PRESS Summer 2017 The Quarterly Newsletter of the VINEYARDS ASSOCIATION Vol. 33 No. 2 Is Success in the Bag? President’s Corner Set Aside Time for Innovation By Nate Walsh Walsh Family Wine

armers tend to be busy homebodies. The nature of agriculture ties producers to a particular location, oftentimes Fworking alone, and persistently chasing, or more often being chased by, fickle weather and the strangely suspicious speed of the seasons. Vineyard managers and winegrowers are no different. Grape growing often envelops us Karl Hambsch in a cycle, causing our daily focus to To help protect clusters, Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery is experimenting with paper bags over the fruit. It’s simply be keeping up with the sprays one of two projects Karl Hambsch discusses in his latest “Green Gambol” column. Page 5 and the literal weeds. It’s hard to find a moment to come up for air. Ask a grower, for instance, to grab lunch in June, and they will almost certainly be too busy, attempting Finding Dependable Labor to stay ahead of tucking and shoot positioning and scouting for beetles. Ask a grower how the season is going, A look at two programs that can offer reliable help and you’ll oftentimes hear a sigh of By Paul Anctil That clearly is a non-starter! exasperation, followed by complaints Sans Soucy Vineyards The bottom line is that every vineyard of Virginia’s weather. owner or manager I talk to has stories to tell of ne of the more troublesome issues the endless challenge of finding and retaining See PRESIDENT on page 2 of managing a vineyard is sourcing dependable employees. quality help. Let’s face it, no matter When I first planted my vineyard 17 years what glamorous, mystical image ago, I could ask a neighboring tobacco farmer Othe public has mistakenly created relative to if his legally hired migrant workers wanted to vineyards and wines, in the final analysis we earn extra money working for me on Saturday are farmers — plain and simple. or Sunday. They were cheerful, dependable, Tending a vineyard is hard, dirty work and thankful for the work. That is not an performed in almost every conceivable option today because tobacco farming has weather condition, and finding people nearly vanished in my area, and with it has willing to do that kind of work isn’t easy. gone a once ubiquitous and capable migrant The few individuals who do respond to my workforce. An Unlikely Ally employment ads typically quit within a few My contribution to this edition of Grape How to use native weeds to weeks. Occasionally, some brazen young man Press is a quick summary of the two programs grow better . on disability wants to work but only if he can PAGE 6 be paid “under the table.” See WORKERS on page 9

