling Twisted Vine Vineyard Bronze Cranberry Nebraska Rockin Rooster Winery Silver Jalapeno Gold Aronia Berry  Wisconsin Cedar Creek Silver Marechal Foch Silver sweet Riesling Gold Gewurztraminer Gold Best of Class Vidal Wollersheim Winery Gold Prairie Blush Gold Best of Class Sweet Riesling Gold Best of Class Seyval Blanc ______

Complete results of the 2014 Pacific Rim Wine Competition can be found here: http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1109702661700-22/2014+Results+by+Winery.pdf

The standard wine container of the ancient world was the amphora (something which

can be carried by two), a clay vase with two handles. Amphorae varied greatly in height.

The largest stands as tall as 1.5 meters (5ft) high, while some were fewer than 30

centimeters (12in) high - the smallest were called amphoriskoi (literally "little

amphorae"). Most were around 45 centimeters (18in) high. They were produced on an

industrial scale until approximately the 7th century AD. Wooden and skin containers

seem to have supplanted amphorae thereafter.

4 6th Annual International Cold Climate Wine Competition

North America’s Only Wine Competition Dedicated Exclusively to Cold-Climate Varities.

Online registration opens May 16th, 2014, for all commercial wineries producing wine from the 38 qualifying cold-hardy grape varieties. Registration, information and competition rules can be found on the official website: http://www.mngrapegrowers.com/competition

5-15, Deadline for Organic Farming Research Foundation Grants

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) invites proposals from all applicants, and particularly encourages farmers, ranchers, researchers, and Extension personnel to consider applying for funding.

Funding is offered for research on organic farming and food systems and the dissemination of these research results to organic farmers and the greater agricultural and research communities. Farmers and ranchers often find that working with a professional researcher helps to design and carry out a research project, and OFRF encourages applications from such partnerships.

Funding Decisions will be made in November of 2014 and the applicants will be notified by December 31, 2014. The body of the grant application cannot be over 9 pages long.

Grant Application Information: http://www.ofrf.org/research/grants Deadline for Application: Thursday, May 15, 2014. Questions? Grant Program Administrator – 831-426-6606

Making just a few seconds count for $$$$$$$$ (Good Marketing Stuff!) (copied directly from Donniella Winchell’s – 4-22-14 “Tuesday’s Tidbits” e-letter from the Ohio Wine Producers Assn. Great newsletter that you can subscribe to here: http://www.ohiowines.org/ )

From a 'bunch' of old notes in my files [with attribution on where and from whom I 'stole' the suggestions]

 If you are selling wine on a retail store shelf, you have 10 seconds to make a good impression before a shopper's eyes move on to other labels. Make sure your design is a good one. [from Innovative Label Solutions, speaking at the 2014 License to Steal]

5  When someone comes into the tasting room, be sure staff makes eye contact within 10-20 seconds: statistics say your theft rate will be reduced by at least 75% [I think this one came from from Patty Held, my friend and a talented marketing guru]  Take a few seconds to walk out from behind the sales counter, begin a conversation and place a bottle of wine into a consumer's hands: there is a 75- 80% likelier chance they will actually purchase that bottle [from an ancient - mid 1980's- research project funded by a joint grower-winery check-off which eventually was dissolved]  Teach your staff the '15 second' welcoming and sales tool: in 15 seconds, launch a 'relationship' with a warm welcome, a prepared/standard series of questions: [have you been here before? how is your family? [if they are regulars] what kind of wine do you like?, etc]. Your sales will increase 5-10 percent with very little extra effort. [from a training manual I saw years ago used by a national of jewelry store chain.]  Take 60 seconds a day to post on Facebook or Twitter [20 seconds each, morning, noon and night]. This works ONLY IF you take a half hour or so each month to prepare a calendar then post it near your computer. Those 30 days of ideas will uncomplicate your life immeasurably. [From another friend and great marketing guru, Danene Beedle]  Take an extra 10 seconds and walk through your business' front door at least once a week. Look around as though you are entering the building for the first time. Make sure any clutter is picked up, the paint looks fresh and the flowers are watered.[From my mom who, although she could not easily walk sometimes, always had the staff out there to pay attention to details.]

