Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2017)
14 CapitalPress.com September 8, 2017 Center trains Northwest vintners By GAIL OBERST For the Capital Press In the 1990s, a small group of vineyard and winery own- ers began a quest to develop a program that would help train workers for Oregon’s bur- geoning wine industry. Today, with more than 900 vineyards, 545 wineries and 14,000 wine-related jobs in the state, that small group appears forward-thinking. Eighteen years ago, Cheme- keta Community College es- tablished its Northwest Wine Studies Center in the Eola Hills west of Salem. Since then, its students and work- shop attendees have learned everything from food and wine pairing to managing en- tire vineyard operations, ac- cording to Jessica Sandrock, Chemeketa’s new director of wine studies and agricultural sciences. Set at the edge of the eight- acre vineyard on Eola Hills’ oak-forested south side, the Northwest Wine Studies Cen- ter offers students hands-on work in the vineyard and in Gail Oberst/For the Capital Press Jessica Sandrock is the new director of Wine Studies at Chemeketa Community College, where students get hands-on training in the college’s vineyard. the on-site winery. The program offers two associate degrees — one in winemaking and the other in vineyard management — and several certificates. Workshops — either for credit or for fun — are offered each term. Products & Solutions for Agricultural Safety This fall, for example, the public and degree-seeking students can take wine appre- ciation, general viticulture and introduction to winemak- ing. Vineyard spraying and pruning workshops, some offered in Spanish, are also SPRAY SEASON PPE Personal Protective Equipment Comfort & Protection www.oxarc.com Washington - Idaho - Oregon - Shop Online Chemical Protective Suit part of the line-up, aimed at helping current vineyard owners keep workers’ skills up to date. The program has had an unexpected impact. In addi- tion to training employees to work in established business- es, many of the program’s stu- dents have used winemaking and vineyard skills to launch their own operations. At a recent annual awards cele- bration at the center, dozens of wineries lined the hall of- fering samples of their latest vintages, all with connections to Chemeketa’s program. For example, Iraq war vet- erans Ben Martin and Ryan Mills of Dauntless Wine Co., completed the wine stud- ies program and joined Paul Warmbier to found their new Gaston winery. Some of the students joined the program with an aim to working with the win- 1-800-765-9055 Lindevineyard supply ith Gloves w n o ti c prote nts e m e ir u req Safety First: Follow chemical manufacturer’s guidelines for decontaminating the spray suit. Do not use suit if there are cuts, holes, tears, missing snaps, or separated seams. V17-1/#6 • Trellising • Pruning • Fencing • Harvest 866-966-3597 13005 S. Pacific Hwy. • Monmouth, Oregon LindeVineyardSupply.com V17-3/#7 ery industry in the future. Danny Jaffer, the program’s Student of the Year, said he intends to use his knowledge as a civic leader. He got the idea from Lowell Ford, one of the founders of the program. “Lowell said: ‘Danny, if you really want to know some- thing about the wine industry in this part of Oregon, you should take some classes in it at Chemeketa.’ He was right.” Ford, owner of Illahe Vine- yards, said in the 1990s he suggested teaching a vineyard management class at Cheme- keta to meet the demand for training from new growers. The first class was so popular they had to cut off registra- tion. More classes were of- fered, equally as popular. “The college realized we had a winner in the program so we hired a full-time in- structor in Al MacDonald and offered an associate degree. The wine studies program has grown way beyond what I ever dreamed possible,” Ford said. Vineyard skills can be developed in two ways: by completing the two-year vine- yard management degree, or by completing the one-year vineyard operations certif- icate. Both tracks provide coursework and hands-on ex- perience for vineyard work- ers, but the degree program adds additional science, math, management and elective courses that could include some winemaking and pro- cessing skills, based on the student’s interests. The winemaking degree provides technical training and background knowledge needed for winemaking in the Northwest. The winemaking program also provides on-the- job experience at local winer- ies. For information about the program, call 503-399-5139, or visit the web page, www. chemeketa.edu/programs/ winestudies/