virginiavineyardsassociation.com PRESIDENT’S CORNER (cont.) VVA BOARD 2017 PRESIDENT, from page 1 Like people actively involved in most True innovation President forms of agriculture, we are not good at Nate Walsh staying ahead of the curve, and we don’t get oftentimes comes out much. [email protected] My vineyards have a lot to say about only when we themselves, but growers and winemakers Vice President working in vineyards other than my own have are able to pull Jim Benefiel always formed a lens through which I can [email protected] view my personal strengths and weaknesses. our heads from A few years ago, I made it a point to visit Treasurer a different grower or winemaker each month. the weeds and Jessi Gatewood Twelve visits a year. I would find somebody consider the larger [email protected] making a wine I enjoyed, give them a call, and spend an hour or so walking their picture. Secretary vineyard and tasting in their cellar. Ben Margulies I rarely had an agenda regarding what I wanted to learn – I simply wanted to see what [email protected] their vineyard looked like at a certain point turkey farming. “My production is unusual,” in the season, what they ideally would like to he told me, “but it does pay.” At-Large Board Members do, what their thought-process was, what they He then described the cutting-edge farming Skip Causey were struggling with. Virginia methods he’d studied in [email protected] is full of talented growers. Not Europe, producers he followed once has anybody turned me in Switzerland, statistics on Carrington King down. solar ROI, his experience with [email protected] Beyond that, I began sticking his toes in the organic looking at vineyards in market to see if the economics Advisor comparable regions. Many of worked out, his plans for Dr. Tony K. Wolf us grow Bordeaux varietals, further experimentation. [email protected] and we are now seeing wines “This is a brutal, low- being produced under more margin business,” he told me. Business Manager of their influence in terms of “Business as usual doesn’t Tracy Kirkman row spacing, yields, clonal get you very far. My job is [email protected] selection, etc. Others of us to always be looking around grow . We don’t the corner. The only reason Grape Press Editors/Production live in a vacuum in terms of I’ve succeeded is because I’ve primary bud abortion and focused on looking for a better Bob Garsson low press yields – we have way.” [email protected] colleagues to whom we can NATE WALSH True innovation, in Chris Garsson turn for advice. This requires agriculture as in most [email protected] time and coordination. industries, tends to come from Looking at decisions that have improved people or businesses not bogged down in my own growing, and looking at winegrowers the nitty gritty. Pioneering farmers need the VVA Mailing Address whose work I admire and aspire to, I see the flexibility and time to approach challenges P.O. Box 168 great value in looking beyond that last row, from thoughtful directions. This is difficult, Waterford, Va. 20197 that end block, that entire vineyard. and it’s easy to ignore. [email protected] True innovation oftentimes comes only It’s hard to take the time to thoughtfully when we are able to pull our heads from focus on ways to improve tannin ripeness Special thanks to: the weeds and consider the larger picture. in when you spend all day We need the time and mental energy to trying to troubleshoot belt issues on a Zero Paul Anctil, Bill Freitag, thoughtfully consider how to continue Turn. Karl Hambsch, Paul Krop, improving our practices. We can’t ignore that Zero Turn, but we Jim Law, Ben Rowe, Jim Turpin Earlier this year I spent an afternoon with also can’t ignore the fact that our larger goal a commercial turkey farmer. I knew nothing has nothing to do with that Zero Turn. about turkey farming then (and, admittedly, I My goals as a winegrower don’t have much barely know anything now). I saw his stalls, at all in common with that turkey farmer. his different breeds, his composting, his And yet I couldn’t help but be inspired by the mechanized feedlines. thoughtfulness of his approach. Am I able to I also saw his fields of solar panels, his keep my head above the water long enough facilities devoted to organics, his plans to treat my vineyards and profession with for pushing his operation more toward the the respect and innovation they deserve? quality and health of his turkeys. This farmer, Farming may be solitary, but we don’t have it turned out, was on the inventive edge of to do it in isolation.

2 REGIONAL REPORTS

EASTERN VA.: “All varieties here at our vineyards show good development.”

By Paul Krop require crop dropping soon. saving us time and labor. Haven’t used Good Luck Cellars We’re seeing some early patches of its leaf puller but will report back when I Downy Mildew, first in Vidal and then do. Right now, we’re doing all hand leaf- lad to report that here in the in some vinifera including Cabernet pulling but did not try early bloom as a Eastern section we’ve had no Sauvignon and Franc (still very light). method of cluster thinning. Gsigns of late-season frosts, so Saw our first Japanese beetle today We in the Eastern section would like to we’ve had none of the bud damage we (June 13), but watching for the onslaught. give a big “Thank you” to: suffered last year. Last year, we had enough to require Tremain Hatch, viticulture extension/ Also, at least here in the lower Northern Carbaryl by the fourth week of June. research associate at Virginia Tech, for Neck, we appear to be off to a good start This year, we again applied 10 lbs. his visit to Caret Cellars Vineyard and with good fruit set despite some periods actual nitrogen to all blocks (urea) but site review; of heavy rain. most areas have now developed a healthy Dr. Molly Kelly, enology extension All varieties here at our vineyards turf of mixed fescues and white clover. specialist at Virginia Tech, for her show good development and are nearing Remember, our site is a repurposed sand winemakers session at Ingleside Winery, bunch closure, especially on Vignoles and gravel mine at 90 feet above sea which included a tasting session for (its tight clusters require vigilance to level. Most topsoil had been sold off. Our recognition of wine faults, correlation get good antifungals in before closure). soil maps indicate Windsor Formation. with vineyard practices, and comparison Unbelievable heavy bunch development We’re currently enjoying/getting of the organoleptic experience of tasting (compared to last year) is requiring to know our new Rinieri hedger from with the organic compounds involved. significant shoot thinning and will Winchester Equipment and it’s already Quite instructive!

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3 REGIONAL REPORTS

CENTRAL VA.: “Despite the oddities of the weather … growers are optimistic.”

