Photos courtesy Denise Bridgers
By Erin Smith
The North Carolina Muscadine Grape Growers Association met on Saturday at Lu Mil Vineyard. The event was attended by about 80 Muscadine growers.
“We always appreciate any occasion to help promote the Musacadine wine and grape industry and feel that hosting this event is an honor. It gives us a chance to let others see how we do things along with many opportunities to learn from the presenters, trainers and other growers,” said Denise Bridgers.
One of the highlights of the meeting was a live demonstration and discussion in the vineyard. According to the Association, Muscadine grapes are produced on 1-year-old wood and vineyard managers need to select the best pruning wood with the proper bud counts to produce good yields of the highest quality grapes.
If left unpruned the vineyard would become less fruitful each year and fruit quality would suffer. The Association said pruning is required to reduce bud counts to 500-800 buds per vine while keeping the fruiting wood close to the cordon (part of the vine that is supported on the wire) The best size pruning wood is about pencil size so it is important to keep 500-800 buds on this side of wood to bear the next crop of grapes, according to the NC Muscadine Grape Growers Association.
Attendees were able to receive information not only on the farming and harvesting aspect but they also received information such as the current work being done at NCSU on Muscadine Grapes presented by Mark Hoffmann and Hamid Ashrafi. Following the presentation, Dr. Bill Wagner presented the current phase studies done on Muscadine grapes and what findings have been published. There was also a strategic marketing session given by Erick Byrd from UNC-Greensboro to help market and advertise fresh muscadines in retail chain and in social media. Andrew Jackson also attended to educate attendees on the process of bringing in labor workers through H2-A programs to help during the Muscadine season.
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