grapes in trees

What is Grape Crop Insurance?

Cyndi

By: Trevor Troyer – Agricultural Risk Management

How does a Grape crop insurance policy work? What type of policy is Grape Crop Insurance? How much do you need to know? In this article we will go over the policy information and how it is set up.

Grape crop insurance is an Actual Production History (APH) policy. This means it uses the vineyard’s historical production to determine how much is covered. You are covering the average of your grape’s tons per variety. Since crop insurance is subsidized the insurable varieties, prices per ton, premiums are set by the USDA. This also means that there is no difference in price from one insurance company to the next. If anyone represents that they can get you a lower premium for the same coverage, it is false. That being said, you can select a different coverage level and different options that could change the premium or value of coverage.

Your agent will work with you to set up individual databases for each variety. If you have vineyards in different locations, you can often times set them up separately. This can be good when you have a claim. You might have a loss in one location but not the other. You don’t want your production co-mingled, as you may not have a payable loss at that point.

The databases can go back up to 10 years, if you have the production. Minimally 4 years is needed to set up an APH database. If the vines have just become insurable then a Transitional Yield (T-Yield), based on the county and variety, can be used to fill in up to three years. If you purchase a vineyard that has been producing you can transfer that production history. You must have records or some way to prove that history though. The database can only be set up as far as you have production records to prove the yields. Production records are not required at the time you sign up for crop insurance or at production or acreage reporting times. But it can come up during a claim or a review.

Here’s what the Crop Insurance Handbook says about grape production records: “Settlement sheets, sales receipts, machine harvest records, certified scale records, pick records and final or year-end statements from a winery, cannery or processor must indicate net paid tons of Grapes delivered by variety. Converting gallons of wine to tons of grapes does not qualify as acceptable records.”

It is especially important to keep good records if the grower is “vertically integrated.” “A producer is vertically integrated when all stages of production of a crop, from acquisition of materials to the retailing or use of the final product, are controlled by one person, or by different persons that are related.”- CIH If the entity that owns the vineyard is a winery, then they would be vertically integrated. Even if they sell some of the grapes to other wineries. If you own a vineyard and are partners in a winery and you sell the grapes to that winery you could be vertically integrated as well.

Vines need to be in their 4th growing season for the grapes to be insurable. A minimum of 4 years is needed to do the average, if the grapes have just become insurable then a T-Yield, as mentioned
before, is used in place of any missing years. Usually, the third growing season after being grafted is considered insurable. The vines must have produced an average of at least two tons per acre in at least
one of the three preceding crop years. There can be exceptions to this rule. Sometimes there are other requirements located in the “Special Provisions” for that particular county. In California the USDA Davis Regional Office (DRO) puts out Informational Memorandums that lay out specific requirements for the state of California. These differ from other growing regions in the US. You are able to make higher yield requests that can be approved by the USDA Regional Offices.

Grape crop insurance is available in the following states; Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Crop insurance is not available for grapes in all counties in each state though. For a list of insurable counties, you can look at the RMA’s website at rma.usda.gov or contact your agent. Even though there may be differences between AVAs in a given county, the insurability, prices, premiums are set by county not AVA.

Insurable varieties are also different between states and counties. The varieties are usually set by what has been being grown in that county or what a particular climate in a state/county allows for. Even if a particular variety is not listed it can be insured. There are Types/Practices for each county that list out specific varieties and also make allowance for others. For example, it may list Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Grenache, Cabernet Franc and so on. If a particular variety is not listed it can be most often insured under “Other Varieties”, “Other White Varieties” or “Other Red/Pink Varieties.”

Having a lot of varieties that are not specifically listed causes these different varieties to be lumped together in the database. This can cause problems if you have varieties that yield differently. But this is still better than not having any coverage at all. Any coverage is better than no coverage as can be attested by many growers in California a couple years ago during the wildfires.

It may happen that your production is low in particular year. You might have had a claim paid or not, but what about your database and average going down? This isn’t good. You may elect an optional endorsement when you sign up called Yield Adjustment. “For APH yield calculation purposes, insureds may elect to substitute 60 percent of the applicable T-Yield for actual yields (does not apply to assigned and temporary yields) that are less than 60 percent of the applicable T-Yield to mitigate the effect of catastrophic year(s). Insureds may elect the APH YA and substitute 60 percent of the applicable T-Yield for low actual yields caused by drought, flood, or other natural disasters.” – 2022 Crop Insurance Handbook. This can make a big difference; you want your yields to stay up so that your average does. This makes it more likely to have a claim paid at the time of a loss.