By Bob Garsson the east side of our canopy.” have mechanically removed most leaves in the VVA Communications Chair However, he added, “the addition of this fruit zone already; so let’s trust that early leaf new implement has pushed us to change our removal does improve wine quality.” ith so much warm weather, canopy management in our older blocks to a ►The Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers leading to early bud swelling, modified ballerina with only one downward Society is working on a project designed to it was probably inevitable that skirt on the west side of rows. Our newer improve understanding of all of the components growers in central Virginia and plantings are performing well and are all VSP, that make up the AVA, according Welsewhere would be threatened with a late cane pruned, and have a cordon wire just 30 to Matthieu Finot, winemaker for King frost. We were, but, thankfully, the event on inches off the ground.” Family Vineyards. Matthieu urged growers May 9 turned out to be only a threat. Despite the oddities of the weather, central to participate by completing a survey, which At , Fernando Virginia growers are optimistic. can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey. Franco reported that temperatures hit 32 “At this point, everything is good and com/r/MonticelloAVAVineyards. degrees at 3 a.m., but didn’t drop further, healthy and we’re looking forward to an early The survey’s main goal, said Matthieu, is to thanks to his wind machines. “I was ready start of harvest,” Fernando said, alluding to the find out how many acres of wine grapes are to use our ‘frostbuster’ frost machines to add effects of the warm spring. being grown in the AVA and what varietals some heat, but once I realized we had good Carrington said he was hoping for have been planted.“But we’ve also added inversion (warmer temperatures in the higher “uninterrupted sunshine and a light year of more questions to understand what is doing elevations), the wind machines were sufficient Japanese beetles!” well in the AVA.” to stay above 32 degrees Fahrenheit all the The questions are optional, but the more way to sunrise.” Research Projects information growers supply, the more able the Of course, the threat of frost was followed Two notable research projects are under way organization will be to build a clearer picture by the reality of rain. Lots of rain. Or, as Bill in Central Virginia: of the AVA. Matthieu said answers will remain Tonkins of Veritas Vineyards and Winery put ►Veritas is working with Cain Hickey, private and information that could point to a it, “wet, wet, wet!” who is now at the University of Georgia, to specific vineyard or winery will not be made Writing on June 13, Bill said he had recorded figure out regional leaf removal strategies to public. Raw survey data will not be used by over 13 inches of rain in May alone, and June optimize wine quality. “Many readers will or shared with any organization other than the was also turning out to be wet and cool. have heard him present his research on leaf Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers Society. “This does not, thankfully, appear to have removal at our VVA meetings,” Bill said. “He The information gathered will be compiled affected fruit set with the exception of one is now taking this to the next level and we are and analyzed to represent the AVA as a whole. field of ,” he said, adding that going to apply his treatments to large-enough The final report of analyzed information will he was unsure why the Sauvignon Blanc had blocks so that Veritas can vinify sufficient be shared with participants prior to it being suffered when other varieties didn’t. wine to taste when he presents his findings. made public. For more information, email “Maybe it flowered during one of those five- This happens to coincide with the fact that Matthieu at [email protected] or day rain events,” he said, adding, “possibly it’s we now have a pneumatic leaf remover and [email protected]. because we got such a large yield last year and are paying for it now!” Nonetheless, he added, “it is fair to say that everything is good so far; no frost (although Winemaking Consultant we got very close to it with patches of frost on Winemaking Consultant the ground) and on the whole we have good www.winemakingconsultant.com fruit set.” www.winemakingconsultant.com Although the weather has required more Thomas J. Payette 4 expensive sprays with “kickback,” the rain Thomas J. Payette has been particularly kind on the replacement Over twenty-five years of winemaking in vines and new acreage at Veritas, he said, Virginia, Napa and East Coast Over twenty-five years winemaking noting there’s been no need to water them in or irrigate. Multiple Governor’sexperience Cup Winner “So as the guy falling from the 10th story says as he passes the 5th floor; ‘OK so far!’ ” 2011 Wine Productivity Trophy

At King Family Vineyards, Carrington King "1999 Winemaker of the Year" told a similar story. “After getting extremely Phone : 540.672.0387 lucky in avoiding any spring frost events with [email protected] the mild winter and early bud swell, we have Winemaking solutions focusing on: been treated to rain and more rain.” Winery and vineyard start-ups To deal with the wetness, he said, “we Still and sparkling wines have been focusing on well-timed canopy management and timely sprays. Our new General winery issues Pellenc leaf puller has been put to good use and Food Science Degree – Virginia Tech allows for timely and efficient leaf removal on

