Writer: Laura Muntean, 979-847-9211, laura.muntean@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Fran Pontasch, 979-458-0131, fmpontasch@tamu.edu
CAT SPRING – The 27th Annual Gulf Coast Grape Grower Field Day takes place on Feb. 1 at the Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall, 13035 Hall Road, Cat Spring.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. with a fee of $35 that can be paid at the door and includes lunch. The program begins at 9 a.m. with a B.Y.O.W. Wine Social following the conclusion of the educational programs.
“This event kicks off the 2019 grape growing season in the Gulf Coast,” said Fran Pontasch, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service viticulturist in College Station. “Hosting a full day of educational programs, this event also serves as a valuable networking opportunity for the region.”
Day two will begin at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2. Participants are asked to meet at Fleming Farm and Vineyard, 1392 Kersten Road, Sealy. The day will begin with a pruning tour of the vineyards and continue with visits to four vineyards before lunch, starting in Sealy and lunch in New Ulm.
Topics will address a range of subjects for new and experienced growers, including historical and future views of the industry, irrigation, economics and practical approaches to diseases and fertilizer.
Speakers include:
- Jerry Watson, Texas A&M Forest Service resource specialist, College Station.
- Dr. George Ray McEachern, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, College Station.
- Jim Kamas, AgriLife Extension horticulturist – pomology and viticulture, Fredericksburg.
- Fritz Westover, Westover Vineyard Advising viticulturist, Houston.
- Dr. Justin Scheiner, AgriLife Extension viticulture specialist, College Station.
- Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station.
- Pontasch
For more information, contact Pontasch at 979-458-0131 or fmpontasch@tamu.edu.
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