MCBC recommended more than $400,000 in project support – the largest annual research contribution from the Council to date. Five of the proposals selected arecontinuation projects from the 2019 grant program that are all in good standing. In total, MCBC’s competitive grant program received 22 applications requesting more than $800,000.
“These project awards were identified with the future of the industry in mind,” said Gary McDowell, chair of the Michigan Craft Beverage Council. “MCBC’s Research Committee established timely research priorities, and the Council chose fitting and well-thought out proposals.”
The 2020 research priorities of the Council: climate change impacts; crop quality including pest and disease management and soil health; water management and wastewater practices; market research; and new varieties for hops, fruit, barley, rye, and other agricultural inputs used in the craft beverage production.
Projects selected for 2020 research funding include:
- Grapevine Cold Hardiness Research
- Development of Red-Juiced Apple Cultivars for Michigan Hard Cider
- Investigating the Terroir-Influenced Quality Attributes of Hops
- Variety Selection and Agronomy Practices for Soft Winter Wheat Malting
- Evaluation of Cereal Rye Varieties for the Michigan Craft Distilling Industry
- Role of Planting Date and Seeding Rate in Optimizing Winter Survival, Yield and Quality of Malting Barley
- Developing Integrated Pest Management Approaches for Bunch and Sour Rot Control in Michigan Vineyards
- Optimizing Fungicide Inputs for Disease Management on Barley & Hops
- Fermented Beverage Analysis
- Investigating Winter Hardiness to Advance Winter Malting Barley as a Climate Adaptation Strategy in Michigan
- Berries & Brews: Understanding the Market and Technological Processing Opportunities of Michigan Grown Fruit in the Craft Beverage Industry
- Research Education for Michigan’s Grape, Wine and Cider Industry
- Finding Solutions to Manage Plant-Parasitic Pests in Hopyards
- Increasing Demand for Michigan’s Emerging Hard Cider Industry