You cannot cover 100% of your average production. You can choose coverage levels from 50% to 85%. There is a built-in production deductible. Coverage levels are in 5% increments.
Coverage levels are relative to premium, the lower the coverage the lower the premium, the more coverage you buy the higher the premium. What the correct coverage for your needs is something your crop insurance agent can help you with.

Crop insurance is subsidized through the Federal Government. The USDA Risk Management Agency oversees crop insurance. The RMA’s website is www.rma.usda.gov.

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A discussion on piquette, low alcohol wines, and value-added products

Cyndi

Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum – Webinar series

Note: Registration is required for all events, regardless of cost.

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Webinars in Polyphenols Research: “Chemistry of lignins in plant cells” ISU

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Hosted by: Dr. Aude Watrelot, Assistant Professor & Extension specialist Enology, department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

This webinar will focus on the “Chemistry of Lignins in Plant Cells”.
The webinar is split in four parts:
– 5 min presentation of the 2025 International Conference on Polyphenols in Turku, Finland,
-20-25 min presentation from Dr. Leonard Blaschek (University of Copenhagen, DK) on ” Not quite random: The compositional control and physiological importance of specific lignins”,
-25-30 min presentation from Dr. Norman G. Lewis (Washington State University, USA) on ” Lignin in the Biosphere and Beyond”,
-30 min of questions and answers.

Free Registration (Webex)

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PACKlanta: Dive into Innovation

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This episode of PACKlanta takes PACK EXPO Southeast (March 10-12; Georgia World Congress Center) attendees beyond the show floor, highlighting must-see science and technology attractions in Atlanta. Pairing these innovative experiences with the cutting-edge advancements at PACK EXPO Southeast makes for the ultimate tech-filled adventure!

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Precision Irrigation Controls

Cyndi

A Simple Solution for Modern Viticulture 

man working in grape vineyard with irrigation hand control and monitoring

By: Adam Setzler

While established vineyards are hearty and may not require as much water as some other crops, growers know a steady flow of the essential resource – especially at certain times of the year – is vital for growing high quality grapes. And, we know nature doesn’t always deliver precipitation when it’s needed. On top of the stress of weather, there are so many additional challenges when it comes to managing acres of vines – labor, disease and pest prevention, pruning and harvesting, among many others. All these factors can be a lot to tackle from sunup to sundown, and some days beyond.

  This is where precision farming – specifically installing and mastering the use of irrigation management tools – can provide solutions to help care for the grapes and streamline the day-to-day management of the vineyards to keep everything as simple and efficient as possible. With the use of technology, irrigation systems can be easy to navigate and provide benefits beyond creating a reliable source of water to the vineyard.

  So, how can growers choose the right irrigation control system? There is a fine balance to keep. It’s important to choose the system that’s a sound investment in equipment and technology while also matching the vineyard’s management style, and of course keeping business margins in mind. Here are five priorities growers should consider when searching for the right precision irrigation automation system.

Precision

  Water management is a critical concern for growers, especially with increasing environmental and regulatory pressures. According to the USDA, agriculture consumes approximately 80% of the nation’s water supply, and traditional irrigation systems are responsible for significant inefficiencies, with up to 50% of water lost due to evaporation, runoff or overwatering. That’s why it’s important for growers to choose an irrigation control system like Toro’s Tempus Ag that can deliver water in the most precise way, making every drop count. Controlling the water and being able to irrigate when and where it’s needed most gives growers a double benefit – environmental sustainability and more cost-effective operations.

  Some irrigation automation systems have smart scheduling capability – the ability to manage and adjust the irrigation system in real-time from a smartphone, tablet or computer – which will help growers keep water usage precise. Other equipment that will help make an irrigation system even more precise are soil moisture monitors, rain sensors and air temperature sensors. When looking for the right irrigation control system, growers should make sure the system they choose supports all the additional technology they want to incorporate. While tools like soil monitors and weather sensors may seem like extra bells and whistles that aren’t needed, they provide important information so growers can make data-driven decisions and get the most out of the investment into an irrigation automation system.

  By reducing unnecessary water use and streamlining irrigation practices with precision technology, growers will conserve water, lower energy costs, and improve the sustainability of their operations, ultimately boosting productivity and profitability.

