Sustainable Winegrowing

Do you know where your food comes from? "Food disconnect" is a term used to describe the average consumers lack of knowledge about where their food comes from and how it's made. When it comes to wine, most people only see the finished product: what's in their glass. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. For sustainable wine brands, there's yet another level to this disconnect: While consumers name food and beverage as one of the most important industries when it comes to sustainability, more than one in four US adults said they don't know what makes a product sustainable (Morning Consult, 2022). This introduces an opportunity for sustainable winegrowers and winemakers. Sustainability Sells! After Kathy Kelley and her colleagues at Penn State University learned about the environmental benefits of using cover crops under grapevines, they wondered if promoting this sustainable practice could be part of a marketing strategy to sell more wine. When they tested this theory with real-world wine consumers, they found that 72% of the wine consumers surveyed were willing to pay a $1 surcharge to cover associated sustainable production costs, and 26% were even willing to pay a $2 surcharge! Get Specific It's important to note that for the participants in the study, simply hearing that a wine brand acted sustainably wasn't enough – it was learning the importance of the specific sustainable practice that increased customers' willingness to pay more for the wine. "… We're seeing a consumer group that wants to be educated and wants to know exactly what is going on with sustainable wine production," Kathy says in a Penn State article summarizing her findings. "So, being descriptive about what it actually means to include cover crops in a vineyard is a way to be attractive to them." Sharing your sustainable story has many benefits. It can be used as a marketing strategy, it helps combat "food disconnect," and it helps spread awareness of sustainable practices that protect and regenerate natural resources. We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. Resources: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter Sustainable Story | Print Sustainable Story | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? Whitney Brownie | Get YOUR Sustainable Story Featured Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member

When it comes to nutrition in your vineyard, you need to know the environment that your vineyard is planted in including mineral nutrition, soil microbes, nitrogen from rainwater, and nutrients or potentially salt from well water. Fritz Westover, Host of the Vineyard Underground Podcast and Founder of Virtual Viticulture Academy shares a big-picture approach to nutrient management that is practical for any grower. He covers: Why it is important to test tissue both at bloom and veraison How to take tissue samples When macro and micronutrient additions are most essential If you are a long time Member of our organization then you probably remember Fritz from his days with Vineyard Team in 2013 and 2014. We are thrilled to have Fritz back on air with us for the third time. Plus, I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on his podcast, Vineyard Underground. Search for episode 034: Why Sustainability Certification Programs for Vineyards Matter – with Beth Vukmanic on your favorite podcast player to listen in. And we have that linked in the show notes. Resources: 1/16/2024 Tailgate | Ag Order 4.0 Update 57: Wet Climate Viticulture 115: Examining Plant Nutrient Mobility with SAP Analysis 155: Sustainable Vineyard Management Across Different Climates 191: CropManage: Improving the Precision of Water and Fertilizer Inputs Fritz Westover Bio Healthy Soils Playlist The Science of Grapevines - Marcus Keller Vineyard Underground Podcast Vineyard Underground Podcast - 016: Nitrogen Sources and Strategies for Application with Paul Crout Vineyard Underground Podcast - 034: Why Sustainability Certification Programs for Vineyards Matter – with Beth Vukmanic Virtual Viticulture Academy Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Fritz Westover. He is a Viticulturist, who works around the United States. Especically the the south east and he is the host of the Vineyard Underground podcast, and also the founder of the Virtual Viticulture Academy. And today we're gonna talk about nutrient management. Thanks for being on the show. Fritz Westover 0:20 Hey, Craig, how you doing today? Good to talk to you and to see you because I get to see you on video while we make this recording. Craig Macmillan 0:27 You're back. This is another episode for you. Right? Fritz Westover 0:29 This will be episode number three with Sustainable Winegrowing. So I love coming back. And you know, as you know, I worked with then Vineayrd Team back in 2013, and 14. So, of course, I love what you guys are doing and fully support it. Craig Macmillan 0:42 Fantastic. So injury management in vineyards is today's topic. Can you give us a definition of what that means and why it's important? Fritz Westover 0:51 Yeah, and I'm not going to give you the textbook version though, as you know, Craig, I'm going to talk from just how I view it and how I see my growers viewing it that. Craig Macmillan 0:58 From the heart is that yeah, Fritz Westover 1:00 I speak about nutrient management from the heart here. In terms of vineyards, you know, we want to see our vines grow healthy. When you plant to vine in the ground, there's certain things in the soil, there's mineral nutrition, there's microbes that cycle nutrients in the soil. So you have kind of a baseline there, you can add things to it. But you have to know what's in the soil. First, we have rain that falls from the sky, hopefully, and hopefully when it needs to, and that has certain mineral nutrient content and nitrogen, things like that people don't count that sometimes nothing will make a plant or like and rainwater. And then if you're pumping water through well, there's different ions, caverns and ions that are in that water, whether it be something that's good, like nitrogen, or magnesium or potassium or something that's not good, like a salt, in large amounts. So there's there's things coming out of the pumping out of the ground on a property that go to vineyard. And then you know, there's things that we put as inputs through a spray program or fertilization program. But before you do that, if you're going to manage the nutrition in your vineyard, you need to know what the content is what where the nutrients are coming from, how the vines take them up. Are you irrigating? Or is it a dry farmed vineyard, and that will determine how much of that nutrition is available to the vi

