Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/684435
June 2016 WINES&VINES 31 GRAPEGROWING ent from state to state, so direct comparisons are not perfect, but it seemed clear there were adequate positions to support wine grape growers for now. There are, however, some significant con- cerns to note. Often cooperative extension positions are multi-crop focused, so the advi- sor's ability to service the wine grape industry can be stretched pretty thin. Another challenge is how the farm advisor deals with the ever- increasing amount of information available on the internet. Keeping up with the flood of new information is daunting. That said, farm advi- sors are being encouraged to deliver more and more information electronically. Theoretically it is cheaper and has the potential to reach almost every grower. However, I do not believe electronic information delivery is as effective as a face-to-face farm visit. And finally, while the traditional role of the farm advisor is to provide on-farm support of growers, I get the impression there is increasing pressure on farm advisors to spend more time doing applied research and publishing technical papers. I was pleased to discover that the erosion in the number of farm advisor positions in the wine industry has stabilized since my column in 2013. However, I still am very concerned that public funding for cooperative extension services will erode over time. It seems Americans are gradu- ally losing the desire to use tax dollars to support programs for the public good, such as coopera- tive extension. So if we value this system, we need make some long-term plans for how it will be supported in other ways. One interesting approach that is gaining popularity is for grower trade associations to provide financial support to universities to fund either cooperative extension positions or pro- vide operating funds (such as money for ap- plied research) to support existing cooperative extension positions. I think this is just one example of how agricultural sectors like the wine industry are going to have to fund a larger portion of cooperative extension services if erosion of the system is to be avoided. While it is exemplary for crop sectors to provide funds that support cooperative exten- sion positions and/or research, there is often a limit for how long the funds will be provided. If continued funding for a position is in ques- tion, talented young appointees may not be willing to make long-term commitments but will look elsewhere for more secure appoint- ments. The result of such a situation might be mostly young farm advisors. We live in a time when it seems youth has certain professional advantages over age and experience. The technology sector seems to be one where this is true. That said, applied agri- culture is one of the rare disciplines where experience is likely one of the most important values a professional can bring to solving prob- lems, particularly when it comes to obstacles like pest management or nutrient manage- ment. For this reason, the longer a farm advisor stays in a job, the more valuable he or she becomes. We need to support a system of farm advisors that can provide young, talented ap- pointees with the possibility of real, long-term commitment to the job. So, is the glass half full or half empty when it comes to the vitality of our cooperative exten- sion system? My guess is the stability we are seeing at the moment is a reflection of the economies of many states getting much health- ier since the recession of 2008, resulting in healthier state budgets. Of course, this is bound to change as the economy is always fluctuating, and we need to be prepared to work hard to maintain financial support for cooperative ex- tension, which has played such an important role in the success of the U.S. wine industry. Cliff Ohmart, Ph.D., is senior scientist for SureHarvest and author of View from the Vineyard: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Wine Grape Growing. Previously he served as research/IPM director at the Lodi-Woodbridge Wine- grape Commission. He has been writing about sustain- able winegrowing issues for Wines & Vines since 1998.