Wine and grape course new part of ATU-Ozark schedule
by August 3, 2009 3:51 pm 142 views
A new certificate offered by the Ozark campus of Arkansas Tech University will spur growth in the Altus area wine-making and grape-growing, according to campus chancellor Dr. Jo Blondin.
The Ozark campus of Arkansas Tech University received approval July 31 from the Arkansas State Board of Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer a technical certificate in Viticulture and Enology.
The programs focus on the study of the science of grape growing (viticulture) and wine making (enology). According a statement from ATU-Ozark, the technical certificate in viticulture requires students to understand the application of specific agricultural knowledge, techniques, and theories to improve vineyard health. The technical certificate in enology requires the student to demonstrate wine making applications and theory in the wine production process.
“Students completing these technical certificates will be prepared for entry to mid-level positions in the grape growing and winemaking industries,” noted the university statement.
Blondin said the school anticipates between 15 and 20 students in the first year. The class will begin Aug. 19, but the school’s participation in the Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA) provides the curriculum and standards to hit the ground running.
VESTA is a National Science Foundation funded partnership between the Missouri State University system, two year schools in Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, state agriculture agencies, vineyards and wineries, according to info on the VESTA Web site.
“It’s a mark of excellence in the wine making and grape growing field,” Blondin said of the VESTA affiliation. “It also provides us a standardized curriculum we teach across the different states. But each school brings a different flavor, literally, to the program.”
With the Ozark campus so near wine-making and grape-growing areas in Franklin and Logan counties, Blondin said the course is a perfect fit for the university. She said there are 135 jobs tied to wine-making alone in the Altus area. (Link here for more information about Arkansas wineries.)
“And we’re working to increase that (jobs) number, because one of the points of this program is economic development,” Blondin explained.
Federal statistics (USDA) show that 2,700 tons of grapes were harvested in the past year, with the resulting wine production valued at more than $5 million.
“The ability to hire trained and educated personnel for my business would be an asset and a luxury that I do not have. Currently, my only option is to hire workers uneducated and untrained in the fields of viticulture and enology and train them on the job,” noted Michael Post, president and general manager of Altus-based Mount Bethel winery, in the ATU-Ozark statement.
“This is a unique program. Not only will it support the current industry, it will spur entrepreneurial efforts, and act as an economic development tool via increased tourism,” Ken Warden, chief business and industry coordinator, said in the statement.
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers a viticulture and enology research program that provides research and training to help Arkansas farmers “explore the potential for grapes as an alternative and sustainable crop.”