Wine Research 2023 Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. The Washington Wine Commission awarded nearly $1 million in research grants for the upcoming year.
Washington Wine’s Research Director, Melissa Hansen says there are a variety of challenges impacting Washington wine grape growers so this is great to see …
HANSEN … “I think this is the sixth or seventh consecutive year that we’ve been right around that million-dollar mark. Some years it’s just a little bit above, you know, we’re almost there, $992,000.”
Hansen says the funding will go to 19 approved projects …
HANSEN … “We really kind of touch on quite a lot of topics for that amount. The bulk of the projects are awarded to Washington State University scientists. But the Wine Commission has its own competitive grant program that was started three years ago and that’s to sort of stretch and compliment what WSU does.”
And that, Hansen says creates some flexibility …
HANSEN … “It gives us the ability to have a WSU scientist collaborate with somebody down in California or, you know, somebody out of state. And it also sort of short term, one-year little grants that we can provide to the community colleges in hopes of interesting their students in furthering their degrees and looking at research as an area.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on Washington Wine Research funding and where the focus lies.