Thach and Lease asked the managers of 375 United States wineries, "How much impact do you believe your social media efforts have on wine sales?" 87% of respondents said they believe that their social media presence increases sales. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Today we are asking the question, Does social media impact wine sales? Social media has changed the way consumers and businesses interact. It not only provides convenient two-way communication between consumers and the products and services they support, but it has opened the door for consumers to participate in the marketing and messaging of brands by creating their own content about the products they love and sharing it with their friends, family, and communities. A 2018 study looking at the social media adoption and activities of 1173 wineries in Germany, the USA, New Zealand and Australia, suggests that "wineries need to develop a clear purpose for using social media and then adapt to the needs of the consumers in their respective markets." To do so, it is important to understand how consumers interact with wine brands on social media and what kind of content they are looking for. Provide Value by Offering Guidance Wine is complex. Many consumers who are new to drinking wine don't know what they're looking for, and could easily find themselves overwhelmed and intimated by the numerous varieties, tasting notes, and wine brands on the market. Creating educational and informative wine content can help to create trust between consumers and your brand. Here are a few ideas to get you started: How to choose your next bottle by working with existing preferences How to pair wine with a meal to plan a special dinner How to line up an at-home tasting · Bonus tip: Ask your followers what they want to learn more about! When you deliver on their requests, they'll continue to look out for your valuable posts. Interact With Consumers Word of mouth is one of the most common ways we hear about new brands and products to try. We are social creatures and feel more secure taking a chance on a product that has been vetted by a friend or colleague. How often have you seen your friends and family post a picture of a meal at their favorite restaurant, a picnic spread with a bottle of wine set up in the yard, or simply posing with a new item they fell in love with? Next time you see one of these, check the caption - a lot of people will tag the brands and companies included in their photos! If you receive a notification that your brand has been tagged in someone's content, take the opportunity to make a connection with a loyal customer by leaving a response in the comments. Social media offers a low-cost way for you to build relationships with consumers and your brand community, and being a brand that engages with its customers sets you up to receive continued support. There is an easy way to catch up on posts you're tagged in on Instagram that you may have missed! Go to your profile, and above the grid displaying your posts to the far right is an icon you can tap on to see posts from other users that you've been tagged in. Check it out, and get to interacting! Collaborate with an Influencer Social media "lifestyle influencers" are people who use their social media channels to promote products and services of companies whose products are used by everyday people in their daily lives. They connect their niche audiences to brands that share common values and interests - a phenomenon that is changing the way consumers find and connect with brands. Specifically, "wine influencers" are often educated and even certified in wine education. Teaming up with a social media influencer is a fun way to reach groups of people who may be unaware of your brand. Collaboration with a wine influencer is a way to ensure that your brand is being shared with consumers who are passionate about wine and wine culture. Psst ... we are helping spread the word about sustainability and our members' brands! Keep an eye out for the next Marketing Tip, where we will show our recent social media influencer collaborations that have helped spread the news about our members' good work protecting the people and the planet. Tag us, and use the SIP Certified GIPHYs! If you are SIP Certified, we love seeing and sharing your content! Tag us @SIPCertified in your upcoming Instagram and Facebook posts. And make sure you use our GIPHYs on your next Instagram story or Snapchat content. Just search for "SIP Certified" in the stickers, or check out the link to this article to save the files so you can use them in your emails or on your website. Check out the show notes for

The phrases climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon sequestration are common place in wine production. But what can you do make a science-based, and achievable impact? Brianna Beighle, Assistant Winemaker at Patz & Hall Wine Company explains scope one, two, and three emissions as they apply to the wine industry. Viticulturalists and winemakers can look at easy to measure practices like diesel fuel use, Nitrogen application timing, and light weight glass bottles to reduce their footprint. She explains that even small shifts in management can have a big impact. Resources: 67: Impacts of Climate Change on Wine Production 91: Carbon Sequestration 122: Preserving Agriculture Land to Combat Climate Change 125: Using Grape Grower Demographics to Influence Climate Change Adaptation 167: Use Biochar to Combat Climate Change 171: How to Farm Wine Grapes for Climate Change 2020 HiRes Vineyard Nutrition Research Update Bottled Up: Unpacking the Facts about Wine Bottles and Climate Change Brianna Beighle's LinkedIn Christina Lazcano, University of California, Davis International Wineries for Climate Action (IWAC) Shaky Ground: A company called Indigo is paying farmers to trap carbon in their soils. Some researchers say the climate benefits are dubious Soil organic carbon sequestration rates in vineyard agroecosystems under different soil management practices: A meta-analysis Vineyard nutrient management in Washington State Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And our guest today is Brianna Beighle. She is assistant winemaker at Patz & Hall Wine Company. And she's an MBA student in the half school, the UC Berkeley, and she focuses on sustainability. And she's been working on some pretty interesting things around science based decision making and climate change. Welcome to the podcast, Brianna. Brianna Beighle 0:18 Thank you. I'm so excited to be here in chat with you, Craig. Craig Macmillan 0:20 I am too. You've been doing quite a bit of thinking. And also communicating on the role of what we would call science based decision making regarding companies or firms, sometimes I call them and things like climate change, climate change. In particular, this requires us to draw some boxes conceptually, maybe from even a systems thinking approach. If you if you subscribe to that kind of an idea where in order to get a handle on talking about something, we're probably need to kind of define it. And sometimes it's just a question of where do you draw the lines around? What in what? So in the realm of business and climate change industries and climate change? There are some boxes have already been defined, that have been found to be useful. But they also have some limitations? What would some of those be in your mind is a good starting points? Brianna Beighle 1:05 Oh, goodness, I guess I'll just go first to where you're talking about some things that have already been established. And I'm just going to say, the first ones that everyone has out there is that the scope one, scope two and scope, three emissions. So those have been established to kind of bucket as you're saying where specific emissions come from. And scope one emissions for I'm sure most of you are familiar, are ones that are directly associated with company facilities, company vehicles. Scope two emissions are ones that are generated from electricity production for the facility. So that's heating, that's cooling, you may not be generating that electricity on site in some cases, but you're still claiming it because you're using the lab that electricity on site. And scope three is, as Craig, you know, it's kind of the catch all for everything else. Craig Macmillan 1:58 Exactly. Brianna Beighle 1:59 I would say that it's useful in some respect, where it taught us how to think about emissions and to pinpoint fossil fuels are where a lot of our emissions come from as a society on this planet. But I think that scope three is too general, where it lumps all these things together. And it makes us not claim anything as our own, which kind of inhibits us, as we say, What can I do to move forward? Craig Macmillan 2:23 Exactly. That's a really good point, in particular relate to the wind industry, would you consider for wineries Would you consider CO2 emissions from fermentation is scope one emissions? Brianna Beighle 2:34 I would I think I'd l

