Grazing Vineyards

Making Grape Farming Profitable and Ecologically Sound Through Innovative Grazing

Holistic approach to vineyard grazing

Grape farming can be simultaneously more profitable, ecologically resilient and socially responsible than the status quo of both conventional and sustainable practices. Through the synergy of human creativity, ecological principles and holistically sound decision making, viticultural practices can be weaned of the majority of off farm inputs and operate primarily by current solar income.

Spiraling increases in fuel, equipment, labor and fertilizer costs, along with the associated negative impacts to our environment by many of these practices make it imperative for us to find innovative and viable solutions for sustaining agriculture.

Advancing the economic viability and ecological integrity of viticulture will increasingly necessitate the presence and impact of properly managed grazing animals during the growing season of both the cover crop and the vines themselves. Proven stratigies exist to allow grazing throughout the year in many established vineyards and effective solutions have evolved for designing new vineyards conducive to holistically-based management.

The Synergy of Sheep

Results from a 2009 trial conducted in the Alexander Valley demonstrate that managed grazing of sheep in a vineyard through winter, spring and early summer can lead to the following benefits:

80% -90% reduction in irrigation use
Eliminates the need to mow or cultivate under vines and between rows due to the grazing activity of sheep which converts this plant material into fertilizer
Eliminates the need for hand suckering due to sheep browsing of this growth and converting it into fertilizer
Sheep can consume all canopy thinnings (laterals and leaves) placed on the ground and convert those into manure
Improves both yield and quality of fruit
Reduces reliance on and cost of machinery, fuels, fertilizers, hand labor and herbicides
Improves soils ability to sequester carbon
Reduces atmospheric carbon emissions

Kelly Mulville

kmulville@gmail.com

(707) 431-8060

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SERVICES

Vineyard and Farm Design: Intelligent and effective design solutions for creating resilient, ecologically sound and economically viable livestock based agriculture.

Retrofitting of existing vineyards and orchards to enable grazing throughout the year: Design and installation using electric and conventional fencing technology.

Consulting: Incorporating livestock into vineyards, orchards and other farming systems, Holistic Management (planned grazing, financial planning, land planning and monitoring).