About 50 area grape growers will gather March 19 at the Fresno County Farm Bureau Office to discuss how water shortages will affect soil recharging and other water issues.
The meeting, held monthly by the San Joaquin Valley Viticulture Technical Group and organized by California State University, Fresno‘s viticulture and enology programs, provides growers educational forums on real-world issues.
Gary Serrato, general manager of the Fresno Irrigation District, will be the featured speaker at 10 a.m. “hot-topic” meeting, which ends with a luncheon at noon.
The $10-per-person charge includes lunch and parking. The reservation deadline is March 17.
The San Joaquin Valley Viticulture Technical Group was established in the 1980s by growers, Fresno State viticulture and enology representatives and University of California farm advisers. The group consists of area grape growers who are committed to remaining current in their fields, said Dr. Robert Wample, chair of the university’s Viticulture and Enology Department and director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center. He serves on the group’s board of directors and is coordinating the meeting with Karl Lehman of Allied Grape Growers.
Serrato will discuss this year’s water outlook and the importance of water resource management, which Lehman says, is “one of the hot-topic issues currently facing growers.”
He said there will be an opportunity for discussions regarding potential strategies for dealing with water shortages.
The group’s meetings are held in collaboration with the Central California Winegrowers, University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno State, and Fresno County Farm Bureau, which, is located at 1274 W. Hedges Ave.
RSVPs should be made with Jon Holmquist at 559.661.5539. Wample may be reached at 559. 278.2089.