Presentations from the 17th NE Winery & Grape Growers Conference

National Clean Plant Network for Grapes: What it is Doing for You? PDF Mechanization in the Vineyard PDF Canopy Management for Promising Hybrid Grapes PDF Delay Of Bud Break on ‘Edelweiss' Grapevines with Multiple Applications of Amigo Oil and NAA PDF Leading The Way an update on Sustainable Viticulture in Nebraska PDF What's new in the grape and wine program at the University of Minnesota PDF Safety Consultation PDF Mulches & Groundcovers for Sustainable Vineyard Floor Management PDF Vineyard Site Selection PDF

These presentations along with other great viticulture info can be found here on the University of Nebraska at Lincolns’ viticulture WWW site: http://agronomy.unl.edu/viticulture

The Code of Hammurabi (1800 B.C.) includes a law that punishes fraudulent wine sellers: They were to be drowned in a river.

Charters, Stephen. 2006. Wine and Society: The Social and Cultural Context of Drink. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

6 5-3, Vineyard Canopy Management Workshop – Mechanicsburg, IL

What: Workshop focused on crop control and canopy management, early season pest control, fertilizer application and ground cover management.

When: Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m. registration begins.

Where: Lazy L Grape Ranch, Mechanicsburg, IL The Lazy L Grape Ranch, owned by Brad Lindquist, is located east of Springfield, just south of Mechanicsburg. From I-72, just east of Springfield, take the Mechanicsburg Exit (#114) into Mechanicsburg. Coming into Mechanicsburg, turn left (east) on to W. Main Street, then a right on to S. Church Street, which turns into Roby Road. Continue south past Darnell Road and turn left (east) onto Moomey Road. The vineyard will be on the right (south) and visible from the road.

Who: Brad Taylor, Southern Illinois University and Elizabeth Wahle, University of Illinois Extension, will demonstrate and discuss the major practices, including shoot thinning and positioning, cluster thinning and leaf removal--operations that growers should perform in a timely manner in order to reduce costs and increase revenues. Following lunch, participants will participate in a wine sensory analysis session, focusing on identifying faults.

Sponsored by: Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA), University of Illinois Extension, Southern Illinois University and Illinois Department of Agriculture

Cost: $20.00 for individual IGGVA members or $30.00 per vineyard or non-IGGVA member. Registration is at the door and includes lunch. In case of inclement weather, the program will continue inside facilities at the vineyard.

For further details: contact Elizabeth Wahle at [email protected] or 618-344-4230.

5-4, Wine Barrel Profiles and Barrel Toasting Demo – Kasota, MN

When: Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 4, 2014

Where: Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery -- Kasota, MN

Schedule:

12:00 - 1:00PM Registration meet and greet on the production floor; Francis Durand (the master cooper) builds the fire 1:00 - 2:30PM Barrel toasting demonstration, barrel profiles, maintenance and repair 2:30 - 4:00PM Tour of the winery and barrel room. Barrel tasting and discussion. Snacks and wine in the barrel room

7 Sponsored by: Minnesota Grape Growers Association

Cost: $10 members, $35 non-members (Limited to 45 participants)

Registration: http://mngrapegrowers.com/regional-seminar-wine-barrel-profiles-and-barrel-toasting-demonstration

5-(4-6), Inside Missouri Cooperage Seminar - VESTA

When: Sunday – Tuesday, May 4-6, 2014

Where: St. Louis area

What: Forest, mill and cooperage tours.

Cost: $475 each. Includes Sunday & Monday lodging, meals and tour travel.

Details: http://www.vesta-usa.org/Events/Inside-Missouri-Cooperage-Seminar

6-(6-8) Kothe Distilling Technologies Workshop - Chicago

When: Friday – Sunday, June 6-8, 2014 Where: Kothe Distilling Technologies, 5121 N Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60640 Cost: $799 each, max of 30 participants Comments: This is a workshop for future distillers and those with some experience. The Workshop will cover everything from fruit selection, mashing, and the actual distillation process to the legal aspects of starting a distillery in North America. Robert Birnecker, PhD and Sonat Birnecker Hart, PhD as well as other presenters will be giving insights into the practice of distilling and starting a distillery. A Sensory Seminar will provide an insight into proper tasting of eaux de vie, vodkas, whiskeys, grappas and liqueurs. Participants will sample over 75 different products and learn to identify positive as well as negative aspects of distillates. Details: http://www.kothe-distilling.com/newsite/store/workshops/3-day-workshop-detail