Labor Efficiency

  Managing a workforce can be a big part of running a vineyard. With staffing shortages and a seemingly never-ending daily to-do list, labor can be a big challenge. However, a new irrigation control system can maximize labor efficiency and reduce workforce needs, which can help many growers who are burdened by the scarcity of skilled workers. This is especially beneficial for growers who depend on manual labor for critical tasks like irrigation. Labor is also a large expense for growers. According to the USDA, hired labor accounts for approximately 12% of all farm production expenses, making labor-intensive manual irrigation a significant operational cost. Installing a precision irrigation automation system can help reduce labor and the operational costs that go with it. Plus, having digital management tools also benefits the employees who continue working in the vineyards, minimizes workers’ exposure to hazardous conditions and giving them, their families and the growers peace of mind.

Simplicity

  When adding a new irrigation automation system, growers should consider how easy it is to use the new tool. Ultimately, the goal is that new technology will simplify operations, so choosing an irrigation control system with a user-friendly interface and simple design will ensure growers feel comfortable and at ease. Of course, any new system will require a little up-front time to learn and program the system, but minimizing the effort required for the set-up by selecting an easy-to-use system helps the investment pay off quickly.

  Smart technologies can also make irrigation management even more simple. An irrigation control system that is accessible through a smartphone or tablet allows growers to control water usage in the vineyard any time and from anywhere. For growers who are looking for more freedom, an irrigation system that is supported by on-the-go technology is a way to know their vineyards are well cared for, even when they aren’t at home.

Reliability

  Reliability is also important to consider when choosing an irrigation automation system. When it comes to getting tasks done, growers need confidence they can rely on the technology to work correctly. After all, a new investment shouldn’t make an operation harder by constantly needing repairs. Growers should go with a brand they trust – one backed by expertise and dependable services and devices. Irrigation control systems can reduce risk associated with human error and minimize the need for manual intervention, saving time and optimizing water usage, so if a grower can’t trust a system to work, they won’t reap the benefits of the investment.

  Reliability goes beyond the trust factor. Growers should also consider cut-and-dry factors such as if a control system retains memory even during power outages, and how much regular system downtime is required. Choosing a system that is reliable provides a smart, sustainable approach that lets growers focus on the big picture.

Flexibility

  While expansion may not be a high priority for all growers, it’s an important factor to consider when installing an irrigation automation system. Choosing a system that can be flexible and support a growing vineyard allows for a streamlined operation with endless possibilities. Making an investment in a flexible control system that can grow and change with an individual operation is imperative. It’s impossible to know what the future holds, so choosing a system that can be expanded sets a grower’s future up for success.

  No matter where a vineyard is located, water management is a high priority. While there are many factors to consider when adding any type of equipment to a vineyard, growers can keep these five priorities in mind when choosing an irrigation control system to feel confident about their investment. With the help of technology, precision irrigation can reduce labor and energy costs, optimize water usage and minimize maintenance, all leading to long-term savings and increased profitability.

Advanced Winery Wastewater Management Systems Extract Renewable Energy & Resources

Cyndi
cambrian tanks next to vineyards and mountains

By: Gerald Dlubala

Wastewater has traditionally been considered a necessary byproduct of doing business,” said Matt Seng, the global strategic accounts manager for Cambrian Innovation, Inc. His company is a leader in sustainable resource management, providing clean water, renewable energy and water treatment as a service to industrial manufacturing businesses. “Businesses buy water, bring it in to produce a product, then they have wastewater left over that goes out to the city’s treatment system. For many years, businesses just assumed this is just how it is, like in our homes,” he said. 

  Now, thanks to advanced technologies, winery wastewater can be treated, extracting reusable, valuable resources for reuse in the vineyard and winery.

Cambrian Innovation Inc: Wastewater Treatment as a Service

  Cambrian Innovation’s unique Water Energy Purchase Agreement (WEPA) provides on-site wastewater management services that transform the winery’s wastewater into renewable energy and clean water for reuse within the winery and vineyard.

  Matt Seng has been with Cambrian Innovation since its inception. He tells The Grapevine that Cambrian’s innovative and cutting-edge Water Energy Purchase Agreement (WEPA) is winery friendly, using biological treatments that mimic the earth’s natural cycles and wastewater treatments to help move their clients to their sustainability, clean water and renewable energy goals.

