A Jordan, Ontario vineyard will lose its licence to buy grapes if it does not repay growers by an Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission deadline. Three grape growers are waiting to see if Ferndale Vineyards Inc. will pay the money it owes them by March 15. That was the deadline set by the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission after it held a hearing in November, 2010 to consider revoking Ferndale's license to process grapes and late harvest juice. The Jordan-area vineyard, which makes a non-alcoholic grape drink, also owes money to Grape Growers of Ontario for producer licence and brix testing fees, late payment and interest charges. Debbie Zimmerman, Grape Growers CEO, declined to say the amount owed to the farmers and the organization. The information in both cases is proprietary, she explains. "We don't break license fees out by grower or by processor or producer."The money owed to the growers includes interest.
