Cornell University, USDA break ground on grape-research lab in Geneva

GENEVA, N.Y. — Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on Wednesday broke ground on construction of the upcoming National Grape Improvement Center in Geneva. The project is happening a few years after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) secured a nearly $69 million federal investment for it, Schumer’s office said in announcing the project. The upcoming facility — that will cover more than 70,000 square feet — will help establish Geneva and the Finger Lakes as the “center of innovation and [research and development (R&D)] for wine and viticulture,” Schumer’s office said. It will bring new technology and top scientists to ensure New York’s and America’s wine grapes are the “highest quality, hardy against diseases, and thrive in diverse climate conditions in order to produce wines that will be renowned worldwide,” the office added. “From the wines made here on Seneca Lake to concords grown for juice & jelly, this region has time and time again proven itself as the leader in innovation when it comes to America’s grape culture,” Schumer said in the announcement. “This massive 70,000 square foot lab will help cement the Finger Lakes legacy within the global wine industry and marks the start of a new chapter for something greater. In 2018, I promised to push for this center and secured the $70 million federal investment to make today possible. Now with shovels hitting the ground we can finally pop the cork to say the future of America’s wine will flow through the Finger Lakes.” The facility will house and enhance the USDA’s Grape Genetics Research Unit, which for years was limited by its small, leased space from Cornell, Schumer’s office said. It’ll also house the USDA’s Plant Genetic Resources Unit, which will improve the cultivation of other vital New York crops like apples and tart cherries and new crops like hemp.