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Grape growers meet with legislative liaisons

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

More than a dozen grape growers and wine makers from Southeast Missouri gathered in late March to hear a report on the federal Farm Bill and other legislative topics of interest from a representative of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill's office. The group were members of the Missouri Grape Growers Association. - Business Ledger

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Missourians have been growing grapes commercially since the 1840s, but only in the past 60 years has the endeavor seen a renewed resurgence — and only in the past decade has the grape and wine industry become a part of Southeast Missouri’s geographical and commercial landscape.

To that end, the grape and wine industry is still relatively new in the Mississippi River Valley region and areas just west. With any new undertaking comes growing pains. That’s why the Missouri Grape Growers Association is making it a point to keep the industry in the forefront of the area’s legislative leaders.

On March 20 a group of regional grape growers and wine makers met with Nicole Distefano, Agriculture Policy Aid to U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri. Area representative Ben Dyer of McCaskill’s office was also on hand, as was Third District Missouri Senator Kevin Engler, R-Farmington. The meeting, held at Twin Oaks Vineyard and Winery on Route F outside Farmington, was organized by the Missouri Grape Growers Association, with secretary and treasurer Jennifer Rhodus spearheading the gathering.

Distefano spoke of the federal Farm Bill, on any possibility of assistance or incentives for farmers or growers meeting niche markets in the state, and about assistance to farmers seeking alternative generation of electricity.

The meeting was attended by more than a dozen grape growers from throughout Southeast Missouri. The audience included Keith and Karen Hutson of Twin Oaks Vineyard and Winery near Farmington; Jennifer Rhodus of Marco Vineyards outside Park Hills; Bryan Siddle of Crown Valley Winery and Vineyards near Coffman; Barbara and Ray Hahn of Artesian Spring Winery near Park Hills; Ron and Kay Durso of Durso Hills Vineyard and Winery in Marquand; Kathleen, Larry and Don Huber of H&Z Vineyard of Perryville; Hank Johnson of Chaumette Vineyards and Winery outside Ste. Genevieve; Dave and Lisa Ikemeier of Sand Creek Vineyard near Farmington; Robin Vance of Vance Vineyards and Winery of Fredericktown; and Christopher Hoffmeister of Ste Genevieve Winery.

A concern of the group was the future of grape growers and wine producers as related to the federal Farm Bill, the all-encompassing piece of federal legislation which helps fund countless agriculture- and farm-related ventures and practices. While commercial grape growing is in its sixth or seventh decade as an actively growing agricultural practice in the state, there is still essentially no financial assistance or incentives to aid growers to develop new technology and techniques, or to offset heavy weather-related losses as witnessed in early 2007 as the result of an unseasonable cold spell in April — after vines had already begun to sprout new growth following the dormant state they maintain during the winter.

Distefano had little good news to bring to growers and wine makers. She said that 2008 was a “tough year” for the federal government and that the Farm Bill as it sits now has little to offer the industry. She added that any changes to the Farm Bill would likely meet a wall of opposition politically at this point.

The legislative aid did say McCaskill recognizes how niche markets (agriculture enterprises targeting specific needs or wants as opposed to crops such as corn, oats or soybeans) not only fill a need for the items produced, but also serve as a major piece of the puzzle in making the state a tourist attraction.

McCaskill traveled to China in March, in part to explore future export opportunities. Distefano qualified that news by saying things such as wine are often still considered luxury items and many people in China are still struggling to provide basic needs. Because of that, she said, it’s doubtful if much ground can be made up in export opportunities for the grape and wine industry there.

It was said that creating “local food initiatives”, such as “Discover the Mississippi River Hills” regional cuisine project or “AgriMissouri”, is a good move which requires little governmental involvement.

As the meeting ended there was talk of immigration measures and how it relates to farm labor. Distefano said McCaskill viewed the current immigration concerns as a “tough issue”, and added that lately her position has been tough on enforcement, but with allowances for methods for employers to check validity of legal residency in this country.

Distefano also spoke briefly about federal incentives currently being given to some northwestern Missouri farmers installing windmills as alternative sources of electricity. A question had been asked about government incentives for growers using bio-based fuels in place of oil-based diesel in farm equipment. The legislative aid said she was not aware of any such incentives on the table at this time.

The one sparkling thing to come through in the informal meeting was the potential for success in marketing the local grape and wine industry as a tourist destination. Distefano said McCaskill would be putting a Missouri tourism page on her legislative web site, and that agri-tourism could very well be an important part of bringing visitors to Southeast Missouri. $$