We are excited because we harvested our first grape crop since our vineyard was Certified Regenified; a third-party certification for farms who are employing regenerative farming practices.
Following a Regenerative farming program has shown that through good management practices our soil and plants can improve and deliver environmental benefits and benefits for people too. William Albrecht, Soil Department Chairman of the University of Missouri, said in the 1950 Yearbook of Agriculture that “declining soil fertility, due to a lack of organic material, major elements and trace minerals, is responsible for poor crops and in turn for pathological conditions in animals fed deficient foods from such soils. Mankind is no exception.”
Healthy plants will have high levels of sugars, measured in brix readings, in the leaves which is not palatable to most insects and so creates resistance to insect attack.
We are diligently increasing the nutrients and microbes being applied to the vines and leaves with compost extracts and compost on the soil to facilitate this nutrient cycling. Compost tea is also a very effective fungicide, eliminating the need for commercial fungicides.
These applications also increase the minerals and nutrients the plant has available to put into the grape, thus, more flavor in the wine!
While perfecting these things is a long-term goal, we must meet the challenge to control pest outbreaks in the meantime. We have tried to only use natural products to deter or eliminate pests, primarily Japanese Beetles, in the vineyard this year. Spraying kaolic clay on the vines and leaves did deter them, but the inch of rain per week meant we had to apply multiple times because it would wash off with the rain. We did have to use a commercial insecticide to assist. We are still trying to find the perfect solution for this very persistent pest! At a grower meeting where we share with other wineries and vineyards, one winery mentioned success with using Neem Oil. We will try this next year.
Missouri’s First Certified Regenified Farm Winery
Van Till Family Farm Winery is the First Certified Regenified Farm Winery in Missouri.
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