Lakeshore Advance, 2012-06-20, Page 27•
• •
10 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Investors sought for growing wine industry
Vanessa Brown
Clinton News Record
Iluron County's economic
development department is
currently seeking local farmers
and investors to further grow
Huron's fledgling wine
industry.
The department, with the
help of the Huron Business
Development Corporation
(IUBDC), is in the midst of
establishing the Iluron Shores
Viticulture Network, an organ-
ization that links local growers
and investors and provides
wine industry training and
education.
Huron's senior economic
development officer Mike Pul-
len recently told Mummer
council that the project has
now shifted gears from soil
and climate testing to invest-
ment attraction. Ile assured
council that local investors will
have an opportunity to
participate,
"The focus right now is
working with our local inter-
ested growers and interested
investors. And because of that
we have just recently sent out
invitations to form the Huron
Shores Viticulture Network,"
said Pullen at council's lune 20
session, "The idea and concept
gide.
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behind that is education and
training for our future growers
and investors In this area."
More information about the
network will be posted to
www.investinhuron.ca in the
coaling weeks.
Pullen provided councillors
a brief background on the viti-
culture project. Phases one
and two included extensive
soil and climate testing that
concluded commercial grape
production can be sustained
as far as four kilometres from
the shores of I.ake Iluron
stretching from about Grand
Bend to Port Albert. The
project is now entering phase
three, which focuses on invest-
ment marketing and test plots.
The county's economic
development department is
partnering with international
Viticulture Services - a leading
Canadian consulting from -
and Gemnnrich Nursery in the
Niagara area for "education
and training for commercial
grape production as well as
winery business planning,"
Pullen said.
The Iluron Shores Viticul-
ture Network aims to raise
growers' and investors' com-
fort levels and reduce the risk
of investment into the bur-
geoning industry through
Ai
We're sensing that it's going to start
small and then once those smaller
business models are proven, it will
attract larger investors to the area.
— Mike Pullen
education and training. Pollen
said an average acre for grape
production costs between
$20,000 and $28,000 spread
over five years. However, total
costs would decrease if grow-
ers took on the planting and
installed the trellises them-
selves, Pullen said. A winery
ranges from $2 million to $5
million depending on its scale,
he said, after which a return on
investment is typically i0
years.
"It'll be interesting to see
how it evolves here," Pullen
said. "We're sensing that it's
going to start small and then
once those smaller business
models are proven, it will
attract larger investors to the
area."
Councillor John Gillespie
( 11 a y W e s t)
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asked if landowner -investor
partnerships would be feasi-
ble. Pullen said such a rela-
tionship is "absolutely" possi-
ble whereby a farmer could
offer up his or her land to an
investor with the capital. The
I luron Shores Viticulture Net-
work will "explore and unlock
those potential co-op and
partnership opportunities"
between local growers and
investors, Pullen replied.
"We need to get them
together... We du have people
who don't own land, but they
want to invest and they have
the means to invest," Pullen
said. "And we have folks that
\warm to just grew and folks that
just want to do the winery side
of it."
the wine industry has been
identified as a priority in the
county -wide economic devel-
opment strategy approved by
county council in Nlar'h.
Pullen asked Bluewater
council to keep his depart-
ment updated with any future
developments.
"If you hear of others (inter-
ested in becoming involved),
please pass that information
011 to ane because we would
like to work with anybody
that's interested, he said,
Bayfield library project
About 15 Hayfield residents
have recently formed a Mieuds
of the Hayfield 1ibraty group.
Member Roma t larrls intro-
duced the group to Hluewater
council at its June 20 session
and urged councillors to main-
tain the pace of the project.
"We're here tonight to
encourage the Bluewater
council to move forward as
quickly as possible, not only to
hold public consultations
about the proposed new build-
ing design... but just as impor-
tantly to begin building and
allocating the necessary finan-
cial reserves to get the job
done" said 1 hurts in her pres-
entation before council.
Mayor Bill I)owson said that
council has accepted the archi-
tect's blueprints for the new
building and a public meeting
will be held shortly. He asked
I harts if the group was willing
to funds Mise for the project.
"'Phis particular group, and
it's true of all friends groups,
do not do core fundraising to
maintain municipal services,"
I lands replied.
She added that Friends of
the Library groups typically
tundritist' Cul' library features
that support programming,
"but in terms of actually fund-
raising for the building, t don't
think that that is vele realistic,'
she said.
The Friends of the Hayfield
Library will soon launch a
membership drive.
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