Morning Ag Clips logo
  • Subscribe ❯
  • PORTAL ❯
  • LOGIN ❯
  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe to our
    daily email
    ❯
  • Portal Registration❯
  • Login❯
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Morning Ag Clips

  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
Home » Vineyard Improvement Program – now is the time!
fruit research wine and beverages
VINEYARD REHAB ...

Vineyard Improvement Program – now is the time!

Program helps Concord grape growers renovate vineyards, plant new vines or diversify vineyard operations

PUBLISHED ON July 22, 2021

Removal of a Concord vineyard at least 1 acre in size is required for reimbursement and then that land must be used for agricultural purposes. (Courtesy Photo)

PORTLAND, N.Y. — Just a little more than two years remain for the Vineyard Improvement Program.  This five year grant is one of the outcomes of the New York Concord Grape Summit held in Westfield NY in April of 2018. New York State pledged to invest more than $1.35 million to help Concord grape growers renovate vineyards, plant new vines or diversify vineyard operations.  The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County are working with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to administer the program funded by the Southern Tier Agricultural Improvement Fund.  This program aims to strengthen the grape industry by encouraging the elimination of abandoned Concord vineyards which are a reservoir of disease and insect pests, and establishing healthy agricultural crops, be it Concords, other grape varieties, or another agricultural commodity.

With two years remaining this is still a good time to submit your application to the program.  Removal of a Concord vineyard at least 1 acre in size is required for reimbursement and then that land must be used for agricultural purposes.  To date, agricultural commodities replanted using this program include grape varieties (even back to Concord if your business plan makes sense), apples, field crops, cover crops, vegetables, Christmas trees and even solar.  The reimbursements on replants are only for approved crops and the LERGP Team is happy to talk with you about that.  If you have an idea that is not listed, please don’t hesitate to ask!  The LERGP team will check it out and get back to you.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is currently accepting applications from owners of Concord vineyards that may be in a poor site, not producing well, or the vineyard is in disrepair and needs to be removed.  You can visit www.lergp.com and click the Vineyard Improvement Program button. This will give you more information as well as lead you to the application.  Vineyards in New York’s Southern Tier which includes Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Schuyler, Chemung, Tompkins, Tioga, Broome, Chenango and Delaware counties, as well as those in Erie and Niagara Counties are eligible.

This is a reimbursement grant that matches funds used to remove Concord vineyards and then replace them with an agricultural commodity.  It will match 50% of removal costs up to $1,500 per acre, which may include labor, custom hire, equipment use or rental, and land clearing.  It will also match 25% of replant costs up to $1,500 per acre.  This could include trellis, perennial plant material – vines/trees (seed cost will not be reimbursed), labor, equipment use or rental, and land preparation for specialty crops.  Reimbursement cannot exceed $3,000 per acre with a maximum award of $50,000 per applicant.  Because they are a reimbursement, funds will be distributed at the completion of the project.

The application can be found online at lergp.com.  Click on the big purple button that says Vineyard Improvement Program.  Once there you can read more about the program.  The application can be found on the menu to the left – VIP Application.  You will be asked to upload a budget for removal and a business plan that shows how removing the current Concord vineyard and replanting will be a benefit to your vineyard operation.  If you need any help with this process, please contact Kevin Martin at (716)397-9674, or at kmm67@cornell.edu.  Once the contract is established work can begin to remove the old vineyard. If you have already removed or are in the process of removing an old Concord vineyard that you think might qualify for this program, please contact LERGP as soon as possible.

The Vineyard Improvement Program has had 28 applicants and has paid out over $170,000 for the 11 projects that have been completed and another $200,000 projected for the current projects pending completion.  One of the goals of this program is to remove some of the abandoned vineyards in the region that are currently a reservoir for insects and disease.  Those reservoirs require commercial growers to apply more pesticides to their vineyards in order to maintain control of the pests and produce a quality product.   If you know of someone that might be interested in the program, please feel free to share this information with them.  This program is here to help grape growers and land owners – you need not be a grape grower.

If you have any questions or need help getting to the next step, please contact Kim Knappenberger at ksk76@cornell.edu.

–Kim Knappenberger
CCE Chautauqua County

For more articles out of New York, click here.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

Rick Tigner of Jackson Family Wines elected 2022-2023 Wine Institute Chairman
June 26, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO — Rick Tigner, president and CEO of Jackson Family Wines in Santa Rosa, Calif. was elected Wine Institute Board chairman for the 2022-2023 fiscal year at the organization’s 88th Annual Membership and Board of Directors Meeting June 19-21, 2022. Other officers elected were Randall Lange of LangeTwins Family Vineyards and Winery in Acampo, […]

Sept. 10 USDA report increases production expectations
September 14, 2021

LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — The September 10 USDA Crop Report increased the projected U.S. average corn and soybean yields for 2021, as compared to the August National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) yield estimates. The latest NASS yield estimates were based on U.S. crop conditions as of September 1st; and were the first 2021 yield USDA […]

No proof of Concord? Let’s take a taste!
September 05, 2021

PORTLAND, N.Y. — One of the big burdens for some landowners applying for the Vineyard Improvement Program with an abandoned vineyard is finding proof that it is/was a Concord vineyard.  All of us in grape country know that distinctive smell in the air when the Concords are ripening, and don’t even get us started on […]

USDA report provides mixed results for corn and soybean yields
August 16, 2021

LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — The August 12 USDA Crop Report projected an increased 2021 average U.S. corn yield compared to last year and a similar national average soybean yield to 2020; however, it should be noted that both yield levels were reduced from the July USDA estimates. The August yield and production projections were based […]

LERGP announces audio only podcasts of “Between the Vines”
April 28, 2021

PORTLAND, N.Y. — The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program has been producing a video blog for a few years now. These vlogs are intended to be a timely and easily accessed source of information and research updates regarding growing grapes in the Lake Erie Region. Topics generally include cultural practices, business management issues, and pest […]

Spread the word

Browse More Clips

2021 Allegany County Fair Youth Sheep Show results

Lupardo & Hinchey custom operators bill signed into law

Primary Sidebar

MORE

NEW YORK CLIPS

New York Farm Bureau offering scholarships to high school seniors
February 3, 2023
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act
February 2, 2023
2022 Heritage Breed Microgrants awarded
February 2, 2023
One month left to apply to LeadNY Class 20!
February 2, 2023
Taranis introduces AcreForward, setting a new standard for crop intelligence
February 2, 2023
  • Trending
  • Latest

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

Cattle producers, farmers and farm businesses in south central Iowa will learn about the latest crop production and grazing research and trends during the fall field day at Iowa State University’s McNay Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm Aug. 6. (Courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach)
Iowa cattle inventory report
February 3, 2023
Iowa Pork Regional Conferences
Iowa Pork Regional Conferences Feb. 20-23
February 3, 2023
Wisconsin cattle inventory report
February 3, 2023
Cattle on Feed
Minnesota cattle inventory report
February 3, 2023
A check-in with the Michigan field office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service shows a relatively small, but important farming sector across the region. (All photos by Jim Isleib, MSU Extension)
Michigan Cattle Inventory report
February 3, 2023

Footer

MORNING AG CLIPS

  • Contact Us
  • Sponsors
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

CONNECT WITH US

  • Like Us on Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TRACK YOUR TRADE

  • Markets & Economy
  • Cattle Updates
  • Dairy News
  • Policy & Politics
  • Corn Alerts

QUICK LINKS

  • Account
  • Portal Membership
  • Just Me, Kate
  • Farmhouse Communication

Get the MAC App Today!

Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store

© 2023 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. All Rights Reserved.