Once we learned that storytelling helps customers understand your sustainable practices and can increase your sales, we've been dedicated to helping you: Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Throughout 2023, we've helped you write your Sustainable Story, teach your team about it, and share tips on how to integrate your sustainable message into every level of your branding and marketing. As the year comes to an end, we've put all 7 tips together for you! Make sure you check out the show notes for this one. We have linked to each article so that you can dive into the details and keep sharing your good work in the market. 1. Does your staff know about sustainability? Did you know that of the 48% of employees in the food and beverage industry who receive regular training, only 4.5% receive training about their company's mission and values? If you aren't regularly talking to your staff about your company's mission and values, you're missing out on opportunities to create a more informed and dedicated team! Click here to learn about the latest SIP Certified training tool to teach your staff how to talk about your dedication to sustainability. 2. Share your message of sustainability on your website. There are so many ways to share your message of sustainability through your website. Click here to get inspired by three SIP Certified members who dedicate an entire page on their website to their commitment sustainability, and three more who use their blog to sprinkle in their message of sustainability throughout the year. 3. Update your tasting room sign! Your tasting room guests can learn about your commitment to the 7 Values of SIP Certified while they sit and sip in your tasting room when they see the new SIP Certified tasting room sign. You can visit the Member Resources page to print yours today! 4. Use the power of visuals to tell your story. 97% of people start their search for a local business online. When someone looks up your business, what do they find? Are your images and videos up to date? Do you show what makes your brand special? Does your imagery convince searchers to visit you? If those questions gave you some uncertainty, it may be time to update your imagery! 5. Get sustainable on social media. Now that the previous tip inspired your new photography, use this one to create valuable and pause-worthy social media content! 6. 3 steps to create a sustainable QR Tour your guests will love. A Sustainable QR Tour is a unique, educational, self-guided way for your guests to learn about your brand's sustainable practices. When you create your Sustainable QR Tour, you will: Showcase your sustainable attractions. Explain each attraction with a short video or quick written description. Bring your tour to life by posting your QR codes and making a map. By taking your Sustainable QR Tour, your visitors will: Learn about your brand's values. See sustainability in action. Enjoy an activity as they taste your sustainable wines. Click here to learn the 3 steps to creating your very own. 7. The best newsletter you can send. Your wine club members are more than just wine enthusiasts – they're YOUR WINE'S enthusiasts! They are invested in and have a personal connection with your brand. Click here to learn how to use your newsletter to invite your members to form an even deeper affinity with your brand. Your story can be featured in next year's Sustainable Stories campaign! We are looking for a brand with an innovative approach to one of these three values.: Water Management Safe Pest Management Energy Efficiency If you have a great Sustainable Story, we will help you tell it. Reach out to me at [email protected] with a few quick notes! We'll get your story ready to be featured in our newsletter, podcast, online course, and social media, and in magazine articles and influencer campaigns. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. Resources: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story | Print Sustainable Story | Electronic The Best Newsletter You Can Send What's your Sustainable Story? Whitney Brownie | Get YOUR Sustainable Story Featured Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member

Extreme weather events can be devastating to a winegrowing region's infrastructure, business, and in the worst-case scenarios, human life. Emma Taylor, Viticulture Consultant with Emma Taylor Viti is part of New Zealand's Cyclone Gabrielle recovery team, helping winegrape farmers in the Hawke's Bay region. When the cyclone hit in February 2023 just before grape harvest, flood waters reached over the top of many vineyards destroying bridges, leaving behind massive silt deposits, uprooting entire plantings, and cutting off power for one week. Growers had to evaluate how to handle their losses based on total damage, potential fruit contamination, and vineyard lifespan. A vital component of the recovery effort is the knowledge and experience of viticulturists who farmed in the region during Cyclone Bola in 1988. Resources: 2: The Goldilocks Principle & Powdery Mildew Management 79: Grapevine Fungal Diseases 103: Environmental, Social, & Governance Initiative in Spain's Priorat Region 117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light Cyclone Gabrielle Relief Fund Downy Mildew (Plasmopara viticola) Emma Taylor on LinkedIn Hawke's Bay Wine New Zealand How lessons learned from Cyclone Bola can help deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And with us today is Emma Taylor. She is viticultural consultant with Emma Taylor Viti in New Zealand. And today we're going to be talking about the terrible impacts that cyclone Gabrielle had on the North Island of New Zealand. And thank you for being your guests taking time and sharing your story with us. Emma Taylor 0:14 Nice to meet you and talk to you, Craig. Craig Macmillan 0:16 First, I want to express my sympathies to everyone in the North Island in New Zealand overall for the loss of life and tremendous devastation of property. A lot of folks were unhoused injured as well as fatalities. And we're all very saddened by the event. Emma Taylor 0:33 Thanks for that. It was it was quite biblical in nature, we call it you know, it was it was quite extreme. Craig Macmillan 0:39 Yeah. It was quite extraordinary. Well, first of all, what was the cyclone? What was what was the story there. Speaker 2 0:45 So it was an extratropical cyclone. That's common to New Zealand that we do get so tropical cyclones form up in the higher in the Pacific normally around the islands. By the time they get to New Zealand, they've normally decreased in intensity to the point that they are now regarded as extratropical cyclone. And that is the same with cyclone Gabrielle when the MetService started bringing up you know, they bring up these tropical cyclones in this hour, there's one to watch. And I remember when I first heard the announcement that tropical cyclone Gabriel was forming. And I remember the way that the MetService were talking about it. And I remember thinking this sounds like it could be a biggie you know, it's been a while but it's the way that they're talking about it. They're just preparing us in a slightly different way to the other extratropical cyclones. Cyclone Gabriel, it came on our horizon, you know, as one to watch maybe about a week to 10 days before it landed. Craig Macmillan 1:39 Okay, so there was people were aware of something was coming. Emma Taylor 1:43 Something was coming. Yeah. Craig Macmillan 1:44 How close to harvest were vineyards when the cyclone hit. In Emma Taylor 1:48 New Zealand in the last few years, we have been having our harvest seasons coming earlier in earlier that a climate change thing. Most likely they I used to say that harvest and Hawke's Bay started a little bit at the start of March, but you're really into it by the 20th of March. And by the 20th of April, you're over. And then you'd have a few rats and mice after then yeah, so that the 20th of March the 20th of April was hardest in the last few years. It's that chunk of time has been getting earlier and earlier to the point that in the 2022 Vintage everything was picked before we even got to April however, the 23 Vintage I remember commenting, maybe only a week before topical cyclone Gabrielle came that it looked like we're a bit more normal. And instead of a February start to have us I was hoping for a March start to harvest. However, you know, Gabrielle came on the 14th of February and we were harvesting nine days later. Craig Macmillan

