CASHMERE, Wash. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency awarded the Washington Wine Industry Foundation a Small Sessions grant as part of their ongoing Commodity Cooperative Agreements for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education.

  The $9,850 grant will fund a project titled, “Getting Paid: Tools for Washington Grape Growers,” and is designed to provide grower tools to offset financial and legal risks associated with grape sales.  Tools to be included in three educational sessions include contracts, processor liens, and specific protections offered under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).  

 The three sessions, organized for both wine and juice grape producers and related agri-business professionals, will focus on contracts, contract templates, and step-by-step instructions for filing a processor lien, including an explanation of a grower’s legal rights and responsibilities to utilize this protection against delinquent or non-payment.  Additionally, growers will get an overview of PACA regulations and how they can take advantage of a PACA license and how PACA provides additional protection should a winery or processor declare bankruptcy.    

 There are nearly 400 wine and juice grape producers in Washington with just over 60,000 acres planted. Washington is the second largest producer of premium wine in the U.S. with over 650 wineries and is the largest producer of juice grapes.  The Washington wine, grape and juice industries contribute more than $4.7 billion to the U.S. economy.   

 The first session will be held on Friday, November 19 from noon to 3:00 during the Washington State Grape Society annual meeting to be held in  Grandview.  Deadline to register for this free session is Friday, November 5.  For more information and to register visit the WSGS website at http://www.grapesociety.org/.

 The second session will be held Tuesday, February 8 during the 2011 annual meeting of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers in Kennewick.  The third session will be held on March 10 in Yakima.  

More information regarding any one of these free sessions can be found on the Washington Wine Industry Foundation website at: www.washingtonwinefoundation.org <http://www.washingtonwinefoundation.org> under Events.