Two Upcoming Distilling workshops – American Distilling Institute

What: Hands-on Whiskey Distilling Workshop Basic Distillery Operation for the Start-up Distiller When: Sunday – Friday, June 8 – 13, 2014, Where: New Holland Brewing and Distilling, Holland, MI Cost: $3,500 fee includes instruction, 5 nights in hotel, airport shuttles, tastings and most meals. Details: http://distilling.com/events/distilling-workshops/whiskey-workshop/

8 What: Hands-on Brandy Distilling Master Class When: Sunday – Friday, November 9-14, 2014 Where: McMenamin’s Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Distillery Cost: $3,900 fee includes instruction, hotel, bus tour of local distilleries and most meals. Details: http://distilling.com/events/distilling-workshops/brandy-workshop/

Show n Tell

(Left) From: Iowa wine industry on road to become regional leader, 4-29-14: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_7 6641d8a-cbf4-11e3-a380-0019bb2963f4.html

Neeto Keeno

1. The world’s largest wine glass: http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/2014/04/worlds-largest-wine-glass-in.html

2. 25 Wine Inspired Baby Names: http://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/171414/25_wineinspired_baby_names

3. South Dakotan’s for Better Wine Laws: http://sdbetterwinelaws.com/

4. Ohio State University’s Fruit Pathology Resource Page: http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/fruitpathology/

The next Society of Wine Educator, Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) exam held on the ISU campus in Ames, Iowa will be from 11a.m. to noon, Monday June 9, 2014. (41 days from now)

Complete information here: http://www.societyofwineeducators.org

Questions: Contact Michael L. White [email protected] or 515-681-7286

9

FREE: Society of Wine Educators CSW and CSW Study Webinars

May SWEbinars: Sessions designed for test preparation for both CSS and CSW students! These events are free, and open to the public.

The first session will be Friday, May 2 noon (central) and will feature Gary Spadafore, CSS, CWE, covering Tequila (Chapter 7 in the CSS Study Guide)!

We will also continue our SWEbinar series on “How to Pass the CSW” with two sessions led by Jane Nickles, CSS, CWE. May’s sessions will cover The Wines of France (Chapter 9 in the CSW Study Guide) – or, more specifically, “How to Study the Wines of France.” Our CSW sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 14th 10:00 am (central) and Friday, May 23rd at Noon (central).

For more information, as well as login instructions and links to the online classrooms, please visit out SWEbinar website at: http://winewitandwisdomswe.com/swebinars- 2/swebinars/

If you have any questions about SWEbinars, or would like to be sent a reminder email the day of a session, please email our Director of Education, Jane A. Nickles, at [email protected]

U.S. Total precipitation map for the year ending 4-29-14

National Weather Service: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ridge2/RFC_Precip/

10 Videos of Interest

1. OH: Kent State – Ashtubula – VESTA 2 yr degree program, 4-24-14 – FOX 8 News, 1:40 min.: http://fox8.com/2014/04/24/drink-degree-unique-program-has-students-making-wine/

2. American Wine Story Trailer, 1:40 min.: http://americanwinestory.vhx.tv/

FREE Midwest Wide CLASSIFIEDS for vineyards and wineries at Midwest Wine Press here: http://midwestwinepress.com/classifieds/

Marketing Tidbits

1. Winery Email Marketing – 9 Tips To Keeping Your Winery Newsletter Fresh – Beverage Trade Network. Excellent

2. Thinking outside the box with e-mail marketing, 4-23-14 – Wine Direct: http://www.winedirect.com/blog/Thinking-outside-the-box-with-email-marketing

3. CA: California Grabs 64% of the U.S. Market, 4-28-14 – the Drinks Business: http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/04/californian-wines-grab-64-of-us-market/

Notable Quotables

“Wine is approximately 86 percent water, 12 percent alcohol, one percent glycerol, .4 percent organic acids and .2 percent minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium,”

--- Phil Crews Chemistry and biochemistry professor, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz

“Vermont lawmakers have passed the country's first state bill to require the labeling of genetically modified foods,”

--- Vermont moves toward labeling of GMO foods, 4-24-14 – Associated Press

” over the past five years the number of alcohol production permits in the US increased by4,100, up 47%, not only for new wineries, but for craft breweries, distilleries and cider producers.”

--- U.S. Wine Sales Rise for 20th Consecutive Year, 4-25-14 – Wine Searcher:

11 "We could in the United States make as a great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly the same kinds, but doubtless as good."

