02/01/07 Getting the Growers Together

Getting the Growers Together. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Yesterday we talked with the Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers on their upcoming annual meeting. According to Scharlau this 3-day meeting and trade show holds a lot of valuable information for growers. SCHARLAU: One of the most global sessions we have this year will be our General Session. Joe Ciatti from the Ciatti Company in California is going to be here talking about worldwide supply and demand which is really of vital interest to growers and wineries not only around the world but in Washington State. We're going to follow that up with Robin Pollard of the Washington Wine Commission talking about the national/international marketing efforts for Washington wines and then we're going to launch into looking at the ag labor markets for our growers, we're going to be talking about the unveiling of the acreage survey from 2006 and the first ever Washington winery survey covered over 2006. Besides attending the various sessions, Scharlau says there's a lot more to see and do. SCHARLAU: This kind of event really is sort of an intellectual stimulation for both wineries and growers because it's that opportunity when you really stop doing what you do best and you sit back and you analyze and you learn and you ask questions and you meet your neighbors and you really could learn as much in the hallways as you can in the sessions. The trade show is sold out. We've got new equipment, we've got some exciting services that our vendors are providing so it really is stimulating. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.