4 IN THE VINEYARD Trials Aim for Clean Fruit, Easier Planting By Karl Hambsch graduate research assistant at Virginia Tech), we Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery are bagging at pea-size berry and veraison, and then comparing against a control row. n the December 2016 Grape Press, I Rows were selected double-blind mentioned four exciting projects that we are (eliminating the edge row), and the variety Itackling this year. In this issue, I will report chosen for the experiment is Corot Noir, our on two of them. variety most susceptible to Black Rot. This is a two-year SARE grant-funded study, so we’ll let Bagging and Protecting Clusters you know how it goes. Last year, Virginia Tech grape pathologist Dr. Outside of this study, we are bagging entire Mizuho Nita brought us some samples of paper rows of our other production varieties to learn bags from Japan. The bags had been produced as much as we can about the full-potential of the by a cooperative of table grape bags. Among the more tantalizing growers to cover clusters and protect scenarios is the possibility of them from disease, insects and rain. the bag thwarting SWD without At first, this struck us as a little Green insecticide. Another grower (who extreme, but the more we thought Gambol has bought 15,000 bags from us) about it, the less silly it became. We wants to see if she can get her Petit accepted the sample bags and tried Verdot though hurricane season them out on our four production varieties on without getting the fruit wet. I am sure you can randomly distributed clusters at different levels come up with several more uses for these bags of development. to overcome a particular challenge in your own Results were mixed. There were no vineyard. Photos courtesy of Karl Hambsch incidences of insect damage, and any diseases We have extra bags that we can spare if you Using heavy-duty landscaping paper to suppress spread by rain (like Black Rot) did not spread want to participate. The bags are five cents weeds, Loving Cup planted vines without roots, inside the bag. Any infection prior to bagging each, come bundled as 100, and come 3,000 in above, in hopes that the roots will form under the did manifest, including the late-season rots that a case. Email me at [email protected] paper. In another experiment, the vineyard has infect at bloom and are present after veraison. for more info. covered clusters with paper bags, bottom left, to The bags did prevent us from easily protect them from disease and pests. monitoring the ripeness and soundness of Putting Down Roots the fruit, but when the bagged clusters were Another project we have undertaken this year harvested along with the rest of the row, is a direct-stick planting. One of the challenges cuttings from our own vineyard, dipped the no significant difference in sugar or acid of growing organically is getting baby vines bottoms in mycorrhizal fungal spores, and was discovered. Additionally, the fruit was started without herbicide. A new planting is placed the cuttings through the paper at each ridiculously clean. No spray, crud, or bug poop; often followed by three months of hand-hoeing emitter. the clusters were gorgeous! and hand-weeding. No fun. Hopefully, the dark paper heats the ground Based on these results, we decided to get So this year we are putting in an acre with sufficiently to callous the cuttings, the water more bags this year and test them on entire rows. heavy-duty landscaping paper for weed and fungi cause the roots to form, and we have Working with Mizuho and Charlotte Oliver (a suppression. The edges of the paper are held new vines in place without having to pull weeds down with bamboo (this year). stakes and landscaping Buds have already started to break, so we staples (Chris Hill’s will know very soon if this was a brilliant tack inspired idea), as or a colossal mistake. I promise to report again opposed to dirt, which on this either way. So that’s it for now from the decomposes the paper. fringe of commercial grape growing. Irrigation tubing Thanks for reading. with inline emitters was placed underneath The “Green Gambol” column for Grape the paper, and the vines Press focuses on organic grape growing. Karl were placed at each Hambsch, the vineyard manager at Loving emitter. Cup Vineyard & Winery in Albemarle County, What makes this is a member of the VVA, an unabashed fan of project so foolish is sweet wines, and a Ravenclaw transitioning to that we planted vines a Hufflepuff. Loving Cup is a rarity in Virginia without roots. We took — both its vineyard and winery are certified dormant budwood organic.

