California Ag Network

Category: Grape Industry

  • Growers Invited to See Benefits of Cover Crops in Orchards, Vineyards

    Growers are invited to tour orchards and vineyards and hear from other growers about their experiences with cover crops.

    UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, UC Cooperative Extension, the Napa Resource Conservation District, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers have created a searchable database of orchard and vineyard growers experienced in growing cover crops that will help other growers bring the benefits of the prctice to their operations.

    “The tours are part of a project for which we recently unveiled new tools for orchard and vineyard growers to learn about cover cropping from experienced growers,” said Sonja Brodt, associate director of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

    The database describes cover cropping strategies, details of field practices, benefits and challenges experienced by cover crop growers in orchards and vineyards in the southern Sacramento Valley (including the Capay Valley) and the North Coast viticulture region. The cover crop grower database is available at https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/covercropsdb.

    Feb. 8, 1-5 p.m., Capay Valley tour: 

    The tour will visit three organic farms in the Capay Valley that are integrating cover crops and grazing in their orchard and vineyard systems. Topics of discussion will include:

    • Strategies for integrating cover crops into orchards and vineyards
    • Impacts of cover cropping and grazing on soil health
    • Funding and information resources for growing cover crops

    Speakers will include:

    • Rory Crowley, Director of Habitat Programs, Project Apis m.
    • Amélie Gaudin, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis, Endowed Chair in Agroecology
    • Hope Zabronsky, Climate-Smart Agriculture Program lead, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

    To register for the Feb. 8 tour, visit https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/events/grazing-cover-crops-orchards-and-vineyards-capay-valley-tour.

    March 8, 1-4 p.m., Arbuckle area tour: 

    The tour will visit two conventional farms in the Arbuckle area that are integrating cover crops into their orchard and vineyard systems.

    Topics of discussion will include:

    • Strategies for integrating cover crops into orchards and vineyards
    • Impacts of cover cropping on soil and water balance
    • Frost risk protection and prevention
    • Funding resources for growing cover crops

    Speakers will include:

    • Rory Crowley, Director of Habitat Programs, Project Apis m.
    • Kosana Suvocarev, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in Biometeorology, UC Davis Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources
    • Hope Zabronsky, Climate-Smart Agriculture Program lead, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

    To register for the March 8 tour, visit https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/events/cover-cropping-conventional-orchards-and-vineyards-arbuckle-area-tour

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • State of the California Raisin Industry with Steve Kister

    From the Annual Meeting of Sun-Maid Growers, watch this brief interview with Chairman of the Board Steve Kister as he reports on the results of the 2022 crop and State of the Raisin Industry.  Read more about it in the coming issue of American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Introducing the New President of Sun-Maid Growers

    Sun-Maid Growers of California has recently gone through some leadership changes, and at their annual meeting in December, growers were introduced to a new President of the cooperative, Steve Loftus. Watch this brief interview to get to know Steve and what he plans to bring to Sun-Maid.  Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Sun-Maid Leadership Changes, Overly Takes New Role

    There have been rumors that Sun-Maid Growers’ CEO has left to take the position as CEO of another snacking food company.  Watch this video interview with outgoing CEO Harry Overly as he clarifies his position at Sun-Maid.  Read more about it in the coming issue of American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • California Association of Winegrape Growers Announces Natalie Collins as President

    California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Chairman Tom Slater announced today that the Board of Directors has named Natalie Collins the association’s president. Collins has served as Interim President since June 1, 2022, after the retirement of John Aguirre.

    “The Board is extremely grateful for the job Natalie has done for the past six months and is very excited she has accepted our offer to become the President of CAWG,” said Slater. “She has been a member of our CAWG family for seven years and brings with her an enormous amount of institutional knowledge. We look forward to Natalie sharing that knowledge with the Board and all its members.”

    “CAWG has a rich history of strong advocacy and commitment in representing California winegrape growers. It is an honor to accept this position as CAWG heads toward its 50th anniversary,” Collins said. “I look forward to helping our growers meet the many challenges we face in California, Washington D.C., and globally. With these challenges comes incredible opportunity for CAWG to be at the table in shaping public policy that will respect and advance our industry. I could not be more excited for this opportunity to lead CAWG’s efforts as the voice of California’s winegrape growers.”

    Over the last few months, Collins has led the CAWG team in Sacramento and guided the association’s partnership with the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) in preparation for the annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium next month. She has also taken the point in CAWG’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC.

    “Natalie has demonstrated in her work with CAWG that she has the skills necessary to not only lead a smooth transition, but also to create new opportunities for CAWG and our growers in the years to come,” concluded Slater.

    Collins joined CAWG in 2015 as the director of member relations and quickly established herself as integral to the advancement of the association. She is a graduate of California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business and minors in organizational communications and business administration. Before joining CAWG, she was a program director for the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation and a 2015 Leadership Farm Bureau program graduate.

    Natalie resides in Lodi with her husband Kyle and their two children. 