Your wine club members are more than just wine enthusiasts – they're YOUR WINE'S enthusiasts! They are invested in and have a personal connection with your brand. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Newsletters invite your members to form an even deeper affinity with your brand. It's an opportunity to share your brand's history, current projects, and behind-the-scenes details that aren't available through other channels. Need Content? You Got It! A multi-page newsletter gives you more space to work with. While the idea of having several pages to fill and decorate can be exciting to some, others may be intimidated by the task. Being a brand that's passionate about sustainability means you always have something to talk about. Having a handful of Sustainable Stories on deck can be a great asset to your newsletter! SIP Tip: Adjust the amount of detail you go into to fit the space you have. For longer pieces, consider breaking them up into serials. Today we will share two examples of SIP Certified members whose newsletters feature their dedication to sustainability in engaging ways. There are some great images to go along with these, so I highly recommend going to the show notes and clicking on The Best Newsletter You Can Send. Ancient Peaks Ancient Peaks invites their members to understand their deep relationship with the land and their community through their May 2021 newsletter's Feature Story, For the Love of Land & Community. The article shows how and why Ancient Peaks embodies sustainability through colorful photos and specific examples that touch all 7 SIP Certified Values. A QR code on page 4 of the excerpt transforms this newsletter into a multi-media experience! Readers can scan the code to watch a thoughtful explanation from the ranch's owner, Doug Filipponi, on what sustainability is and how they address all three legs of the three-legged stool. Niner Wine Estates Their Spring 2023 newsletter opens with A Note from Winemaker Patrick Muran, giving readers the sense that their shipment was crafted with love and devotion from the entire team at Niner Wine Estates. After providing a rundown of the wines included in their shipment, Niner announces their 2023 Green Medal Sustainability Leadership Award. They explain what the award is, and provide several specific examples of their sustainable practices. Several members of Niner's team are featured in the newsletter, giving it a personable feel and inviting readers to become familiar with the faces behind the wine. More Tips As you saw from these two examples, there are many ways to create a newsletter that's unique and authentic to your brand. Here are three elements both of these examples have in common: Sustainability: Thoughtful "whys" and descriptive "hows" invite your readers to: Make a deeper connection with your brand. Better understand what it means to be sustainable. Teamwork: Quotes and opinions from team members: Give your newsletter a personable feel. Familiarize your readers with your team. Food and Wine: Pairing notes and recipes specific to the wines included in your shipment give: Utility to your readers. A reason to keep your newsletter around for longer! What's YOUR Sustainable Story? We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! We hope you've enjoyed learning about how your peers fulfill the 7 SIP Certified Values as much as we've enjoyed sharing them! Your story can be featured in next year's Sustainable Stories campaign! We are looking for a brand with an innovative approach to one of these three Values.: Water Management Safe Pest Management Energy Efficiency If you have a great Sustainable Story, we will help you tell it. Reach out to me at [email protected] with a few quick notes! We'll get your story ready to be featured in our newsletter, podcast, online course, and social media, and in magazine articles and influencer campaigns. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. Resources: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story | Print Sustainable Story | Electronic The Best Newsletter You Can Send What's your Sustainable Story? Whitney Brownie | Get YOUR Sustainable Story Featured

Since the time of the Dust Bowl, landowners have worked with Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to conserve water, improve soil, preserve natural habitat, and prevent erosion. However, it can take two to three years to secure funding to begin a sustainable initiative. Devin Best, Executive Director at the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District, and Michael Larcher, North American Solution Lead at cBrain have partnered on a new system that drastically decreases that timeframe by matching a grower's land conservation needs with grants in a database. Landowners can participate in the Sustainable Land Initiative by submitting a short form that includes their location, acres, and goals. Technical staff from the RCD will follow up with a sight visit to determine all potential conservation projects including healthy soils, cover cropping, beaver dam analogs, and carbon farm plans. Through a database, the RCD can pull a report on all landowners interested in similar projects and connect them with funding and permitting. By aggregating data, the RCD can fund more growers, advise grant agencies on what conservation programs are most effective, and spend more time helping growers on the ground. Resources: *** Register 12/6/2023 | Prepare for 2024: CA DPR Changes, Bulk Wine Trends & Funding Sustainable Projects*** 181: Can Applying Compost Reduce Water Use? 122: Preserving Agriculture Land to Combat Climate Change 58: Barn Owls cBrain Devin Best Michael Larcher on LinkedIn San Luis Obispo County Beaver Brigade Sustainable Land Initiative Upper Salinas-Las Tables Resource Conservation District Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And our guest today are Devin Best is executive director of the upper Salinas, las tablas Resource Conservation District. And Mike Larcher, who is a North American solutions and sustainability lead with a company called cBrain. And today we're going to be talking about a very interesting idea called the sustainable land initiative. Thank you both for being here. Thank you. Devin Best 0:19 Thanks for having us. Craig Macmillan 0:20 Actually, before we get into that, let's kind of set the stage for those folks that are not aware. Devin, can you tell us what is a resource conservation district? Devin Best 0:28 Sure. So a resource conservation district is a non regulatory, nonprofit local organization that works with growers and local community to help provide resources and technical assistance for their management of natural resources. Craig Macmillan 0:41 And there are RCDs throughout the state, correct? Devin Best 0:44 That's correct. There's about 95 of us or so. And they're organized around watersheds, watershed political boundaries, sometimes county boundaries. So it there's a little bit of a mix of how they're organized, but they were formed out of the dust bowl er, and some of them have combined, so you might get a little bit of those sort of things. Originally, the idea was that a federal government had the Natural Resource Conservation Service. And that was a entity that was focused in on dealing with the Dust Bowl and how to help farmers with their resource issues, but they recognize that the federal government didn't really have the best working relationship with local growers. So they formed what was originally known as soil water conservation districts, and here in California, are called RCDs, resource conservation districts, primarily same sort of mission, but they're more directed towards not just water, but also other things as well. And so California, if you look, you'll see this sort of conglomeration of some our cities have combined like ours is upper Salinas and Los Talas, this was to our cities that combined to form one but our counties actually shared by two our cities, the other one is being Coastal San Luis, our city. Craig Macmillan 1:43 And Mike, tell us what is cBrain? What does the brain do? Mike Larcher 1:47 The C brain is a process company, we specialize in redesigning processes, typically for government agencies, to make them as efficient, effective and transparent as possible, so that the government can do the work and arrive at the appropriate decisions very quickly. And so citizens get better services. Craig Macmillan 2:06 And you two are working together on this thing called the sustainable land initiative. Is that cor

