New Zealand - Careers profiled at Otago Polytech Cromwell open day

An Open Day at the Otago Polytechnic Central Otago Campus (Cromwell) on 3 December will profile courses on offer and allow prospective students to explore areas of interest and the related links between qualifications and employment.

The kitchens and greenhouses at the Erris Street Cromwell venue will be open as will the horticulture and viticulture unit on Bannockburn Road.

The Central Otago campuses (Cromwell, Queenstown and Wanaka) offer several location specific courses such as stonemasonry, snowsports instruction, horticulture, viticulture and hospitality and cookery that take advantage of the rich natural resources of the area.

Central Otago Group Manager Jean Tilleyshort says the campus draws students and tutors from all over the world attracted by the enviable lifestyle, course excellence and flexible earn and learn dynamics.

Idaho: Governor Praises Plans for Viticultural Research Center

Eagle, Idaho-- Governor Otter is praising plans to create a new viticultural research center in Eagle. It will be a 30 acre teaching winery, where the College of Western Idaho will offer classes in the art of wine making.

Idaho's wine industry already brings in over 70 million dollars annually. The Governor hopes the new center, and those it trains, will help the industry continue to expand.

"It allows them to kind of focus, share the best practices, share also the opportunity to focus on certain kinds of grapes that do well in this climate and in these horizons," said C. L. "Butch" Otter, Idaho's Governor.

There are already nearly 40 wineries in the state, many with award winning vintages. Some vineyards are becoming especially well known for producing great syrahs.

Source: www.fox12idaho.com

Michigan: 20th Annual Viticulture Day Is July 29

Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center hosting event.

Michigan State University Extension and the National Grape Cooperative are teaming up this summer to host the 20th Annual Viticulture Day July 29 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor.

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Agriculture Forum: Keeping vines in line

BY DUKE ELSNER

Wine grapes require summer "canopy management" to maintain vine health and promote fruit development. Left on their own, vines will produce an excess of shoot growth, leaves and fruit clusters.

Reducing this excess starts in the winter when vines are pruned to bring them back into a desired shape and size. Once growth gets under way in the spring, there are typically still far more growing points in the vine than are actually needed. Right now, hundreds of vineyard workers are rushing to keep up with rapidly growing vines, accelerated by the recent high temperatures.

Leaving too many shoots to grow results in excessive numbers of fruit clusters for the vine to support and ripen -- which is very detrimental to fruit and wine quality. More shoots also mean more leaves; the canopy of the vines becomes dense, limiting light penetration and restricting air flow through the vine. These conditions favor fungal disease problems and slow fruit ripening.

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Dr. Duke Elsner is a viticulture and enology educator for Michigan State University's Extension Service.