Corriedale sheep snack on weeds among rows of vines; along the way, they fertilise the soil, adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. Owls and bats swoop from vineyard boxes from dusk ’til dawn, eliminating vine-root-eating gophers and grapevine moths.
Native flowering plants create sanctuaries for beneficial insects. Such a menagerie of wildlife would have been unlikely decades ago. Still, the commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture has pushed some California wine producers to look to nature to enhance vineyard health, the environment, and their wines.
Situated on the ridges of volcanic soil at higher elevations in Northern California’s Lake County wine region, Clay Shannon of Shannon Family of Wines operates over 1,000 organic acres of vineyards and is passionate about the environment.
The good shepherd
Although he is in his fifth year of farming organically, the lifelong vineyard manager and wine producer is bringing significant changes to this under-the-radar wine region with ‘woolly feeders.’
‘We have to put some footprints in the vineyards, an old term people have forgotten about,’ said Shannon, who grew up on his grandparent’s sheep farm in Sonoma County. He is also referring to the impact of humans on the earth’s ecosystem.
His sheep are at the heart of the winery’s regenerative agriculture approach and also of his appropriately named ‘Ovis’ label.
‘These are smart animals; they are delicate on the land, and they do a good job keeping the grass down and the understory of the oak forest clean,’ said Shannon. His flock of 1,700 sheep graze the vineyard rows thrice yearly to control the weeds that fight for the vines’ water and nutrients. Employing sheep also promotes carbon sequestration in vineyards and provides natural regulation of disease and pests.
‘Sheep add fertility to the land,’ added Shannon. ‘Five pounds (2.2 Kg) per day, per animal.’
Reintegrating farm animals into crop production yields considerable benefits. Tractor usage is reduced as sheep hooves integrate manure into the soil. Shannon explains that the sheep control the weeds by eating grass and vine leaves, providing 20% protein. Ewes produce milk for lambs, and the pasture-raised meat is sold.
‘This is what we call sustainability,’ he said.
Sustainable pest management roadmap for California
While environmentally-conscious wine producers like Shannon are making a difference in California, so is the state which recently announced its long-range commitment to promoting ecosystem resilience.
The sustainable pest management roadmap for California was released by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It charts a course for California’s elimination of high-risk pesticides by 2050.
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