Old Cellar Vineyard, Arapahoe, Nebraska, will be the site for UNL viticulture field day July 16.
Nebraska-area wine grape growers will have the opportunity to learn about mechanization practices and technologies to benefit their operations at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Mechanization and More Viticulture Field Day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 16, at Old Cellar Vineyard in Arapahoe, Nebraska.
Gary Thompson, owner of Old Cellar Vineyard, developed an outstanding vineyard management program and has offered to share his experience and expertise with attendees. Registration is $20 and will begin at 9 a.m. with the program starting at 10 a.m. and lunch served at 12:30 p.m.
Old Cellar Vineyard began in 2010 with two acres of Brianna grapes and currently has 14 acres of grape varieties planted, including Brianna, Marquette, La Crescent, Petite Pearl and Frontenac.
Melinda Eichenberger, UNL agribusiness major and Old Cellar Vineyard assistant manager, said they are excited to share experiences with others in the industry in order to learn from each other and continue to grow.
“We strive to make the vineyard as efficient as possible and found the best way to achieve that is through machinery within the vineyard,” Eichenberger said.
The field day will feature talks about the harvester, netting machine, leaf puller, hedger and ozone sprayer and how they fit into the Old Cellar Vineyard operation year-to-year. Other topics covered include sap sampling, fertigation, irrigation and foliar feeding programs. A walking tour of the vineyard will also be offered.
“Old Cellar Vineyard is a must-see vineyard and beautifully managed,” UNL Viticulture Professor Paul Read said. “Progressive vineyard attendees will have the opportunity to see innovative approaches to mechanization and canopy management at this field day.”
For more information, directions to the field day and to preregister, go to https://viticulture.unl.edu/mechanization-and-more-field-day.