06/21/2009

Associated Press

Treasure Valley Community College will offer classes in viticulture--the growing of wine grapes--for people interested in an industry on the rise in Eastern Oregon.

The program will focus mostly on vineyard management, Susan Tinker, dean of instruction, said.

Classes will include general soils and introduction to plant growth, which will be taught on the Ontario campus, and an introduction to the wine industry, offered at the Caldwell, Idaho campus.

The two-year degree is designed to prepare students for jobs in the table wine and wine grape industry. In proposing the program Roger Findley, chair of the agriculture department, said college officials worked with winemakers and grape producers from the federally designated Snake River Valley viticulture area.

They found that acreage devoted to grape production had doubled from 2000 to 2005, and the number of wineries in the region had increased from 10 to 19.

At present, no community college or university in the region offers courses specific to viticulture, Findley said.

A new fire science program will prepare graduates to work as urban firefighters, emergency medical technicians or as fire inspectors. Representatives of the Treasure Valley Training Officer Association approached TVCC to request the program and have been involved in the development.

The structural fire science courses are closely matched with Eastern Oregon University for transfer.

In the viticulture class, there may be opportunities to transfer to Oregon State University's viticulture program or related programs at the University of Idaho and Washington State University.

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Information from: Argus Observer, http://www.argusobserver.com