The needs of the market are always changing. So are the needs and ambitions of a business. Along with those ever-changing needs are the constant development of new technology and information that can help businesses thrive. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. That's why SIP Certified brands value Always Evolving. Welcome to the final story in this year's Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members. Sustainable businesses know that in order to stay relevant and successful, they must be aware of opportunities to evolve. Progress begins with investing in our most valuable resource, the People. The people who serve your customers include everyone from the ones who craft your product to those responsible for developing your business strategy. Demonstrating your brand's ethos of Always Evolving helps everyone on your team feel inspired and empowered to continue developing their unique skills that will help your business be sustainable. There are countless opportunities for individuals in the wine industry to expand their skills and education. Read on to learn how Talley Vineyards supports all of their employees in their professional development. Always Evolving at Talley Vineyards Always Evolving as individuals and as a team ensures that everyone at Talley Vineyards is continually improving their skills and expanding their knowledge. Supervisors are encouraged to further their agriculture and vineyard education as well as their leadership skills through annual management courses – in both English and Spanish! With computers continuing to become an essential tool in today's workforce, Talley Vineyards ensures their supervisors are taught computer skills to efficiently track time and production, and to collect data. Employees of Talley Vineyards attend educational events and are offered training when they express interest in learning new skills. The physical demand and discomfort that often come with vineyard care have been lessened with the adoption of mechanization. People who work in the vineyard experience greater efficiency with far less physical load. Talley Vineyards believes that when each member of the team has a diversity of skills, the team as a whole is stronger. What's YOUR Sustainable Story? We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! We hope you've enjoyed learning about how your peers fulfill the 7 SIP Certified Values as much as we've enjoyed sharing them! Your story can be featured in next year's Sustainable Stories campaign! We are looking for a brand with an innovative approach to one of these three Values.: Water Management Safe Pest Management Energy Efficiency If you have a great Sustainable Story, we will help you tell it. Reach out to me at [email protected] with a few quick notes! We'll get your story ready to be featured in our newsletter, podcast, online course, and social media, and in magazine articles and influencer campaigns. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. Resources: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** 3 Steps to Make a Sustainable QR Tour Your Guests Will Love Business: Niner Wine Estates Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? Whitney Brownie | Get YOUR Sustainable Story Featured Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member

If you like this podcast, then you will not want to miss the premiere sustainable winegrowing event of the year – the Sustainable Ag Expo. Cliff Ohmart, Principal at Ohmart Consulting Services has helped Vineyard Team bring together the nation's top researchers to present at the Expo for a number of years. In today's podcast, you will get a preview of the topics and speakers for this year's event. Enjoy the perfect blend of in-person and online learning. Speak directly with national experts, earn over 20 hours of continuing education (including 18 hours of DPR), and explore sustainable ag vendors November 14-15, 2023, at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo California. By popular request, this year we have doubled the number of online courses so attendees can learn on-demand between October 16 and November 30. Here are some of the sessions Cliff mentions. Make sure to check out the sustainableagexpo.org for the full program: In-Person Integrating Multiple Layers of Spatial Vineyard Information into Variable-rate Management Maps Terry Bates, Cornell University Vineyard Spraying Technologies to Improve Application Efficiency for Every Grower Brent Warneke, Oregon State University Trunk Renewal for Management of Trunk Diseases Kendra Baumgartner, USDA-Agricultural Research Service Soil Health and Regenerative Management to Support the Goals of Winegrape Producers Cristina Lazcano, UC Davis; Noelymar Gonzales Maldonado, UC Davis; Charlotte Decock, Cal Poly The Importance of Areawide Controls for Mealybugs and Leafroll – Is This Cost Effective? Kent Daane, UC Berkeley Online Update on Vineyard Autonomous Equipment Michael Miller, CAWG, Director of Government Relations Nematodes affecting winegrapes: Biology and Management Dr Inga Zasada, USDA ARS Biological Control of the Glassywinged Sharpshooter and Pierce's Disease Dr. David Morgan, CDFA Current Status of the Winegrape Market Jeff Bitter, Allied Grape Growers As a listener to this podcast, take 50 off of your ticket when you use code PODCAST23 at checkout. Get your ticket at Sustainable Ag Expo.org. Resources: ***Tickets | Sustainable Ag Expo*** 53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration 90: Nematode Management for Washington Grapes 129: The Efficient Vineyard Project with Terry Bates Efficient Vineyard Madonna inn Sustainable Ag Expo Program: In-Person Online Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And with me today is Cliff Ohmart. He is a consultant with Omart Consulting in a whole variety of areas. One of the things that he's doing right now is he's helping to organize or he's organizing the program for the 2023 Sustainable Ag Expo in San Luis Obispo coming up. He's going to tell us a little bit about some of the folks and some of the topics that will be there and some things that might be of interest to you. So welcome, Cliff. Cliff Ohmart 0:22 Thank you very much, Creg. It's nice to be here with you. And I think this is a great opportunity to have this podcast before the expo so people can get an even better feel than just the website of what's coming. Craig Macmillan 0:34 Absolutely. For those who don't know, what is the Sustainable Ag Expo? Cliff Ohmart 0:38 it is a combined presentation slash trade show that the Vineyard Team has been putting on, I think, for at least 15 years now. Craig Macmillan 0:47 It's been a while. Cliff Ohmart 0:48 I's developed into quite the history, the roughly the format is there's a session in the morning from eight to 10, a half hour break for people to go out to the trade show 10:30 to noon, more presentations. Then there's lunch for people go to the trade show, then one to three, another half hour break, and then 3:30 to five. And there's only one session at the time, so people don't have to worry about missing something. Also, they're free to circulate through the trade show during the presentations if they so choose. This year, the Vineyard Team decided to change the format, which I takes I'm excited to see how this will go. So this year, it will be Tuesday, Wednesday full days as I just described that schedule. But then Monday evening, it'll be a kickoff what we're going to be doing for the feature presenter, which is Dr. Terry Bates from Cornell, he and I will be on stage for a period of time, I think half hour to an hour where we'll be in sort of an

