Wines & Vines

GRAPEGROWING Let's assume there are 10 viticulture advisors, even though it will be fewer than that in the future. That averages to 73,000 acres and 700 growers to be served by each advisor. in the number of advisors in the future, I am very concerned about their ability to continue being effective in this role. This is no criticism of the hard-working and talented people currently in viticulture advisor positions—or future advisors—but an observation about the workload they currently have and the increased workload that is likely in the future. There are currently about 730,000 acres of vineyards in California and more than 7,000 raisin and wine grape growers. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 10 viticulture advisors, even though there will be fewer than that in the future. That averages out to 73,000 acres and 700 growers to be served by each advisor. However, the distribution of vineyards and grapegrowers is not even throughout the state. I have already mentioned there are more than 200,000 acres of vineyards in Fresno County and 3,000 raisin growers, and until now that area has been serviced by one advisor (and, as of April of this year, zero advisors). With the pace of communication rapidly increasing due to cell phones and email, it is simply not possible for an advisor to keep up with grower inquiries, let alone offer outreach and education. SpecTrellising_July10.qxp 5/13/10 9:25 AM Page 1 A heavy workload can feel lighter if there is adequate compensation for it. However, another concern is whether UCCE farm advisor salaries are attractive enough to appeal to the best talent available. As of 2011, the starting salary for a UC farm advisor at the lowest level, assistant advisor step 1, is $46,800. The salary scale indicates there are two years per step within this classification. There are six steps within the assistant advisor level, so in 12 years the advisor will be making $61,100. According to Wine Business Monthly's 2012 salary survey, the average salary for a vineyard manager in the Napa/Sonoma region is $90,000. The average salary of a tasting room manager in Napa/Sonoma is $57,000. The second salary level classification for UC farm advisors is associate advisor. Presumably an applicant with a higher degree (e.g. master's or Ph.D.) and/or significant experience could start at this level. Starting salary for associate advisor step 1 is $58,000. I am not aware of salaries of equivalent cooperative extension positions in other states, but in talking with a colleague from New York, it appears that their pay scale is significantly higher. I realize that the attraction of a job is not only about the salary. The benefits for a UC farm advisor position are excellent, and the pension system (if an employee stays in the system long enough) is also very good. Nevertheless, the high cost of living in some wine regions of California, such as Napa, makes it nearly impossible to afford to buy a house on a lower level farm advisor salary. The work expectations for a Cooperative Extension farm advisor appear to be changing—not only in California, but in states like New York, which has the second-largest grape acreage after California. With budgets tight, monetary support for farm advisor positions is declining. As a result, there is an expectation that grant money be pursued. In some regions of New York, part of an advisor's salary comes from grant money. In California, the trend appears to be an increasing emphasis on farm advisors doing research. With the high workload I have described for a farm advisor, if grant writing and research is becoming a larger part of their job expectations, it is clear that contact with growers will decline. There are only so many hours in a day. Texas scrambles, too In communicating with colleagues in other states, the situation for cooperative extension advisors is a mixed bag. In some states, cooperative extension is doing OK, but in others that is not the case. In Texas, for example, some advisor positions were supported by state grant money that has been discontinued, so there is a scramble to find other funds to support these positions. The cooperative extension advisor system in New York appears to be doing as well as ever in terms of the work being done. However, as mentioned above, many positions are not fully supported by the state, and grant money must be obtained to provide a portion of the salary money as well as support for work. Grant funding is an important source of funding, but as one would expect, a grant must be focused on the goals for the grant program, which may or may not be the goals of the farm advisor or the grape industry they serve. Moreover, most grants now are outcome-based. I am all for measuring outcomes of projects, but it is challenging to measure the outcomes of outreach and extension. Overall, I have painted a negative picture of the future of cooperative extension, particularly in California. I cannot offer any solutions to this problem. Change is inevitable for all sorts of reasons, and it appears state and federal governments are not willing to support systems like Cooperative Extension to the level they have in the past. I believe the cooperative extension system has played a major role in making U.S. agriculture what it is today. I think it is critical that we ensure the system survives. I have seen similar systems in countries like Australia and New Zealand become privatized, and the change 86 W in e s & V i ne s AU G U ST 20 13

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