Transcript Processing & Production Committee

NGWI Joint Meeting with
USDA
Carver Center
Beltsville, MD
April 27, 2009
Economic impact of the US
Grape Industry
• America’s largest processed specialty crop
by value
• 5,000 wineries in each of the 50 states
• 44 states grow grapes
• Health contribution of grapes
• Significant farm gate value
• Taxes -- $17 Billion annually
– $9 billion federal
– $8 billion state & national
Representing US grape & grape
products research needs…
NGWI’s Theme Committees
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Extension and Outreach
Understanding & Improving Quality
Production & Processing Efficiency
Sustainability
Consumer Insights, Nutrition & Community
Key Components of Farm Bill
Supported by NGWI
• Specialty Crop Research Initiative
• Specialty Crop Block Grants
• Clean Crop Network
Important Role For NGWI
• Our structure is already multi-state; multicommodity
• NGWI Board members served on 2 of the
3 review panels in 2008
• 15 o 20 points will be awarded to projects
which have an existing industry advisory
board – in 2009 we have directly been
engaged in development and writing of
four core proposals
Problems we’re encountering
• University commitment to participate in the
process
• Cooperation between research institutions
can be thorny
• Grant writers familiar with the process are
hard to find
• Specialty crops – every man for himself?
• Still want close collaboration with ARS; is
balance between competitive & formula
funding right?
NGWI SCRI Grant
Applications in 2009
• “Developing Sustainable Solutions Water
Management in Irrigated Vineyards
• “Vineyard Mechanization for Enhanced
Economic Sustainability
• “Development of a Grape Community of
Practice for the eXtension System”
NGWI Initiated Planning Grant
• Climate Change – Everyone’s talking
about it; how much do we really know
about carbon cycle in permanent crops?
• Planning grant to build on work previously
funded by ARB/Energy Dept/Calif. Ag
• All grape types/uses, national approach,
review impact of climate, soils, cultural
practices
NGWI Work Undertaken without
government assistance…
NGWI Sustainability Projects
Winery Water and Energy Manual
– Manual has been published and distributed to
NGWI Board members
– First workshop held in California
– 60 requests for copies of the manual were
received in the first two weeks after the
availability of the manual was announced
– NY and Washington State have all committee $
to host workshops in their area
NGWI Quality Committee
Projects
• Viticultural Influence on Wine Quality
– NGWI co-sponsored
– 2009 Unified Symposium and WAWGG.
– One-day aroma/quality workshops
– Outreach educational experience for the
industry.
– Covered thinning, irrigation, pruning techniques
– ASEV will publish results
NGWI Consumer Insights, Nutrition
& Community
• Grape Health Workshop – applied for multi-state
block grants but were turned down
• Held it anyway on December 2-3, 2008 in San
Francisco
• Brought in health researchers with seven areas of
emphasis
• Cardiovascular, cancer,cognitive function/brain health
• Immune function,diabetes/glycemic response, antimicrobial/anti-adhesion, bioavailability/analytical
Consumer Insights, Nutrition
& Community
• Workshop Goals
– Establish a consensus about research areas
of promise
– Provide information needed for gap analysis
– Stimulate discussion among key researchers
– Provide direction to the grape industry
– Publish papers presented in applicable
professional journal
Specialty Crops Programs Hold
Promise
• How does NAREEE grapple with balance
between competitive versus formula
funds?
• Who provides oversight of GAP
programs?
• Multi-year funding commitments are tough
• Balance between quick ROI and long-term
problems
Since our Board meeting last
January….
• Translated national research priorities into
four NGWI-Initiated Projects
• Reviewed NGWI governance documents
and four years of minutes: updated
document for approval Tuesday
• Evaluated budget
– Improve transparency
– Reflect development goals
– Research commitments
Structure of our meeting-Monday
• Coordination with USDA Experts
• Areas include climate change, genomics,
Clean Plant Network, human health and
nutrition, as well as NGWI Research
Review
• Break into working groups—chose one
• Report out specific recommendations on
priorities
• USDA research structure & how to plug in!
Dinner at Mary Wagner’s
Home
• Depart Carver Center about 4:45pm
• Travel to 11716 Lake Potomac Drive,
Potomac, MD
• Need a cooler for wine?
• Bus will bring people back to hotel and
Carver Center
Tuesday’s Agenda
• Two Breakout Sessions:
– Research: Process, SCRI, funding, timing
– GRO Task Force: Review of draft document
• Review of USDA Research: How is it
going?
• NGWI considerations: governance,
budget, other business
Thank you for your participation!