The North Dakota Grape and Wine Advisory Committee is looking for proposals for industry research and promotion of the grape, fruit, and wine industry in North Dakota. Doug Goehring is North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner.
"The grant program is set up to help assist the grape and wine industry with research and that can be anything from production issues, it could be with disease issues, it could be with the breeding program. The grant could be for the evaluation and assessment of grapes and how they could make better wines. It's not just about grapes, it's also about fruit production and those fruit-bearing trees that could be used for the wine industry. It also can be used to market the industry."
The 80 thousand dollar grant program is set up to support the entire grape and wine industry in the state for the 2021-2023 biennium.
"We have over sixty vineyards in the state and we have around twenty-some wineries. It's no specific area that is supporting these vineyards. We have vineyards in all different types of soil types, topography, and geography here within the state. You may have the same variety cultivar in one part of the state and you can take it sixty miles away in a different soil type and a different growing environment and it may actually taste different and make a completely different tasting wine."
For more information contact the ND Department of Agriculture.