  • The Purpose of the California Raisin Administrative Committee

    Monte Schutz, Chairman of the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC), was among the panelists sharing their views of the current State of the California Raisin Industry this year at the annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo.  Watch this brief interview with Monte as he reminds growers of some of the essential roles the RAC plays in serving the industry.  Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • State of the Central Valley Wine Industry and Harvest Report

    Wine grape growers in the Central Valley made it through another challenging year and brought in a quality, but lighter harvest.  Watch this brief interview with Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers as he describes the season’s successes and challenges, as well as wine market conditions — based on his recent State of the Wine Grape Industry address at the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo.  Read more about it in the coming issue of American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Napa Valley’s Neal Family Vineyards Achieves Regenerative Organic Certification

    Napa Valley’s biodynamic winegrowing pioneer Mark Neal is pleased to announce that his Howell Mountain estate winery, Neal Family Vineyards, has achieved Regenerative Organic Certified® as recognized by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA). The ROA was established in 2018 and is today considered the highest level of certification. There are only five vineyard estates worldwide that hold Regenerative Organic Certified® status and Neal Family Vineyards now represents the first Napa Valley vineyard to receive this certification.

    “I first achieved organic certification in 1984 but being the first in Napa Valley to achieve the Regenerative Organic Certified® stamp of approval is still an exciting accomplishment for us because of what it stands for,” said Neal, vintner, founder, and owner of Neal Family Vineyards. “ROA was founded to address climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming and fractured rural communities globally.  Regenerative organic agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. This new certification goes farther than any other organic certification – including CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) – by requiring specific farming practices that build soil health, ensure fairness to farmers and farm workers, and improve animal welfare. We have always exclusively used organic and biodynamic practices in our vineyards, and this certification further cements that commitment to the land and our community.”

    Mark Neal is considered one of Napa Valley’s earliest organic and biodynamic pioneers and the valley would not be where it is today without his early advocacy for organic farming. He and his father started Jack Neal & Son (JNS) in 1968 and his vineyards have been certified organic starting in 1984 – long before there was any marketing cachet around sustainability. Today, under Mark’s leadership, Jack Neal & Son manages the most CCOF Certified acres in Napa Valley and can claim the largest biodynamic farming operation in the United States, effectively making Mark Neal one of Napa Valley’s most influential grape growers when it comes to ethical farming.

    The ROA was founded by Patagonia (the American outdoor clothing retailer that has become a paragon of environmental and social responsibility activism), Dr. Bronner’s (the largest organic soap and personal care company certified under the USDA’s National Organic Program), as well as a group of farmers, business leaders and experts in soil health, animal welfare and social fairness. Before a company can apply to become Regenerative Organic Certified®, they must first hold a National Organic Program certification. After that, they must prove and demonstrate soil health practices, such as no or minimal tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation; social fairness in the form of living wages and healthy working conditions for employees; and animal welfare with pasture-based grazing. The criteria for the animal welfare scope includes the Five Freedoms; freedom from hunger or thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear, distress, and mental suffering.

    In a recent letter from Patagonia Founder, Yvon Chouinard, to the brand’s customers about upcoming changes to the company, Chouinard said, “Earth is now our only shareholder,” and that is something Mark Neal truly believes in. Since its founding in 1998, Neal Family Vineyards has always been a leader in educating and demonstrating organic practices in the Napa Valley. The winery’s four estate vineyards have been certified organic by CCOF since 2009 and certified biodynamic by Demeter Biodynamic since 2021. Alongside Fetzer Vineyards, Bonterra Vineyards, Truett Hurst, and Tablas Creek, Neal Family Vineyards is one of the few winery estates in California to receive Regenerative Organic Certified®.

    About Neal Family Estates

    Family owned and operated, Neal Family Vineyards is a boutique winery that specializes in crafting Cabernet Sauvignon from meticulously farmed, 100% biodynamic, and 100% estate vineyards on Neal Family’s signature Howell Mountain and Rutherford Dust properties in Napa Valley. Founded by Napa Valley biodynamics pioneer Mark Neal, Neal Family Vineyards believes great wines come from great ingredients that only organic and biodynamic vineyards can produce. After taking a leading role in the implementation of certified organic and biodynamic agricultural practices in Napa Valley, Neal Family continues to commit to organic and biodynamic practices. All four of the winery’s estate vineyards have been certified organic by CCOF since 2009, certified biodynamic by Demeter Biodynamic since 2021 and was the first Napa Valley vineyard to be Regenerative Organic Certified® by Patagonia’s Regenerative Organic Alliance in 2022. Mark also owns and operates Jack Neal & Son (JNS) Vineyard Management, the largest biodynamic farming operation in the United States. For more information, please visit www.NealVineyards.com/.

    About Regenerative Organic Certified®

    Regenerative Organic Certified® is an agricultural certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients. Based on three pillars, it requires farmers to go above and beyond by practicing agricultural techniques that ensure healthy soil, the ethical and humane treatment of animals, and fairness for farmers and workers. It was created to address the climate crisis, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming, and fractured rural economies globally. For more information, please visit https://regenorganic.org/

  • New and Innovative Specialty Crop Protection Tools for California Growers

    As crop protection materials continue to get regulated out of circulation, California farmers are struggling to have sufficient tools to maintain plant health and combat the major pests and diseases that afflict this region of the world.  The good news is that new and innovative crop protection tools are being developed and receiving registration for use on specialty crops in the state, as shared at the recent annual Conference of the California Association of Pest Control Advisors. watch this video collage featuring representatives introducing some of these new tools on the market.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • A More Effective Way to Win the Battle Against Vine Mealybug

    Vine mealybug has never been more widespread across the grape growing regions of California than it is now.  Watch this video interview with Nathan Mercer from the Kent Daane Lab at UC Berkeley, who shares a more effective and collaborative way to control this pest in vineyards.  Read more about vineyard pest management in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.