07/08/08 Vinewise Help

Vinewise Help. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The new Vinewise program is about making your business more sustainable and to make sure you are heading in the right direction and according to Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director of the Washington Wine Industry Foundation there is now more help. SCHARLAU: Thanks to funding from the State Department of Ag the Washington wine grape growers are gaining in our sustainability. The Washington Wine Industry Foundation was awarded one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's specialty crop block grants and this grant is helping us hire a consultant that can work one on one with growers that have not yet utilize the tool, Vinewise. Integrated Pest Management Consultant Astrid Goplen has been hired to assist. SCHARLAU: What this consultant is doing is sitting down with growers and walking them through this online guide that has resources, has a self assessment component and has a work plan and it even has a certification component if they choose to go that route. Since the program is online it is accessible to wine grape growers all over the world. SCHARLAU: This is really a wonderful opportunity for the grape growers not just in Washington State because it's online so really grape growers anywhere can access and look at how to become more sustainable. For more information you can check out the website www.vinewise.org. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.