Educating Grape Growers

Educating Grape Growers

Educating Grape Growers. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, Vicky Scharlau talks about an education opportunity for wine grape growers.

SCHARLAU: The grape industry has been talking for a number of years trying to figure out how we can take the next generation both of wine makers but also grape growers and really plug them into the industry in terms of industry organization, policy and just participation. And one of the programs that already existed to do that was the Washington Ag Forestry Leadership program.

She says they have been trying to see what the interest level was in the industry since it requires funds to buy a seat in the program.

SCHARLAU: Our interest was being able to make sure that in every program there is somebody in the program representing either the grape or the wine industry. The Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership program has been around for decades and they pull potential leaders from all aspects of the natural resource industry.

Scharlau says there is quite a commitment involved.

SCHARLAU: These leaders go through a very intensive 2-year program where it’s primarily focused on public policy but it’s all aspects of leadership. The people that go through the program really do come out entirely different human beings in terms of their involvement in the community and in state politics.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network. 

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