5 IN THE VINEYARD Making Use of Native Cover Crops Weeds Can Contribute to Producing Quality Wines

By Jim Law Linden Vineyards

or the last five or 10 years I’ve been nurturing a succession of native cover Fcrops growing under my vines. The results have been encouraging. Even after all this time I still feel that I’m going through a long learning curve, but I would like to share my experiences. My relationship with the ground under the vines has been somewhat tumultuous. In the 1980s the grape hoe was the method of choice. Farmers love to cultivate and I was Photos courtesy of Jim Law no exception. Weeds were buried by hilling Two native cover crops up, then later — skillfully, meticulously and used by Linden Vineyards melodically — those mounds were taken are the yellow-flowering down with what looked like a miniature black medic, left, and snow blade mounted on the side of the chickweed, which is tractor. shown above as a One needed a strong back for the form of “mulch” additional handwork required to hoe around after going to seed each trunk. Time, labor and erosion became and dying — no herbicides problematic. were used on it. In the 1990s we started planting to the Lyre training system, which made it logistically impossible to use the grape hoe. direction. In May, it goes to seed and dies, not to be I’m not proud of this second phase of weed Around this time, a French winegrower seen again until next late winter. Around this control, which involved copious amounts of visited. He asked why I hadn’t considered time, black medic, a low-growing legume herbicides, both pre-emergent and contact. encouraging what was already well adapted similar to clover or alfalfa, starts to grow. It It is challenging to control the weeds under to our environment: weeds. forms a thick carpet of bright green foliage the relatively wide swath of the horizontally Since that day, I have taken a keen interest and yellow flowers. Again, it will smother divided Lyre training system. Under the in weeds. But weeds are not weeds if they out most competing weeds. trellis was kept totally free of weeds. Vine are desirable. Native cover crops (NCC) is While chickweed is basically non- vigor resulted. a longer, but more correct and sexier term. competitive to established vines, black We responded to vine vigor by spending Most of Hardscrabble is now managed medic can slow down vine growth and vigor. a lot more time with canopy management. using a sequence of native cover crops. None Both of these plants reseed easily on their Fungus diseases became more of an issue, of these have been sown. All are volunteers own. and the red wines developed some bell that have been encouraged through In newly planted “baby” vineyards, NCC pepper characteristics. This wasn’t too persistent, but sparing, early morning spot competition is discouraged until August. successful. applications of glyphosate (aka Roundup) Conversely, mature vines with higher In the early 2000s, we started at targeted non-desirable weed species. water-holding capacity can handle constant experimenting with sowing low-growing Backpack sprayers are used because of their competition. cover crops. Creeping Red Fescue became precision (aim and pressure), ease, and time I’m learning how to fine-tune the cover an instant favorite and was sown under just efficiency (much faster than any tractor- crop competition in relationship with vine about every vine. mounted outfit). performance and the vintage. Now that we Competition slowed vine growth to a I do this in the very early morning (before plant on steeper slopes, NCC can essentially manageable level. The red wines lost much 8 a.m.) since it is the calmest part of the day. prevent erosion. of their vegetative qualities. We could also I would never do this with winds more than Biodiversity flourishes. Herbicide use has significantly reduce our fungicides sprays. a few miles per hour. been greatly reduced, but not eliminated at However, as the vines got older, there was Obviously, it is best if the vines are well this point. a drop in vigor to the point that trellises could suckered. While there will always be the potential not be filled, leaves were yellowing, and Examples would be two of my favorite for unintended consequences in the long yields were falling. White wines lacked the NCCs: chickweed and black medic. term, I’m feeling more and more confident vibrancy and minerality of earlier vintages. Chickweed crowds out most early season about using weeds to help make better The pendulum had swung in the other weeds and forms natural mulch in April. wine.

