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Lake Erie Regional Grape Research & Extension Center in North East

This 40-acre facility, located about 15 miles east of Erie, serves the grape-processing industry, which has a strong presence along the Lake Erie coastline in Pennsylvania and New York. The farm is managed by John Griggs, a 20-year Penn State employee. “Grape growing is concentrated here because Lake Erie has a moderating effect on climate,” Griggs says. “It keeps the soil warmer in the fall and extends the growing season, and the more moderately cool springs prevent early bud break and therefore frost problems. But we have insect and disease problems that other crops don’t have.”

Two research technologists are on staff, plant pathologist Bryan Hed and entomologist Jody Timer. University Park entomologist Mike Saunders and plant pathologist Jim Travis supervise a variety of research projects.

The farm grows 23 acres of Concord grapes, the purple processing grape, and 5 acres of Niagara grapes, a white processing variety. The farm also grows a host of different wine grapes. The only non-grape crop is a two-thirds-acre crop of dwarf cherry trees, which are planted to study how the variety fares in Erie’s milder climate.

Griggs works with researchers on 6 to 10 projects every year, most of which test vineyard disease and insect controls. Research projects range from studying a tiny wasp that preys on the grape berry moth to developing a diet to feed moths grown in the lab. Griggs also helped to install a state-of-the-art weather station as part of a computerized vineyard management system being developed by Travis.

Profits from grape sales are used as part of the center’s operating budget. Processing grapes not affected by disease or pesticide trials are sold to a Welch’s, Inc. plant in North East, and the wine grapes are sold to a local winery.

The Erie facility is part of a cooperative effort between Penn State and Cornell University. Each university maintains separate facilities—Cornell operates a vineyard laboratory in Fredonia, New York—but they cooperate on extension education programs and field days for local growers.

At left, harvest time comes in September for grapes grown at Penn State’s grape research center in North East. The facility hires outside harvesters to bring in the grapes. At right, facility manager John Griggs prunes grapevines within the center’s vineyards.