.

Funding Opportunities Booklet for BC Producers, Processors and Associations
See: BC Funding Opportunities
and Web Site of: British Columbia Regional Office, Agri-Food Trade Service
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (first report on Web Site list of reports)
http://www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/reg/bc-eng.htm
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November meeting presentation. Temperature and sunshine record for 2009, a warm year, from Lamont Brooks
Climate Summary 2009
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Sunshine hours, rainfall, and temperature data in the WIGA area up to September 3 From Lamont Brooks
See pdf file: Climate Sept. 03, 2009
Slide 1 (sunshine hours and rainfall, Comox and Victoria Airports, 2006 to 2009):
Cumulative sunshine hours are still ahead of the previous three years, although August was not as sunny as in 2006. June was fairly dry in Victoria (17mm of rain), and bone dry in Comox with 3mm. Duncan Glenora had 18mm of rain.
Slides 2-4 (temperature data, Comox and Victoria Airports and Duncan Glenora, 2006 to 2009):
In Victoria, August was nothing special and in fact was cooler than the previous 2 years, although 2009 is still slightly ahead of 2006 to this point. Duncan Glenora and Comox had very warm Augusts are well ahead of 2006 and miles ahead of 2007 and 2008. In fact the cumulative GDD to Sept 3 in Comox was never reached by Oct 31, the end of the growing season, in either of the previous two years

End of August, 2009: El Nino still present
Current ocean temperature data in the equatorial Pacific Ocean indicate warm (El Nino) conditions have been established and are predicted to continue for at least the next 3 months . El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific are reflected in warmer than normal temperatures on Southern Vancouver Island (La Niña gives cool conditions). See NOAA web sites from more information on current conditions and summaries of computer model predictions (computer model forcasts have reasonable accuracy for about 3 months):
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/MJO/enso.shtml
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html
Conditions to end of August 2009 (blue cool, orange warm)

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If you are using a Hobo temperature logger, see:
Some Hobo Temperature Logger Basics (pdf file)

Degree Days to June 2007 compared to previous years Degree Days Graph (jpg file)
Plot of the growing heat units to end of July this year, 2007, compared to years 2001 to 2006 (cumulative degree-days at Victoria airport weather station). This year has been cooler than the previous four years, but similar to 2001 and 2002.

Use only for annual comparison; most vineyards on the Saanich Peninsula and Cowichan area are warmer than the airport.
2006 vs 2007 Climate Data; monthly temperature & rainfall graphs
To end of May To end of June To end of August (pdf files)
Victoria airport and Keystone Vineyards, Oldfield Rd, Saanich Peninsula (thanks to Lamont Brooks).

Island 2006 Growing Degree Days and Harvest Data
Example of temperature and degree day data from Lamont Brooks (more to follow) pdf File
Time to set up a temperature recorder in your vineyard. Is it warm or cool? See below for year to year variation.
Determine your degree-days for the year and what varietals you can grow and ripen successfully.
There are large local variations in our region.
For help in purchase and installation, contact WIGA.ca.

Ripening progression at an Island Vineyard
See ripening progression toward picking at a Saanich Peninsula vineyard 2007 (pdf file)

January 17th meeting presentation by Stephen Eng from Evergro on
managing through the year your soil major and trace elements, and pH: PowerPoint File

IGA August 2006 Vineyard Workshop Notes (with Consultant Gary Strachan)
With thanks to Lamont Brooks for report
Text Report (MSWord text file)
Photos 1 of Workshop (MSWord; large file)
Photos 2 of Workshop (MSWord; large file)

BC Management Guide for Grapes for Commercial Growers, 2006 edition is now available.
Every serious grape grower in BC should have a copy
..The following link has an excellent section of some of the new text and photos on grape diseases.   http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/grapeipm/index.htm 
also see various resources on grapes at:
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/grape/index.htm
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Some examples of Winery Contracts
1. :Contract 1 (MSWord File) From Ed Popham
2. Contract 2 (MSWord File) Adapted by Paul Troop
3. Contract 3 page 1, Page 2. (jpg files) from B.C. Grape Growers Assoc.
4. Contract 4 From Carol Wallace