Looking for a fun group project for the upcoming slow season? Grab your team and create a Sustainable QR Tour! Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. A Sustainable QR Tour is a unique, educational, self-guided way for your guests to learn about your brand's sustainable practices. When you create your Sustainable QR Tour, you will: 1. Showcase your sustainable attractions. 2. Explain each attraction with a short video or quick written description. 3. Bring your tour to life by posting your QR codes and making a map. By taking your Sustainable QR Tour, your visitors will: Learn about your brand's values. See sustainability in action. Enjoy an activity as they taste your sustainable wines. In this Marketing Tip, we'll walk you through all of the steps to create your Sustainable QR Tour. Step 1: Identify Your Sustainable Attractions Get your team together and talk about examples of sustainability at your property. SIP Tip: use the Sustainable Stories worksheet to get the ball rolling! Pick 5 to 10 things that can be seen and/or approached by a visitor at your property. These will be the attractions for your QR tour. Take notes about the sustainable aspects of each attraction, and why it is important to your brand. These will be used to create the content describing each attraction. Ideas to Get You Started Vineyard Attractions Vines (Value #2: Water Management) Soil and plant-based moisture monitoring devices ensure vines are irrigated when needed. Drip-irrigation systems use 20-50% less water per-acre than sprinkler systems. Owl box (Value #3: Safe Pest Management) Owls are natural predators for vertebrate pests like squirrels and gophers. Cover crop (Value #5: Habitat) Contribute to the vineyard ecosystem's biodiversity. Provide homes for beneficial insects. Prevent soil erosion. Winery/Tasting Room Attractions Solar panels/EV charging stations (Value #4: Energy Efficiency) Capturing the sun's energy means less draw from the grid. Pamphlets for charitable foundations, organizations, etc (Value #1: Social Responsibility) Socially responsible businesses give back to their communities. Your brand's Newsletter (Value #6: Business) Sustainable businesses celebrate their successes and plan for the future. 7 Values of SIP Certified table sign (Value #7: Always Evolving) SIP Certified members stay up to date with the latest sustainable winegrowing practices Step 2: Explain Each Sustainable Attraction Create Your Content Each one of your sustainable tour attractions will have its own QR code. When scanned, the code should open up either a video or a written description. Use video: Grab your phone and in two minutes or less, introduce the topic, explain its sustainable aspects, and tell the viewer why it is important to your brand. Post your videos to YouTube, or give each one a dedicated blog post on your website. Write it out: Create a blog post on your website for each of your sustainable attractions and put the information in writing. It is important that the information for each sustainable attraction is on its own page! That way, when the QR code is scanned, only the information for the appropriate attraction opens. Generate Your QR Codes Visit the published page for each sustainable attraction's content, and follow these steps to generate your QR code: Tap your mouse's right clicker anywhere on the web page. Click "Create QR code for this page." WARNING: Don't modify the link that appears under the QR code! Click the button to Download your QR code. Rename your QR code so it's easily identifiable. SIP Tip: use a name that includes the tour stop (e.g.: cover crop video) Save your QR code on your computer. Step 3: Bring Your Tour to Life Now it's time to post your QR codes at your stops, and make a map so visitors know where to find them. Print & Post Your QR Codes You will need to print your QR codes and give them a clear, protective covering to shield them from the elements. You can use a laminator, packing tape, or clear binder inserts. Or have them printed on a material that can withstand the elements. Attach them to a sturdy surface at or in view of your Sustainable QR Tour attraction. Make a Map Your visitors will want to know where to go when they embark on your Sustainable QR Tour! Your map can be hand drawn, or you can use an application like Canva, or Adobe Illustrator to make your map. On the back of the map, list out your stops in the order they appear along the path, and give a quick hint for finding the QR code. SIP Tip: Make it a Game! Create a quiz sheet for your guests, and have them complete it once they visit all of the stops. Or, encourage them to post a pict

High temperatures and extreme weather events can have numerous impacts on wine grapes and ultimately wine quality. Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Associate Professor and Extension Enology Specialist at Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Extension Service finds that changes in ripening patterns are the most common. In high heat, sugars accumulate faster, acids degrade, ripening happens earlier and the result is higher alcohol wines. The challenge is that ripening is not linear. Tannins and maturation of the seeds do not progress at the same pace. Plus, high pH causes color and flavor instability. Andreea is experimenting with verjus, the juice of green grapes. In North America, grapes from crop thinning are traditionally considered waste. However, in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, green grape juice is used in many culinary practices. Verjus has little sugar, high acidity, and low pH making it a perfect addition to unbalanced wines. Learn about her current experiment testing both red and white grape verjus against three other acidification methods. Plus, Andreea gives listeners tips on how to prevent that green pepper flavor caused by ladybug taint. Resources: 145: New Class of Compounds Linked to Smoke Taint in Wines (Podcast) 143: Can Barrier Sprays Protect Against Smoke Taint in Wine? (Podcast) Dr. Andreea Botezatu's LinkedIn page Dr. Andreea Botezatu ResearchGate Dr. Andreea Botezatu Google Scholar Malo-Lactic Fermentation in a New Climate Sustainable Wine Practices Texas A&M Facebook page Texas A&M Foundation Texas AgriLife Extension Enology YouTube Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And my guest today is Andreea Botezatu She is Associate Professor and extension enology specialist at Texas A&M University, the Texas AgriLife Service. Thanks for being our guest today. Andreea Botezatu 0:11 Thank you for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:12 We're very interested in some of the work you've been doing recently around effects of warming climates on vines and on wines. You're in enologist. In particular, you've been doing work on wine quality. That Correct? And you've been doing work in Texas, obviously. Andreea Botezatu 0:26 Yes, for the past seven years or something. Yeah. Craig Macmillan 0:30 And would you say that temperatures during the growing season in Texas overall have been increasing? Andreea Botezatu 0:35 I would Yes, the temperatures historically have been increasing. And furthermore, we see a lot more extreme weather events. So temperature records being broken, as well as like I said, extreme weather storms, winds hail, a lot of hail we, we've been having quite a bit of hail in Texas. So these can affect the process of grape growing. Craig Macmillan 0:58 Absolutely. So definitely, there's been some changes, how has this been affecting one quality, what particular parameters are being most affected? Andreea Botezatu 1:04 Right. So this is not straightforward answer for this question. Because because several things can happen when you have extreme weather events and temperatures rising. The biggest one that we see here is a changing ripening patterns. So sugar accumulation and acid degradation, they kind of change sugar tends to accumulate much faster, because of the earlier heat we tend to see earlier ripening. So earlier, harvesting sugar accumulates faster acids degrade quite a bit, the ripening is not linear anymore. So we see ripening in terms of sugar, but we don't see that in terms of tannins or aroma compounds or maturation of the seeds. So there's a bit of disconnect there. That's one thing because of the higher sugar accumulation, we tend to see higher levels of alcohols in wine, which is not necessarily a good thing. There's only so much so much alcohol that you want to have in wine that becomes overbearing and unpleasant and the wines will be unbalanced. Most importantly for us in Texas, and I'm sure for any other grape growing region that deals with high temperatures is an increase in pH because of acid degradation. We see grapes coming in with very low titratable acidity, we're talking three four grams per liter, and then pH is of four and above. Craig Macmillan 2:31 Wow. Andreea Botezatu 2:32 Yeah, yes, wow, indeed, very, very high pH is that we have to deal with as winemakers as I'm sure your audience knows high pH can cause a host of p

