Sonoma Agriculture Preservation Plan Unveiled

From the rocky coastline to the mountain vistas and the lush river valleys, the land has always been the hero in the story of Sonoma County. The dedicated efforts of farmers and ranchers have been at the forefront of taking care of the land, protecting it and managing it in a way that has provided a bounty of apples, prunes, pears and, of course, winegrapes, for nearly 150 years.

Advertisement

With this in mind, the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission/Sonoma County Winegrowers has created a 100-year business plan to preserve agriculture in Sonoma County well into the 22nd century. The 100-year plan is the next step in the evolution of Sonoma County’s efforts to become the first wine region in the U.S. to have all of its wines grown and made in a sustainable manner.

“Last year, when we announced our intent to be 100% sustainable by 2019, it was always viewed as the starting point, not the end goal,” says Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “It is our job as farmers to be caretakers of the land in Sonoma County and preserve our agricultural legacy and way of life for future generations. Just as we inherited the land from previous generations, we have a fundamental responsibility to make the land better for those who inherit it from us.”

Sonoma County winegrape growers are currently following a rigorous sustainability self-assessment and third party certification program focused on 138 farming and business practices, such as land use, canopy management, energy efficiency, water quality assessments, carbon emissions, healthcare and training for employees and being a good neighbor and community member.

In the twelve months since announcing its sustainable intentions, the local wine industry reached one-third of its targeted goal of becoming 100% sustainable. More than 43% (25,987 acres) of the county’s 59,772 vineyard acres have completed a sustainability assessment. In addition, 33% of the county’s vineyard acres (21,491 acres) have taken the next step and are now certified under a third-party auditor program. The 59,772 vineyard acres in Sonoma County only account for 6% of the county’s one million acres, with the rest being used as pasture land (36%), forests (49%) and urban land (9%). More than 950 winegrape growers have attended sustainability workshops, meetings or other sustainability-related events. There were 26 sustainability workshops and meetings hosted by the Sonoma County Winegrowers in 2014.

Top Articles
25 Years of Project GREEEN’s Growth in Controlled Environment Agriculture

The 100-year plan was designed as a living document and will be executed through both annual and five-year benchmarks that will identify opportunities for collaboration and seek partnerships with a variety of groups, including agricultural, business, community and education as well as government leaders. The time period of 100 years was chosen as a natural period that touches everyone in a tangible way — it represents two generations before and the next two future generations, spanning from grandparents to grandchildren. The plan addresses such issues as innovation and research, natural resources, the regulatory environment, community engagement and marketing, all while building coalitions throughout the community in support of sustaining agriculture in Sonoma County.

“This effort is charting a path to preserve agriculture in Sonoma County for the next 100 years,” says Brad Petersen, a third generation grape grower who manages vineyards at Silver Oak Cellars and is chairman of the Sonoma County Winegrowers board of directors. “It provides us and those who follow with a set of guiding principles to ensure agriculture is successfully preserved and that Sonoma County will remain the best wine region in the world for the next 100 years and beyond.”

Source: Sonoma County Winegrowers

0