Colorado Grape Grower Monthly Conference Call: Machine Harvesting and Pruning

The monthly conference calls with Colorado grape-growers will hold a second conversation on machine harvesting and pruning on Monday, March 4, 2019 at 9:00 AM.

In light of the increasing labor shortages for Colorado agriculture, machine harvesting and pruning of grapes is becoming a more attractive and potentially financially viable alternative to hand-picking.  Additionally, the technology of machine vineyard work has advanced light-years beyond the machines that gave machine harvesting a bad name.

Jon Held, second generation of the family that took over the 150 year-old with Stone Hill Winery facility in Hermann, MO, will share his experiences and insights with mechanical pruning.  Jon graduated from Cal State Fresno with a degree in Enology, apprenticed in Switzerland and served as assistant winemaker at Andres Wines, Ltd. in Ontario, Canada before taking over as the president of his family’s winery.  He now oversees all aspects of production and operations.  In 1994, Jon was recognized as the Winegrower of the Year at Wineries Unlimited.  He currently serves on the Missouri Grape and Wine Advisory Board as well as on the Eastern Viticulture Consortium.

You can join this conference call each month by going to www.uberconference.com/cwidb in your web browser.  Log in with your name then select whether to join the audio portion of the conference using VoIP on your computer (suggested only if you have a headset) or by calling 720.515.1880 on your phone. 

You will also be able to join this call “in person” at either

• The CO Dept. of Agriculture, 305 Interlocken Pkwy, Broomfield 80021, or
• CSU’s Orchard Mesa Research Station, 3168 B 1/2 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81503-9621

Call Doug Caskey’s cell phone, 720.304.3406, if you have any difficulty joining the call.