Lake Erie Grape Farm Cost Survey 1991-1995
This report is a summary of five years of grape cost data collected from Lake Erie Region grape growers. "Concord" and "Niagara" grapes utilized for juice accounted for over 90 percent of the survey acreage. About three-fourths of the participating growers were from New York and about one-fourth were from Pennsylvania. In the most recent year, the number of participants had increased to 43 and acreage in the survey to more than 4,300. Labor accounted for one-third of total costs per acre (22 percent for paid labor and 11 percent for unpaid family labor). Yield per acre tended to be closely related to total cost per ton, and hence, to profitability. The five-year average yield was 6.7 tons per acre. High yields (7+ tons per acre) are needed to generate profits, and provide funds for family living expenditures.