A successful business does more than sell a great product. Companies that embrace the Business value of sustainability treat their employees and the community with care and respect. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. This is our 200th episode of Sustainable Winegrowing! Since 2016 we have spent over 700 hours researching the attest business trends and interviewing international experts so you can learn in the time it takes to drive in-between vineyards. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this program a success and to you for listening! In addition to feeling good about doing good, businesses that practice corporate social responsibility also: Enhance customer loyalty and invite customers to share in the good feelings that come from good deeds (Forbes, 2022). Appeal to prospectus employees and strengthen current employees' satisfaction and performance (CR Strategies, 2009). Expand their network and build their company image (Forbes, 2022). Looking for ways to engage your brand with your community? Listen in to learn how the whole team at Niner Wine Estates is involved in giving back. Business at Niner Wine Estates Sharing their prosperity with the community is one of the ways Niner Wine Estates embodies the Business value of sustainability. Andrew Niner, President and CEO, is a board member of MUST! Charities, and believes in supporting the community through charitable donations. Over the last 3 years, the Paso Robles, California based winery has donated an average of $245,000 annually to charities through a linked foundation. Annual donations of $2,000 per employee go to a charity of the employee's choice, and their own personal donations are matched by the company. Staff are further involved in community support efforts through monthly meal preparations and servings to people experiencing food insecurity. Niner Wine Estates actively engages in research to ensure the long-term sustainability of the natural resources they and their neighbors rely on. They are participating in a study of local hydrology facilitated by the United States Geologic Survey. The project goal is to improve understanding of how water moves in the Adeladia Area water basin so that groundwater resources can be quantified and monitored. Good for the Community, Good for Business If you are looking for ways to get your brand involved with your community, here are a few ideas: Donate to local charity programs. Looking for a charitable cause that gives back to the wine industry? The Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship helps the children of California's vineyard and winery workers pay for higher education at trade schools and colleges. Click here to learn how to get involved. Contribute goods/services to local events. Get involved with local soup kitchens by donating food or volunteering. People want to support businesses that share their values. Are you talking about how your brand values protect the people and the planet? We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. Resources: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Business: Niner Wine Estates Marketing Tips eNewsletter Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member

Plants by nature are designed to interact with light. Satellites can measure the light reflected by plants to detect grapevine diseases before they are visible to the human eye. Katie Gold, Assistant Professor of Grape Pathology, Susan Eckert Lynch Faculty Fellow, School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section of Cornell AgriTech is trailblazing remote disease detection with imaging spectroscopy also known as hyperspectral imaging. Imaging spectroscopy was developed by NASA to tell us what Mars was made out of. By turning satellites back on Earth, Katie and a team of scientists are learning how to use the light reflected back to manage grapevine viral and foliar diseases. Listen in to the end to get Katie's number one piece of advice on the importance of data management. Resources: Alyssa K. Whitcraft, University of Maryland Disease Triangle of Plant Pathology Gold Lab Katie Gold, Cornell University Katie Gold - Twitter NASA AVIRIS (Airborne Visible and InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer) NASA Acres - applying satellite data solutions to the most pressing challenges facing U.S. agriculture NASA Emit Satellite NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Planet Labs References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 With us today is Katie Gold, Assistant Professor of Grape Pathology at Cornell AgraTech campus of the Cornell University. Thanks for being on the show. Katie Gold 0:08 Well, thanks for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:09 Today, we're going to talk about some really cool technology. I've been interested in it for a long time, and I can't wait to get an update on what all is happening. There's some really exciting work being done on using remote sensing for the detection of plant diseases. Can you tell us a little bit about what that research is about what's going on in that field? Katie Gold 0:25 Sure, what isn't going on in this field, it's a really exciting time to be here. So I guess to put into context, we're really at this precipice of an unprecedented era of agricultural monitoring. And this comes from the intersection of you know, hardware becoming accessible, the data analytics becoming accessible, but also investment, you know, a lot of talk of ag tech being the next big thing. And with that comes this interest in using these cool and novel data streams for disease detection. So my group specializes in plant disease sensing, it's our bread and butter to what we entirely focus on. And we specialize in a technology called imaging spectroscopy for disease detection. So this is also known as hyperspectral imaging. Imaging spectroscopy is the technical term. And this is a type of remote sensing that it differs from, you know, radio wave remote sensing, and it focuses on light in the visible to shortwave infrared range. Craig Macmillan 1:13 Talk a little bit more about that. So when we talk about hyperspectral, we're looking outside of the range of radiation, essentially, that's not just light. Katie Gold 1:24 So yes, and no. So hyperspectral is a word that describes how the light is being measured, kind of colloquially, we assigned to it more meaning that it actually has. That's why I often like to differentiate between it for explanation sake, what hyperspectral imaging is, when we talk about using it in the full vSphere range, these are all types of light, you know, it's all aspects of the electromagnetic radiation scale. But this spectrum of light that ranges from the visible to the shortwave infrared, this spans a range of about 2100 wavelengths. So to put that into context, we see visible light only. And this spans a range of wavelengths, that's about 300 nanometers, and went from about 450 to 750. So if you think about all the richness of radiation, the subtlety in differences in color that you see in everyday light, all of that comes from those subtle interactions of, you know, specific wavelengths of light hitting that stuff and bouncing back into our eye. So now imagine having seven times more wavelengths than that, you know, we have 2100, different wavelengths that we measure. And those wavelengths that are beyond the range that we can see the reason why we don't see them as they're less abundant, they're less emitted by our sun, but they're still present, and they still interact with the world. In particular,

