BISMARCK, N.D. (ND Dept. of Ag) – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring announced that a grant totaling $60,000 has been awarded for industry research of the grape, fruit and wine industry in North Dakota.

“North Dakota’s grape and wine industry continues to grow,” Goehring said. “The research funded by this grant will help keep that industry advancing.”

The grant was awarded to North Dakota State University for $60,000 to evaluate the cold-hardiness acclimation adaptiveness of University of Minnesota cultivars and North Dakota State University germplasm.

Grant applications were screened by a committee, which provided the Agriculture Commissioner with recommendations for awarding grants. A total of $80,000 is allocated in grant funds for research and promotion in the 2021-2023 biennium. The committee is now seeking qualified applicants for the remaining funds of $20,000 for marketing and promotion.

Applications and instructions can be found at www.nd.gov/ndda/grapewinefruit.

The deadline for proposals is 4 p.m. CDT Thursday, June 9, 2022.

Applicants will be asked to provide a presentation of up to 20 minutes about their proposals to the advisory committee with a question-and-answer period to follow.