6 IN THE VINEYARD A Guide to Kick Off Your Spring

By Bill Freitag Managing the Vine, the Canopy Toll Gate Farm & Vineyards Sustainability and Crop Load ► Vine Training ere I sit in the waning days of May, Corner ► Canopy Management while the rains keep coming, doing ► Crop Load Management Hpaper work instead of being out among with no sign of slowing. Positioning the fast Just as a reminder, the VSWAG is a tool for the vines. Having spent both April and May growth is a literal nightmare. year-round use. Hopefully, earlier this year dodging the rains, I continue to worry about Hand wringing will not solve the issue so you referred to the VSWAG for instruction on getting pesticide on the vines as well as getting we make the best of the situation and keep “balanced pruning” to help position the vines shoot thinning and initial positioning and plugging on with the positioning and thinning. for the final steps in pruning to the proper level getting my first application of fertilizer down We know that overcrowded canopies are of shoot thinning. On well-established cordons for the first time this season. disease-prone, cause herbaceousness and delay the goal of shoot thinning is three to five shoots Oh, well, nobody ever said this stuff was ripening. per linear foot of canopy. Viticulture and wine easy. It just has to be fun. Right? I urge you to turn to the Virginia Sustainable expert Dr. Tony Wolf of Virginia Tech suggests Winegrowers Self-Assessment Guide that three to four might be a more appropriate Current Situation (VSWAG) on the VVA website and examine target. Shoot thinning and initial positioning are the best practices for shoot thinning and crop Shoot thinning is the first step of the new going slowly due to the ever-present rain, and load management. These two practices are season to help you reach your desired crop the shortage of available labor. The vines are closely related and are components of the booming and are already at the 18-inch mark second topic of the VSWAG. See SUSTAINABLE on page 8

7 INDUSTRY NEWS Studying the Impact of the Wine Industry

By Jim Turpin and Ben Rowe Assembly in November. are being regulated appropriately. Council The study emerged as a solution to several Some of you may remember a similar study looming proposals from outside groups that 10 years ago. The work that was done at that he Virginia wine industry stands are ready to be introduced in the General time set the stage for much of the growth we on the cusp of an extraordinarily Assembly. These proposals would severely enjoyed this past decade. important period in its history. limit every winery’s ability to expand, Today, the challenges are greater. We are a As the result of legislation passed regardless of your winery’s age, size or more mature industry and the issues we face Tduring the 2017 Session with the support location. are more complicated, difficult, and have a of the Virginia Wine Council (VWC), the In addition, we have heard of potential higher profile. Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry is state-level legislative efforts that would As an industry, we will need to be prepared, undertaking a study to look at farm wineries, threaten the fundamental premise of farm organized, and united. Your input and how we do business, our relationship with wineries as agricultural operations. These commitment to participate in the meetings local government, as well as our overall threats include enforcement of commercial and serve as an advocate will be critical for economic impact. building codes and environmental restrictions our industry. The study will include industry applicable to no other form of agribusiness. Please keep an eye out for future representatives, local governments, and other However, the results of the study that is communications on the meeting dates and interested parties. Information collected now underway will be used to demonstrate locations. The VWC will ensure each and during the study will be compiled into a the true scope and impact of the wine industry every member of the industry will be given a report that is due to the governor and General on the Commonwealth and to help ensure we chance to have their voice heard.

IN THE VINEYARD

SUSTAINABLE, from page 7 adapted for the vigor of your site. To eventually VSWAG is designed to allow final-prune that vine, continue to prune the load. Set crop load targets using quantitative for self-assessing how well spurs until you have remaining the number of methods that involve using pruning weights, buds you calculated from the pruning weight crop load ratios and your vineyard’s historic we’re doing against 119 Best formula for that vine. vine performance. Management Practices spread Remember, success at harvest time will across six major topics. It depend on your success right now in positioning What You Should Have Done provides two primary functions and thinning. Earlier This Year that should help each of us to So if this sounds like I’m skipping around, Assuming you made the proper choices grow better grapes. you’re right. My point is that if you use the regarding variety and training system for your VSWAG as it is intended to be used, you site, the task at this point is to annually adjust 1. It helps growers enhance would have done your crop-load estimating and maintain that crucial balance through their performance by providing last year and this year’s shoot thinning exercise dormant pruning. Research has produced a a single easy-to-use source of would be clearly laid out based on your vines’ method of pruning to achieve this elusive research-vetted BMPs covering performance in previous years. balance. This method is referred to as “balanced the critical areas of operating pruning,” as the amount of pruning is based In Closing on the vigor of the vine and its fruit-carrying successful vineyards and VSWAG is designed to help growers: capacity. The way to quantify vigor is through 2. It provides feedback to each 1. Succeed in growing high-quality fruit that vine size, which is determined by the weight user on how you compare to is marketable; of one-year-old cane pruning and applying that your contemporaries while 2. Explain concepts important to sustainable weight to a formula. maintaining anonymity. wine grape production; The pruning formula for most vinifera 3. Assess current vineyard practices; and varieties is 20+20, which means leave 20 buds 4. Identify components of vineyard operation for the first pound of pruned material plus 20 where improvement will lead to increased buds for each additional pound. This depends Applying the formula, we would get eight sustainability. on the vine spacing in the row. A vine with two buds per foot, which is much higher than our For those of you who created score sheets in pounds of pruned material from vines spaced 5 desired three to five buds. You would then past years, you will find your old workbooks feet apart would require a total of 40 buds, 20 have to assess the need to reduce that number on the tool with scores as you left them. Let’s for the first pound plus 20 for each additional depending on the size of the vine and if there get them updated and completed as you work pound. We are ultimately looking for about was any cold damage to buds. in 2017. Be ready for next year by doing things three to five shoots per linear foot of row on Each variety will behave differently in the right way this year. And don’t forget to print VSP-trained vines depending on the cluster size different environments, so this formula is meant out your Completion Certificate when you of the specific variety. to be a guide and starting point that can be complete the workbook.

