Iowa is well-known for its production of corn and soybeans, but a recent increase in the amount of vine acres grown for grape production prompted Iowa State University Extension to study the ready market for locally grown grapes in Iowa.

The number of acres of grapevines in Iowa has increased from about 40 to 400 over the past three to four years, said Richard Pirog, program manager for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

But the recent interest in grape production comes as no surprise to Pirog.

“Historically, all counties in Iowa produced grapes,” Pirog said.

In 1920, 28 percent of Iowa farms grew grapes, but by 1964, that number shrank to less than one percent, according to the Iowa Census of Agriculture.

Today, far less than 1 percent of Iowa farms produce grapes, but the number of acres of vines continues to increase, Pirog said.

“There is a real interest in re-developing the grape industry in Iowa,” he said.

A study, “Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful: A Study of the Potential Market for Iowa Grape Juice,” was coordinated by Iowa State University Extension and funded by the Leopold Center. The study revealed there may be a ready market in consumer buying clubs and churches.

Craig Chase, field specialist for ISU Extension, took over as principle investigator of the study in March 2003.

“There appears to be a lot of interest in grape production in Iowa,” he said.

Pirog said surveys were sent out to 500 buying clubs of Blooming Prairie Warehouse, a natural food distributor in Iowa City. Ninety percent of the buyers who returned the survey said they were willing to buy a locally grown product.

Approximately two-thirds of the respondents indicated a willingness to purchase locally grown sparkling grape juice as well as locally grown grape juice.

Pirog said a second survey was conducted in which questionnaires were sent out to 120 randomly selected United Methodist, Church of Christ and Presbyterian churches throughout Iowa — churches who purchase grape juice for use in Holy Communion.

“There was a high interest [in churches], but their volume is small compared to buying clubs,” Pirog said.