Folks,
I just wanted to pass this invitation along to the group in case anyone wan=
ts to attend. Don Lotter and I will be presenting information about compos=
t tea in organic agriculture on the first day. We will also be discussing =
our proposed SARE project which will investigate the efficacy of compost te=
a for disease prevention in Mid-Atlantic vineyards and in other horticultur=
al crops such as pumpkins and potatoes at The Rodale Institute. Below I ha=
ve included the brochure and registration information.
Matthew Ryan
Research Technician
The Rodale Institute
611 Siegfriedale Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
(610) 683-1405
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ce" />
Alternative Viticulture - A Closer Look at Sustainable, Organic and Biodyna=
mic Grape Growing
Penn State Day
January 28 and 29, 2003
Spring Garden Conference Center
Middletown, Pennsylvania
Registration Fee - $80 Pre-registration deadline is January 17.
The goal of the meeting is to bring perspective and information to the ofte=
n fuzzy realm of non-conventional commercial viticulture. This would inclu=
de sustainable, organic and biodynamic methods. Recently, there has been a=
tremendous growth in interest in these new techniques of farming wine grap=
es. Because much of the practices and technologies exist outside of our cu=
stomary agricultural experience, it is the objective of this meeting to giv=
e sound and practical information on subjects that are too often tainted wi=
th hyperbole and unrealistic expectations. A group of serious consultants, =
researchers, growers, vendors and extension agents will present their views=
and experience of this new frontier in grape growing. These are truly som=
e of the best minds in the business and many of their names will be familia=
r to you. It is hoped that, armed with this information, new and experienc=
ed growers alike will be able to decide for themselves if they want to empl=
oy these practices on their own farms. We are seeking to encourage creativ=
e, innovative, disciplined and intelligent wine grape growing that will pro=
duce high quality wines with a minimum impact on the environment and contin=
ued profitability to the farmer. There are great challenges to successful =
alternative practices under Eastern growing conditions, hopefully this meet=
ing will put these challenges and the risks into proper perspective. Pleas=
e plan to attend and pass the word about this meeting to all your wine grow=
ing friends. The Wine Appreciation Guild will have a variety of publicatio=
ns on these special topics available for sale and equipment/supply vendors =
will be present.
Program
Tuesday, January 28
7:00 Registration and Coffee
7:50 Mark Chien, Penn State Coopera=
tive Extension - Welcome and Introduction
8:00 Alice Wise, Cornell Cooperativ=
e Extension, Riverhead, LINY.
Alternative Viticultural Pr=
actices on Long Island
8:45 Al MacDonald, Chemeketa Commun=
ity College, Salem, OR.
Oregon Low Input Viticultur=
e and Enology (LIVE)
9:45 Break
10:00 Vicki Bess, BBC Labs, Tempe, AZ=
. Soil Microbiology and
Microbial Diversity - Tools for Vineyard Management"
11:00 William Brinton, Woods End Rese=
arch Lab, Mt. Vernon, Maine
Overview of Organic Agricul=
tural Practices
Noon Lunch
1:00 Nancy Wenner/Elwin Stewart, De=
pt of Plant Pathology, Penn State University - Vine Decline Research in Pen=
nsylvania and New York
Jim Travis et. al., Dept of Plant Pathology, Penn State University - Use of=
Compost in Commercial in Pennsylvania
2:00 Richard Fiegel, Silver Thread =
Vineyard, Finger Lakes, NY. Rob Russell - Westport River Vineyard and Winer=
y, Westport, MA - Grower Experiences with Organic Viticulture in the East
3:15 Break
3:30 Vicki Bess - Strategies for Ma=
king Compost Tea
4:15 Don Lotter, Rodale Institute, =
Kutztown, PA- Experience with Compost Tea and Organic Agriculture
5:00 Q&A - All Speakers
5:30 Adjourn
Wednesday, January 29
7:00 Coffee
7:20 Mark Chien - Program Overview
7:30 Chris Wilson and Tom Piatkowsk=
i, Helena Chemical Company, Boyd, Maryland
Helena's Biological Agricul=
ture Program
8:15 Gary Petersen, Dept of Crop an=
d Soil Science, Penn State University - Describing the Terroir of Soils in=
SE Pennsylvania
9:00 Alex Blackburn, Virginia Tech,=
Loudon County, VA - Terroir of the Piedmont Plateau =
9:30 Gunther Hauk, The Pfeiffer Cen=
ter, Chestnut Ridge, NY - BioDynamic Agriculture and Viticulture Overview=
10:30 Break
10:45 Alan York, viticulture consulta=
nt, California - The Art and Science of Viticulture - The Role of Viticultu=
re in Successful Organic/BioDynamic Production and Organizing Priniciples i=
n BioDynamic Agriculture =
12:15 Ed Boyce and Sarah O'Herron. =
Black Ankle Vineyard, MD - A Grape Grower's
Organic and Biodynamic Travelogue through Southern France
12:45 Q&A - panel discussion with spe=
akers
.
1:30 Wine Tasting - wines from Fran=
ce, California, New York, Oregon
Local artisan cheeses and b=
reads
2:30 Adjourn
Confirmed speaker in BOLD. Speakers and speaker topics may change.