  “At Cambrian, we’ve looked at the wastewater that the food and beverage industry produces and see that there are some resources in that wastewater that we can extract using technology,” said Seng. “We can provide an on-site treatment system that extracts those natural resources and returns them to the plant for use.”

  “We use a couple of different technologies, some of which produce renewable energy in the form of biogas, which is the natural fermentation of the byproduct of a natural process occurring in nature,” he said. “That biogas is returned to the winery for use as fuel for a boiler to heat up water or produce steam. Biogas is categorized as renewable energy because it replaces or reduces the amount of fossil-based natural gas that needs to be extracted. In that process, we clean up the water for reuse in the winery for cleaning and washups. We take the status quo of paying the city for water only to pay them again to dispose of wastewater and flip that script. Cambrian can do this for you on-site with several advantages.”

Advantages of Cambrian Innovation Wastewater Treatment Systems

  Those advantages include producing renewable energy, so wineries don’t have to buy as much natural gas from the gas company to fire their boilers. Another result is receiving clean, EPA-quality drinking water back from the treatment.

  “This isn’t grey water, and it’s not partially treated wastewater,” he explained. “It’s drinking water made possible because we use the same technologies that the city uses to make its drinking water. The net result is there is less water going to the city’s treatment system, which reduces their emissions of greenhouse gases. And we’re now also enabling the winery to buy less city water to bring into the winery. We’re reducing the amount of city water coming in and the amount of wastewater going out, and we’re keeping those natural resources of energy and drinking water on-site.”

  Seng tells The Grapevine Magazine that their business model is service-based over equipment sales. “We want to own and operate the system,” said Seng. “That is very compatible with many winery owners who just want to make wine. They don’t want to treat water and wastewater. So we do this as a service rather than selling them the equipment to do it themselves. Then, winery owners don’t have to spend the capital to purchase, operate or maintain this technology. They pay Cambrian a service fee based on the amount of wastewater that is treated.

  “All of this work involves biology, which anyone in the wine industry knows well,” said Seng. “It’s all about biological processes, some of which occur without oxygen and are called anaerobic systems. The anaerobic microorganisms convert the organic matter in the wastewater into biogas, providing renewable energy. On the other hand, we use aerobic, or oxygen-containing biological systems to treat wastewater further and provide the basis for producing EPA-quality drinking water. These advanced treatments involve reverse osmosis and UV disinfection. The combination of anaerobic biological treatment to produce renewable energy, followed by the aerobic biological treatment, followed by reverse osmosis and UV disinfection results in EPA-quality drinking water that goes right back into the winery.”

Maximum Results with Minimum Requirements

  Cambrian takes responsibility for designing, building, owning, operating and maintaining the system. Seng said that although their systems are designed for all sizes of wineries, larger facilities have better economies of scale because there’s a certain amount of control system automation that has to be applied, no matter how big the winery is.

  “We do our best to do a financial business case that improves the winery’s finances,” said Seng. “We certainly don’t expect a winery to do this if it will cost them more money than their current situation. Sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction are important to wineries and vineyards, but we understand the financial impact is equally important. We always strive to make our solution less expensive than the costs that the winery is currently incurring. And the winery only pays if we produce the energy and the quality water.”

  “Generally, at minimum, we’ll need about a quarter of an acre, or 10,000 (100×100) square feet,” said Seng. “We come in and lease the area and pay the insurance and property tax. As engineers, we work with the winery to design the space, typically providing above-ground structures inside a building to ensure it’s not an aesthetic issue. We don’t want to put industrial equipment on a site and ruin the aesthetics.”

  “There are no further requirements from the winery owner to provide any operational assistance,” he said. “We are autonomous, but we work closely with our customers. Upsets and changes in production are inevitable, and we work with our clients to ensure consistent, quality results. We design the systems to ramp up or down to match the variability in production, for example, during crush. Any biosolids produced from our biological process are our responsibility to manage. In the worst case, it’s moved off-site for disposal. Often, we’ll upgrade it to EPA standards so we can use it on farm fields as a fertilizer amendment. The basis of our systems is to never impact the environment negatively, and we adhere to all EPA requirements in all 50 states just as any organization, city or municipal authority has to do.”

  Winery owners can contact Cambrian Innovation directly to see how their WEPA can benefit their winery.

