Investing in the Environment:
In the Vineyard
Farming Philosophy | In the Winery |
In the Vineyard
Our Vineyard, “BeauVine Vineyards”
is located just outside the winery building. Great care has been
taken in its planning and design. Our rows are spaced every 8
feet along our hill, to maximize the use of the land. We employ
the Scott-Henry Trellis system, which spreads the grapevine
canopy upwards AND downwards, yielding 40% more surface area for
the leaves to capture sunlight, increasing the productivity of
the vine. This method helps to ensure better airflow in the
canopy, reducing disease pressure in the vineyard.
Within the vineyard, we have used Steel posts and Locust end
posts. Locust is an amazing wood that is naturally rot
resistant. Our end post material ensures that we don’t have
chemicals from treated wood leeching into our vineyard soil.
Our focus is on bio-dynamic farming. Our goal is to maintain a
living soil through compost and crops that naturally deter
pests, through their own strength and the unified force of the
entire ecosystem, including the crops, the flowers, the grasses,
and the beneficial insects themselves. A cover crop is
maintained in each row to prevent erosion and maintain healthy
soils. Our mixture of in-row plant material is used to add
nitrogen into the soil, in a natural, healthy manner. Healthy
“bio-dynamic” soil is essential to healthy vine growth. After
all, great wine begins with great grapes!
One of the challenges to any vineyard at harvest time is crop
damage due to hungry birds. Our vineyard is patrolled by several
hawks that fly from aeries in the escarpment ledge, to the top
of the trees that are spaced along our creek. Hawks are
predatory and deter birds that might otherwise damage our
grapes. During the harvest weeks bird distress calls are played
in our vineyard during the daylight hours. At the very end of
the harvest season, when the birds are no longer deterred by
hawks and distress calls, we rely on propane canons. They make a
lot of noise and discourage birds from damaging our crop. They
only operate during the daylight hours and we use them as little
as possible as they are unpleasant.
Deer and wild turkeys can be a problem in the vineyard, but as
they move through the rows, they leave natural fertilizer
behind. Turkeys play a role in eating harmful insects, but I do
worry that they will eat grapes. Although I do not hunt, as a
farmer I appreciate the role that responsible hunters play in
our ecosystem. On the nights that I find myself lying awake when
I should be sleeping, I hear the song of coyotes. Coyotes are a
beneficial force in our environment and their tracks in the
vineyard assure me that while I sleep, they patrol.
Our vineyard soil has been enriched with manure from an area
farm. I think of this as seed and fertilizer all rolled into one
package. Someday we may even add animals to our farm. My hope is
to start with Chickens, a bird that produces eggs while at the
same time being a connoisseur of the Japanese beetle, a bane to
any vineyard
Farming Philosophy | In the Winery |
In the Vineyard
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