The organizers of this meeting gratefully acknowledge funding and logistica=
l support from:
The Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Program
The Pennsylvania Association of Winegrowers
Alice and John Weygandt - Stargazer Vineyard
The Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences
Sarah O'Herron, Ed Boyce and Phil Roth
Without their generous assistance, this program would not have been possibl=
e. Thank you! =
Registration
Please pre-register to assist organizers in planning the meeting. Pre-regi=
stration is required. Deadline for registration is January 17. After Janua=
ry 17, a $25 late fee will be imposed. Thank you for your cooperation.
The cost of the meeting is $80 per person. Continental breakfast, snacks, =
drinks and lunch (first day
only) are included in the price.
Name(s):___________________________________________________________________=
___
Vineyard Name: ____________________________________________________________=
____
Address: __________________________________________________________________=
____
Telephone:______________________________ Email: __________________________=
______
$80 x _____ person(s) = $ _____________ enclosed
Please make checks payable to Agricultural Extension and send to Penn State=
Cooperative Extension
1383 Arcadia Road, Room 1, Lancaster, PA 17601.
Questions? Call Mark Chien at 717 394-6851 or mlc12_at_psu.edu.
Please give a brief description of any alternative viticulture practices yo=
u are currently using on your farm - this will give our speakers an idea of=
the level of activity and experience in our audience...
________________________________________=
_____
The meeting will be held at the Spring Garden Conference Center (Commonweal=
th Caterers), southeast of Harrisburg, PA off of Rte 283. Please get good =
directions before you hit the road.
Spring Garden Conference Center - 901 Spring Garden Road, Middletown. 717 9=
39-4003
Their web address is at Commonwealth Caterers -
http://www.commonwealthcate=
rers.com/. For directions, go to the home page > Spring Garden > Contact Us=
. Please note that the exit from Rte 283 WEST says NORTH UNION ST (Rt 441=
). (Not Union St.). Spring Garden is five minutes from the Harrisburg airp=
ort and a few minutes from the hotels listed below.
Nearby airports - Baltimore/Washington (BWI), 60 minutes from Middletown; a=
nd Harrisburg (MDT), five minutes from Middletown. Shuttles from MDT are a=
vailable to most of these hotels.
Hotels - you are responsible for your own room reservations. Please make t=
hem right away.
=
Single Double
1. Wyndham Garden, 765 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg (5 mi=
ns)
717 558-9500;
http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/MDTWY/main.wnt
2. Days Inn, 800 Eisenhower Blvd., Harrisburg (5 mins) =
40 40
717 939-4147;
http://www.the.daysinn.com/middletown07561
3. Wingate Inn, 1344 Eisenhower Blvd., Harrisburg (5 mins=
) 65 65
717 985-1600;
http://www.the.wingateinns.com/harrisburg05480
4. Fairfield Inn, 1018 Briarsdale Rd., Harrisburg (10mins=
) 99 99
717 412-4326;
http://www.marriott.com/dpp/PropertyPage.asp?MarshaCode=HAR=
FF
5. Best Western, 815 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg (5 mins) =
71 71
(ask for Penn State rate) 717 939-1600
Vineyard and Winery Visits
For a listing of wineries in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Wi=
ne Association web site at www.pennsylvaniawine.com/
If you want to tour vineyards, please contact the Pennsylvania Association =
of Winegrowers at 610 255-5684 or Mark Chien.
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Hershey, PA - chocolate scented air -
http://www.hersheypa.com/
Harrisburg, PA - the capitol of Pennsylvania -
http://www.visithhc.com/capc=
ity.shtml
Amish Country/Lancaster, PA - buggies, farms, plain people and smorgasbords=
-
http://www.padutchcountry.com/
Note: This meeting is not part of the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conv=
ention. Grapegrowing 102, an intermediate viticulture seminar will be offer=
ed at convention in Hershey on February 4. It will cover a wide range of to=
pics from insect control to cultural management practices. For more inform=
ation, please call SHAP at 717.677.4184. A regional calendar of events and=
viticulture information is available on the Winegrape Network at
http://wi=
negrape.cas.psu.edu.
1. This publication is available in alternative media on request.
2. Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in =
its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommo=
dation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact=
(fill in person's name and phone number) in advance of your participation =
or visit.
3. "The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that=
all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, an=
d employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to abil=
ity, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or b=
y state or federal authorities. The Pennsylvania State University does not=
discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disabilit=
y or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientat=
ion, or veteran status. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscriminati=
on policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State Univer=
sity, 201 Willard Building, University Park, PA 16802-2801: Tel. (814) 8=
65-4700/V, (814) 863-1150/TTY."
4. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, an=
d the diversity of its workforce.
5. Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endo=
rsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.
6. Where trade names are used no discrimination is intended and no endo=
rsement by Cooperative Extension is implied. Although every attempt is mad=
e to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pestic=
ide user bears the responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adh=
ering to those directions.
7. Registration fee covers speakers, refreshments and incidentals.
.
Received on Tue Jan 07 2003 - 13:42:07 EST