BioMicrobics: Proven Wastewater Treatment in Compact Designs

  Based in Lenexa, Kansas, BioMicrobics is a leader in Integrated Water Resource Management, celebrating over two decades in the global water and wastewater industry. One of their many specialties is in wastewater management for wineries. Their BioBarrier® HSMBR® Winery wastewater treatment system uses a High Strength Membrane Bioreactor (HSMBR) designed to handle the unique, fluctuating wastewater loads present in winemaking production.

  Joe Rebori is BioMicrobics Inc.’s assistant vice president for inquiries, engineering and regulatory affairs. He spoke to The Grapevine Magazine about the company’s wastewater solutions for wineries of all sizes.

  “For wineries, it’s primarily about handling the wastewater derived from the grape processing,” said Rebori. “To a lesser extent, it also includes places like tasting rooms. Winery wastewater has a very high sugar load; in wastewater terminology, it has a high carbonaceous, biochemical oxygen demand. There’s just a lot more sugar per volume measured that has to be broken down by a wastewater treatment system. In fact, it can be more concentrated by a factor of 10 to 20 times as compared to domestic waste.”

  BioMicrobics’ BioBarrier® HSMBR® Winery wastewater treatment system uses ultrafiltration membranes predesigned to remove the organic pollutants and suspended solids that wineries produce during their normal day-to-day operations. These systems can handle more fluctuating and higher amounts of organic loads than those in typical wastewater systems.

  “During crush is a winery’s highest wastewater load just because of the volume and heavy processing that occurs with the skins, stems and pulp during fermentation,” said Rebori. “Some facilities may use a holding area to take the waste away. Others might still use conventional septic drain fields to dispose of waste if allowed. Those fields usually can’t keep up and need additional on-site treatment before the waste can be disposed of. Treatment with a septic drain field is based on soil characteristics and the capacity of the soil to take on that high organic load of waste.”

  That’s where BioMicrobics’ wastewater management experience and expertise can help wineries transform their wastewater into a reusable water resource. First and foremost, Rebori recommends that every winery owner check their local regulations and know upfront what they are allowed to do with their wastewater. Are you allowed to spray it over your land? Can you dispose of it subsurface in septic drain fields? Some states, like California, have different rules that depend on winery size. The larger the winery, the more restrictions on self-management there are.

BioMicrobics Wastewater Systems for Your Winery

  “We offer wastewater treatment systems for process waste and optionally combined with all other facility waste like tasting room, sanitary, restaurant and more,” said Rebori. “Sometimes those waste systems are combined, sometimes they’re separate. Our membrane filters treat this type of waste. BioBarrier® HSMBR® Winery Wastewater Treatment System is predesigned to handle the high sugar load that occurs during wine production. The system uses a biological treatment combined with a membrane filtration process. We have a slurry of bacteria to break down all the sugary waste in combination with fine membrane filters containing microscopic openings that physically prevent bacteria and large molecules from passing through. This gives a winery owner a system that turns their wastewater into filtered, disinfected and treated water with no organic content that can be used for irrigation, equipment cleanup, outdoor spraying or fire suppression.”

  Regarding spatial requirements, Rebori says that BioMicrobics’ smallest scale projects would include a couple of different tanks with a minimum volume of a few thousand gallons located within a 30×10 foot (300 square foot) space. Most are buried in a greenspace or under a parking area, using traffic-rated tanks to best use the winery’s space while maintaining its aesthetics. Maintenance is minimal, with an eight-year membrane filter replacement schedule and a bi-annual preventative maintenance schedule that includes filter cleaning and blower application checks. Other inspection points include sampling the liquid inside the chamber that reacts with the wine waste where the bacteria are growing to gauge the state and health of the slurry within the system. Solids may occasionally have to be removed, depending on system use.

What to Know Before Getting Started

  A BioBarrier® HSMBR® Winery Wastewater Treatment System serves many small wineries that other systems may not target,” said Rebori. “It’s an affordable solution for wineries to produce quality, reusable water on-site using membrane filtration, which has been proven over other technologies to yield the best water quality. A winery owner or their engineer can contact us directly to get started. All we need to know to get started is the annual wine production. That gets us in the ballpark of the system size we’re looking at. Then, we can work with civil engineers on the site plan and the types of tanks needed. Our systems are modular and can manage projected expansion, but the better choice is to install the proper tank upfront and modify the aeration and filtration equipment when needed.”