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[compost_tea] Alternative Viticulture Meeting



Folks,

 

I just wanted to pass this invitation along to the group in case anyone wants to attend.  Don Lotter and I will be presenting information about compost tea in organic agriculture on the first day.  We will also be discussing our proposed SARE project which will investigate the efficacy of compost tea for disease prevention in Mid-Atlantic vineyards and in other horticultural crops such as pumpkins and potatoes at The Rodale Institute.  Below I have included the brochure and registration information. 

 

Matthew Ryan
Research Technician
The Rodale Institute
611 Siegfriedale Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
(610) 683-1405

 

Alternative Viticulture – A Closer Look at Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic 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 often fuzzy realm of non-conventional commercial viticulture.  This would include sustainable, organic and biodynamic methods.  Recently, there has been a tremendous growth in interest in these new techniques of farming wine grapes.  Because much of the practices and technologies exist outside of our customary agricultural experience, it is the objective of this meeting to give sound and practical information on subjects that are too often tainted with 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 some of the best minds in the business and many of their names will be familiar to you.  It is hoped that, armed with this information, new and experienced growers alike will be able to decide for themselves if they want to employ these practices on their own farms.  We are seeking to encourage creative, innovative, disciplined and intelligent wine grape growing that will produce high quality wines with a minimum impact on the environment and continued profitability to the farmer.  There are great challenges to successful alternative practices under Eastern growing conditions, hopefully this meeting will put these challenges and the risks into proper perspective.  Please plan to attend and pass the word about this meeting to all your wine growing friends.  The Wine Appreciation Guild will have a variety of publications 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 Cooperative Extension - Welcome and Introduction

 

8:00                                         Alice Wise, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Riverhead, LINY.

                                                Alternative Viticultural Practices on Long Island

 

8:45                                         Al MacDonald, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR.

                                                Oregon Low Input Viticulture 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 Research Lab, Mt. Vernon, Maine

                                                Overview of Organic Agricultural Practices

 

Noon                                      Lunch

 

1:00                                         Nancy Wenner/Elwin Stewart, Dept of Plant Pathology, Penn State University – Vine Decline Research in Pennsylvania 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 Winery, Westport,  MA – Grower Experiences with Organic Viticulture in the East

 

3:15                                         Break

 

3:30                                         Vicki Bess – Strategies for Making 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 Piatkowski, Helena Chemical Company, Boyd, Maryland

                                                Helena’s Biological Agriculture Program

 

8:15                                         Gary Petersen, Dept of Crop and 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 Center, Chestnut Ridge, NY -  BioDynamic Agriculture and Viticulture Overview

 

10:30                                       Break     

 

10:45                                       Alan York, viticulture consultant, California – The Art and Science of Viticulture – The Role of Viticulture in Successful Organic/BioDynamic Production and Organizing Priniciples in 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 speakers

                                .

1:30                                         Wine Tasting – wines from France, California, New York, Oregon

                                                Local artisan cheeses and breads

 

2:30                                         Adjourn

 

Confirmed speaker in BOLD. Speakers and speaker topics may change.

 

The organizers of this meeting gratefully acknowledge funding and logistical 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 possible.  Thank you!                                      

Registration

 

Please pre-register to assist organizers in planning the meeting.  Pre-registration is required. Deadline for registration is January 17.  After January 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@psu.edu. 

 

Please give a brief description of any alternative viticulture practices you 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 (Commonwealth 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. 717 939-4003

Their web address is at Commonwealth Caterers - http://www.commonwealthcaterers.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 airport and a few minutes from the hotels listed below. 

 

Nearby airports – Baltimore/Washington (BWI), 60 minutes from Middletown; and Harrisburg (MDT), five minutes from Middletown.  Shuttles from MDT are available to most of these hotels.

 

Hotels – you are responsible for your own room reservations.  Please make them right away.

                                                                                                                      Single            Double

1.                   Wyndham Garden, 765 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg  (5 mins)  

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=HARFF

      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 Wine 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/capcity.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 Convention. Grapegrowing 102, an intermediate viticulture seminar will be offered at convention in Hershey on February 4. It will cover a wide range of topics from insect control to cultural management practices.  For more information, please call SHAP at 717.677.4184.  A regional calendar of events and viticulture information is available on the Winegrape Network at http://winegrape.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 accommodation 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, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities.  The Pennsylvania State University does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.  Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Willard Building, University Park, PA   16802-2801:  Tel. (814) 865-4700/V, (814) 863-1150/TTY."

4.     Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

5.     Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.

6.     Where trade names are used no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cooperative Extension is implied.  Although every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears the responsibility of consulting the pesticide label and adhering to those directions.

7.    Registration fee covers speakers, refreshments and incidentals.

 

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