8 INDUSTRY NEWS Two Ways to Hire Reliable Workers WORKERS, from page 1 any country and of any nationality, but most as required. A quick Google search will lead of us know them as the Spanish-speaking you to labor assistance agents who can help. I researched in trying to address my need for workers from Mexico and Central America. Hiring your own H-2A labor assistance dependable workers: the H-2A Temporary You should initiate the process weeks, if agent can cost several thousand dollars, Agricultural Worker Program and the J-1 not months before you need workers, and you and the typical fee is around $2,500. Large visa program. The first is a true “worker” should not attempt to fill out the application agricultural associations charge significantly program. The latter is a training/internship documents on your own. An agent can ensure lower fees, typically $300 to $500. program that allows participants to further you avoid the kinds of mistakes that result in Additionally, you will be charged petition develop their existing skills and knowledge an application being rejected, and they can filings fees with various government in a profession or study program. help with a number of potential problems. agencies, including the Department of The two share similar characteristics, but An agent who has a trusted counterpart Labor (DOL), U.S. Citizen and Immigration they are also quite different in a number of in the country of origin can help deal with Services (USCIS), plus charges for mailing, ways. For example, both programs require unexpected employee issues, including courier services, long-distance phone calls, participants to obtain the proper visa issued dealing with an employee who doesn’t pan etc., all of which add to that initial agent fee. by the U.S. government. Both require a out. After that, there’s the per-worker fees: sponsoring agent or agency, and both require There are labor assistance agents and Machine Readable Visa fee, Consulate participants to return home at the conclusion agricultural associations that can guide you Processing Fee, bus fares to and from the of the contract. Here are some highlights: through the application process. They will file point of origin, and the DOL filing fee, among the required documents with the Department them. As you can see, it gets expensive. The H-2A program of Labor, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration In addition, you must guarantee the worker Workers in the H-2A program can be from Services and other federal or state agencies at least three-quarters of the total work contract. In other words, if you contract for 10 months of work, or 35 hours per week, the worker must have the opportunity to complete 75 percent of the total contracted hours, or have the opportunity to work for other approved members to complete the contracted time. If not, then you must pay the worker directly to complete the three- quarters rule. You must provide suitable, safe and free housing. The facility must have individual sleeping arrangements, functional kitchen and bathroom facilities. Your worker housing arrangements can be inspected by a variety of federal or state agents to verify housing suitability. You must provide transportation to and from the residence to the actual workplace, to shop for food, or to laundry facilities if they’re not part of your housing arrangements. You must provide an hourly wage that complies with the DOL Adverse Effect Wage Rate or the state prevailing wage rate, whichever is higher. In my area, that is approximately $12 an hour. You don’t deduct or contribute to Social Security or Medicare for the worker so that can save you a significant amount of money. However, you do deduct for FICA according to the existing rules. You must provide workers’ compensation insurance for all workers. You must provide U.S. workers the first opportunity to work before requesting H-2A workers. You cannot “trade or lend” workers to any

