Pittsburg site of February 7 prospective wine-grape grower workshop

January 9, 2012 By: Paul Schattenberg

PITTSBURG — The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will present a Prospective Wine-Grape Grower Workshop from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Feb. 7 in Pittsburg for people interested in commercial wine-grape production. The workshop will be held at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyard, 658 County Road 1334, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.

A Texas AgriLife Extension Service viticulture workshop for prospective commercial-scale wine-grape growers will be held Feb. 7 at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyard in Pittsburg. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo)

Fran Pontasch, AgriLife Extension viticulture adviser for North Texas, and Dusty Timmons, AgriLife Extension viticulture adviser for the High Plains and West Texas, will co-present the prospective grower workshop.

“This workshop is for those considering planting a commercial vineyard or those thinking about expanding a smaller operation to a commercial scale,” said Fran Pontasch, who works from the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Stephenville.

Pontasch said the prospective grower workshop was developed to help small-scale producers determine if it is both economically feasible and individually suitable for them to commit to a commercial vineyard enterprise. Topics include necessary viticulture expertise, site selection, risk factors, labor requirements and economics.

Pontasch said AgriLife Extension presents prospective grower workshops in regions of Texas conducive to wine-grape production, and this workshop is a prerequisite for registration and acceptance into the Texas Tech Viticulture Certificate Program. The agency also offers additional programs on the specifics of wine-grape growing in Texas.

More information on prospective and existing grower workshops and educational programs can be found at http://winegrapes.tamu.edu under Educational Opportunities.

The cost for the workshop is $150 per person or $250 per couple, which includes educational materials and lunch. To register, go to the AgriLife Conference Services website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and enter “prospective” in the keyword field.

For more information, contact Pontasch at 254-968-4144, ext. 225 or fmpontasch@ag.tamu.edu.

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Contacts

Fran Pontasch, 254-968-4144, ext. 225, fmpontasch@ag.tamu.edu

Farm & Ranch Fruit and nut crops, grapes Fran Pontasch, grapes, prospactive grower, vineyard, wine-grape