Learn about Regenerative Farming with These 3 Facts
The latest buzzword in agriculture and viticulture is “regenerative” farming. But what does it mean? “At the heart of regenerative organic farming is a love for the land and a desire to enhance its biodiversity,” says Kate Payne Brown, the winemaker at Ambar Estate, the first Certified Regenerative Organic winery in the Willamette Valley.
Farmers and viticulturists can work alongside nature to restore and improve the soil by building ecosystem diversity, reducing or eliminating tilling, and eliminating the use of synthetic sprays.
What does this look like in practicality?
- Soil Health and Biodiversity
Through regenerative organic practices, like cover cropping and reduced tilling, the soil is enriched with organic matter and microbial life, which prevents erosion. Tilling the soil releases carbon into the environment and disrupts fragile ecosystems. By analyzing the soil, farmers can identify cover crops that add important nutrients and diminish the presence of weeds, rather than by using synthetic herbicides. - Ecosystem Balance and Pest Management
Drew Herman serves as the Director of Viticulture at Alexana Winery. He pulls from his education in zoology, animal zoology, and botany to implement regenerative organic vineyard practices across Alexana’s three vineyards in the Dundee Hills, Napa, and Argentina.
Herds of sheep graze acres of vineyards at a time, naturally mowing, fertilizing, and aerating as they go. He raises pigs in the Dundee Hills vineyard to raid the nut caches stored by rodents to keep the population under control. Cover crops are allowed to go to seed, allowing beneficial insects to fulfill their lifecycle and lay eggs to continue keeping pests at bay. The best news? This saves money, improves vine health, mitigates climate change, and produces wine that is void of harmful synthetic chemicals—an unfortunate reality of wine made with fruit sprayed with synthetics. - Water Management and Conservation
Most vineyards in the Dundee Hills are dry-farmed, relying on rainfall and soil moisture rather than irrigation. A primary benefit of eliminating or reducing soil tilling is the ability to store carbon, transforming the soil into a sponge that retains water into the dry season to nourish thirsty vines. Research suggests increasing the carbon in soil by 1% yields a fourfold increase in water retention.
Herman cautions the term “regenerative” is similar to “natural”—it is not regulated and can be used to describe farming practices by any organization, regardless of whether the organization invests in the health of its soil and land.
Learn more about regenerative organic certification and farming practices here.
