HOUSTON – The viticulture team of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service has set a date and location in Houston to present one of its Prospective Wine-Grape Grower Workshops.
The workshop will be held Aug. 6 at the AgriLife Extension office for Harris County, located at 3033 Bear Creek Drive. It will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m., with sign-in starting at 8:30 a.m.
“The Prospective Wine-Grape Growers Workshop is a one-day educational program designed to provide an overview of the unique requirements and risks associated with establishment and operation of a commercial vineyard in Texas,” said Fritz Westover, Gulf Coast viticulture advisor for AgriLife Extension and state viticulture program coordinator.
The workshop was created to address the most common concerns potential grape producers may have prior to committing valuable resources toward a commercial vineyard enterprise, he said. Program topics include: necessary viticulture expertise, vineyard site selection, risk factors, vineyard labor requirements and vineyard economics.
“The program will help prospective growers decide if grape growing is a good fit for their farm and lifestyle,” Westover said.
He said wine grapes are one of the fastest growing sectors in Texas agriculture, with approximately 2,900 acres in production and more than 190 wineries in the state.
The fee for each workshop is $125 per person or $200 per couple, and includes educational materials and lunch. Registration for each of the workshops can be completed online through AgriLife Conference Services at http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu .
The workshop also serves as a prerequisite for application to the Texas Viticulture Certificate Program offered by Texas Tech University and AgriLife Extension. For more information on the certification program, go to http://winegrapes.tamu.edu and look under Educational Opportunities.
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