--- Thomas Jefferson

Articles of Interest

1. Approval of Powdered Alcohol Labels was a Mistake, Government Agency Says, 4-22-14 - The Partnership at DrugFree.org

2. Japanese Patent Awarded for Hydrogen Sulfide-Preventing Yeast Technology for Wine, Sake, Beer and Cider, 4-24-14 - Digital Journal: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1870470#ixzz2zpdm8zrU

3. IA: Farmland Rental Rates Decrease Moderately, 4-24-14 – ISU: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/2014-farmland-rental-rates-decrease-moderately

4. TTB Suspends Ruling 2014- Pending Rulemaking (Growler Refill Regulation)-4-25-14 http://www.ttb.gov/announcements/suspends-ruling-2014-3-pending-rulemaking.pdf

5. U.S. Wine Sales Rise for 20th Consecutive Year, 4-25-14 – Wine Searcher: http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/04/u-s-wine-sales-rise-for-20th-consecutive-year

6. SD: Consumer choice driving SD study on wine imports, 4-25-14 Chron: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Consumer-choice-driving-SD-study-on-wine-imports-5429866.php

7. NE: Nebraska wine festival set this coming weekend, 4-29-14 – Sioux City Journal:

8. MO: Missouri Helping Georgia’s Wine Industry Come Back, 4-29-14 – Infozine: http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/58761/

Calendar of Events

5-3, Vineyard Canopy Management Workshop – Mechanicsburg, IL Details: contact Elizabeth Wahle at [email protected] or 618-344-4230

5-4, MGGA Wine Barrel Profiles and Barrel Toasting Demo – Kasota, MN. Registration: http://mngrapegrowers.com/regional-seminar-wine-barrel-profiles-and-barrel-toasting-demonstration

5-(4-6), VESTA Inside Missouri Cooperage Seminar – St. Louis area: Details: http://www.vesta-usa.org/Events/Inside-Missouri-Cooperage-Seminar

5-6, Pierces Disease Workshop – Hampton Inn Conference Center - Columbia, MO Register here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/626114

6-(5-7), Winemaker Magazine Conference – Leesburg, VA: http://winemakermag.com/1328-june-5-7-2014-your-conference-registration-includes-it-all

12 6-(6-8), Kothe Distilling Technologies Workshop – Chicago. Details: http://www.kothe-distilling.com/newsite/store/workshops/3-day-workshop-detail

6-7, Iowa Swine Fest, Des Moines Area Community College – Ankeny, IA. http://swinefestival.com/

6-(8-13), Hands-on Whiskey Distilling Workshop Basic Distillery Operation for the Start-up Distiller. American Distilling Institute. New Holland Brewing and Distilling, Holland, MI Details: http://distilling.com/events/distilling-workshops/whiskey-workshop/

6-9, Society of Wine Educators CSW and CSS Exam – ISU Ames, IA: http://www.societyofwineeducators.org

6-(22-25), American Society of Wine Economists (AAWE) - Walla Walla, WA. http://www.wine-economics.org/2014-walla-walla/

6-(23-27), 65th American Society of Enology & Viticulture (ASEV) & 39th Eastern Section ASEV Conference – Austin, TX: http://www.asev.org/2014-national-conference

7-13, Minnesota Grape Growers Association’s Annual Picnic: http://mngrapegrowers.com/annual-picnic

8-(13-15), Society of Wine Educators 38th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. Details: http://www.societyofwineeducators.org/conference

9-(21-30), UMN Global Learning Adventures Tour – Italy http://www.cfans.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/documents/asset/cfans_asset_466382.pdf

11-8, 2nd Annual Wine Tourism Day: http://www.winetourismday.org/

11-(9-14), Hands-on Brandy Distilling Master Class. American Distilling Institute. McMenamin’s Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Distillery, Hillsboro, OR Details: http://distilling.com/events/distilling-workshops/brandy-workshop/

2-(27-28) – 2015, Iowa Wine Grower Association Conference – The Hotel at Kirkwood – Cedar Rapids. Detail later: http://www.iowawinegrowers.org

Past issues archived as html and/or pdf here: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/news

You can search within the Wine Grower News Archive by placing “Wine Grower News” within quotes followed by your search term.

13

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http://northerngrapesproject.org/

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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cathann A. Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa. 14