See WORKERS on page 10

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WORKERS, from page 9 and grapes are directly related to good wine. His learning curve is exponential! other employer who is not part of the original The salary is flexible, but it must be petition or request, meaning if you joined Considering our attractive to the potential candidate. If you an association of farmers to assist in the intern’s knowledge provide lodging or full room and board, the processing and petition filing, your employee agreed wage can be less than if you expect may work “extra hours” only for a member of vines and wines, your candidate to pay for all his living of that group. You cannot lend your worker expenses. However, it cannot be less than to a non-member farmer. we are getting $7.25 per hour or minimum wage. The WISE Your worker can only perform the duties representative in the country of origin can described in the original contract. For more than our use the salary offering to attract a variety of example, if you also own a construction skill levels you might require. company, you cannot use your farm worker money’s worth. Different types of insurance are required. in your construction firm. In addition to carrying workmen’s comp You can, however, add other farm duties, insurance, you must pay the WISE foundation such as “work in the vineyard until my farm- for the candidate’s health insurance, which raised shrimp are ready for harvest.” Any further advance their education, skills and currently runs $400 per month. anticipated extra duties need to be specified work experience. A great deal of information You must have a formalized training plan on the original contract. about the program is available at www. that outlines all the candidate’s duties and You can see that the process is complicated. wisefoundation.com. learning objectives. The WISE foundation Employing a labor assistance agent or joining The program is a structured and formalized will help you prepare a lesson plan that covers an agricultural association is very smart. work/study, internship program. Candidates all the major objectives of the program and When all is said and done, for me it came must be enrolled in an educational program, that satisfies the DOL rules for qualification down to the final cost. Because I can join a possess a skills certificate, or be participating and approval. very effective agricultural association here in a work training program in their home I created a training plan that included all in southside Virginia, my per-worker hourly country. facets of my farm winery, including vineyard commitment was approximately $15 per hour Unlike the H-2A program, an important work, winemaking, and the basics of (all my financial expenses for labor, housing, component of the J-1 program is aimed at marketing the finished product to the public. fees, etc. averaged out to an hourly rate). ensuring that candidates have the opportunity Like the H-2A, an important criteria is that This hourly rate became my benchmark for a to experience all areas of American culture: American workers are not displaced. meaningful comparison of my options. shopping, church, festivals, cultural and The program is usually nine to 12 months With few exceptions, H-2A workers have recreational activities, among them. In in duration. The candidate must possess a reputation for being very dependable and addition, you must provide transportation for round-trip tickets. The WISE foundation will efficient workers. shopping, laundry, religious services and the obtain the required visas for you. And the like. candidate must have the ability to contact the J-1 Interns You can be sure that the candidate will WISE foundation representative at any time. The other option — and the one that I possess some level of knowledge in the area Candidates must have basic English eventually chose — is the J-1 visa program. of interest. Obviously, for us that means in language skills that they demonstrate in an The two programs are similar in many viticulture. interview at the U.S. Consulate in their home respects, but significantly different in some My candidate was not familiar with VSP country. Our candidate’s English abilities are areas. trellising, but he knew about disease, pruning, very basic but he is learning quickly. The Foundation for Worldwide air flow, canopy-to-fruit ratio, etc. He holds a Again, in the final analysis I made my International Student Exchange (WISE) is an viticulture certificate and was employed by choice guided mostly by costs. Putting international program that allows individuals his country’s largest winery. In a nutshell, he together all of the elements that I am from foreign countries the opportunity to understands the basics of how healthy vines financially responsible for, my hourly rate comes in at just under $14 per hour. I don’t pay Social Security or Medicare for our intern, but FICA is still required based on personal situation. Considering our intern’s knowledge of vines and wine, we are getting more than our money’s worth. He is intelligent, personable, motivated, and takes initiative. Obviously, VINEYARD TRACTORS AND SPRAYERS personalities differ, but if our intern is New Holland - Kubota - Durand Wayland representative of the kind of candidate you can expect, I feel strongly that you would Tim Gano be pleased with an intern from the WISE Cell: (540) 533-5667 foundation. I hope this quick summary is useful. If 121 Indian Hollow Road Winchester, VA 22603 you’d like more information, including the 540-667-2244 names and contact information for program www.winchesterequipment.com points of contact, please get in touch with me at [email protected].

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