April Meeting
Brent Warner,  BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Industry Specialist on AgriTourism and Direct Marketing
Presentation by Brent Warner on Agritourism (pdf file note large file 10 MB)

S. Vancouver Is. Region Soil Information
Publications and Reports (PowerPoint; large file)

Publications discussed at WIGA January monthly meeting
--Growing Wine Grapes in Maritime Western Washington
Washington State University Extension
( For western Washington where conditions are very similar to S. Van. Island)
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb2001/eb2001.pdf

Other Publications discussed:
--Small Winery Investment and Operating Costs for the State of Washington
http://cru84.cahe.wsu.edu/cgi-bin/pubs/EB1996.html
--Precision Viticulture and Digital Terroirs
http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/acpa/people/james/PV_Thesis.html
-- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Soil Information System – reports and maps www.sis.agr.gc.ca/pls/meta/soil_survey_geographic.display?soilkeys=BC&p_lang=en
-- BC Ministry of Environment Reports on Soils
www.publications.gov.bc.ca/hitlist.aspx
--Central Saanich Resource Atlas
ftp://ftp.env.gov.bc.ca/dist/wis/central_saanich/
-- CRD Natural Areas Atlas Online
www.crd.bc.ca/es/natatlas/atlas.htm
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Powdery Mildew, Infection Period at Different Temperatures (on leaf)
(see Steven Eng presentation below for details)
9 deg C - 25 days; 12 C - 18 days; 15 C - 11 days; 17 C - 7 days; 23 C - 6 days
26 C - 5 days; 30 C - 6 days; 40.5C kills fungus
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Growing degree days for the past five years
Note the exceptionally warm year 2004. We have similar degree days as the more northerly grape growing areas of France and Germany, but we have the advantage of much drier summers. See: Degree Days Victoria (MSWord file)
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Small Winery Investment and Operating Costs (generally applicable to Van. Island area)
Author(s): Le Ann A. Fickle, Raymond J. Folwell, Trent Ball, and Carter Clary
"The objective of this study is to develop an accurate depiction of current investment costs of constructing, owning, and operating a winery in the state of Washington. Potential investors and lenders will find this study useful in evaluating the expected profitability, cash flows, and potential risk associated with investing in a winery."
Publisher: WSU Extension Bulletins; Published: December 2005. 48 pages.
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New Grape Growing Book
" The Grape Grower":A Guide to Organic Viticulture
by Lon Rombough, $46 US (about $70 Can) delivered
from Chelsea Green Publishing Co. http://www.chelseagreen.com/Garden/GrapeGrower.htm
An important book just released that may be of interest to VIGGA members,
by a very knowledgeable and well respected author with many years of experience.
(He is a very frequent contributor to grape growing newsgroups)
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Information from previous meetings
Grape Diseases
Steven Eng Presentation

also slide copy (MS Word file)
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Agricultural Copper Usage Controversy Heats up in Europe
CopperUse
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Note on Grow Tubes and on the Importance of Vine Root Development (Brad Johnson)
GrowTubes
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Growing Grapes – Are you really making money?
From Ontario Hort. Publication
Grape Growing Finances
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Understanding Diseases in Grapes

Vineyard Diseases: Powdery Mildew and Botrytis
Presentation (June Meeting VIGGA)

Steven Eng, Evergro Canada Inc., Westgro Sales Inc.

tel (250) 381-2281 email: seng@evergro.com
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Grapes and Soil Fertility (Feb 20 VIGGA meeting)
Presentation
Stephen Eng P.Ag., Evergro Canada Inc Westgro Sales Inc.
tel (250) 381-2281 email: seng@evergro.com