In this week's Marketing Tip we will make it easy for you to regularly create content that entices, educates, and inspires your audience. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. If you've been following along with this series, you created a bank of powerful video and photo visuals last month. Today we're going to share how you can use those images on your brand's social media. If you missed the Tip, just search your podcast player for Sustainable Winegrowing podcast episode 194: The Power of Visuals: How Video and Photos Can Help Share Your Sustainable Story | Marketing Tip Monday. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to link to today's show notes. We are sharing real life social media examples from 3 SIP Certified brands and while I will do my best to describe the images, it helps to see them. Stay tuned to the end to learn how the talent behind our social media, Hayli, creates captivating Reels. How to Use Your Brand's Presence Regularly posting content on your social media keeps your brand in the eyes and minds of your followers. It's a good idea to stay active on your business's social media accounts, but the idea of constantly creating fresh content can be daunting. The good news is, there is an endless supply of content for your brand. Have you heard of food disconnect? It's a term used to describe the average consumer's lack of knowledge about where their food comes from and how it's made. When it comes to wine, most people only see the finished product in the bottle. What may seem day-to-day to you is unique and exciting to consumers. Most wine drinkers do not get to see punch downs, bud break, staff tastings, cover crops, barn owls, or bottling lines. It is all exciting! Use your brand's presence on social media to give an intimate look at all of the care that goes into taking your customers' favorite wines from the vine to the tasting room. Here are 3 examples from SIP Certified brands: 1. Enchant & Entice Villa San Juliette (@villasanjuliette) created a video mash up showing exquisite views of the vines from the tasting room, beautiful Spanish inspired architecture, the crew harvesting grapes into bins, and a table of sumptuous food and wine pairings. Each of these videos could have started out as a standalone post then combined later into one video to tempt followers to pay them a visit this season. Look at your past posts. Can you combine the images into one reel or carousel that showcases your brand? 2. Educate & Delight Anyone who follows Bon Niche Cellars (@bonnichecellars) knows that they can always count on two things from their posts: learning something new and seeing adorable animals! This post does both. The image is a close up of an adorable, fuzzy white sheep with a black nose and long ears. The caption explains how sheep are part of their sustainability program from weed abatement to soil health. Consumers love seeing and learning about animals. Talk about the gopher hunting owls, native bobcats, and friendly dogs at your property. 3. Express & Inspire Foxen Wines (@foxenwines) uses their voice on social media to express their dedication to the social component of sustainability and thank the instrumental people behind their wines. The artfully captured photo shows a hazy sky with a farmworker walking away from the camera carrying a bin of freshly harvested grapes down the vineyard row. Part of the caption reads, "At the heart of our commitment to sustainability lies Social Equity." Sustainability means taking care of our most valuable resource – the people. Talk about the organizations you donate to and how you care for your staff by providing competitive wages, comprehensive healthcare, and access to education." Hayli's Tips to Create Great Instagram Reels Have you noticed that the quality of Vineyard Team and SIP Certified's social media content has boomed this year? That's because our newest team member, Hayli, has passion and talent for creating content that is compelling and aesthetically pleasing. We asked her for her top 3 tips to create captivating Reels – these are the short videos, often featuring text and catchy tunes that you see on Instagram. Here's what she said: A Word on Reels "While I love carousels, infographics, and even simple and beautiful photos, Reels bring content to life. Reels offer a unique way to showcase content and allow viewers to feel like they're right there with us, experiencing everything in real-time." – Hayli Macomber 1. Prep-work. I always get multiple 5- to 15-second video clips during our in-person events. Capturing diverse moments is important. For example, at a Tailgate meeting, I'll take videos of the p

What makes Sour Rot so challenging for wine grape growers is that it is a disease complex. Hans C. Walter-Peterson, Viticulture Extension Specialist, Finger Lakes Grape Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension explains that Sour Rot comes in late season after ripening. Yeasts get into the berries and ferment the sugar out in the vineyard. Bacteria follow up, feasting on the alcohol, converting it into acetic acid – an unwelcome component in winemaking. And, the disease is spread rapidly by fruit flies. In this interview Hans shares methods to reduce Sour Rot disease pressure by managing increasingly resistant fruit fly populations, leafing to encourage fewer berries at fruit set, the correct way to drop fruit, and timing antimicrobial and insecticide sprays to Brix to maximize effectiveness. Cornell Cooperative Extension is trialing non-chemical control practices including UV light for sterilization and hormonal sprays plus a disease model is under development with Penn State University. Resources: 17: New Discoveries about Sour Rot – Megan Hall (Podcast) 117: Grapevine Mildew Control with UV Light - David Gadoury (Podcast) 159: Under-Vine Vegetation to Control Vine Vigor – Justine Vanden Heuvel (Podcast) Alice Wise, Cornell Cooperative Extension Control of Sour Rot via Chemical and Canopy Management Techniques Hans Walter-Peterson, Cornell Cooperative Extension Hans Walter-Peterson ResearchGate Influence of timing and intensity of fruit zone leaf removal and kaolin applications on bunch rot control and quality improvement of Sauvignon blanc grapes, and wines, in a temperate humid climate Insecticide Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is Associated with Field Control Failure of Sour Rot Disease in a New York Vineyard Managing Fruit Flies for Sour Rot Summer Bunch Rot (Sour Rot) Pest Management UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines Wendy McFadden-Smith, PhD., Ontario References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year - $50 OFF with code PODCAST23 Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Here with us today is Hans Walter-Peterson. He is a viticulture extension specialists with the Finger Lakes Grape Program, part of Cornell Cooperative Extension. Thanks for being our guest today. Hans C. Walter-Peterson 0:12 Thanks for having me. Glad to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:14 You've been doing a lot of work on a situation I'll call it called Sour Rot on grapes. And that's what we're gonna talk about today. Let's start with some basic definitions. What exactly is Sour Rot? Hans C. Walter-Peterson 0:24 So sour rot is pretty much what it sounds like. It's one of the late season rots that can afflict grapes comes in after ripening starts so much like Botrytis, bunch rot some of these other types of rots that that growers might be familiar with. So it's another version of that, but it comes along with the bonus of acetic acid, every rot kind of brings its own different compounds to the party. Sour rot brings one that really is not terribly welcome in winemaking, you know, essentially the the main component of vinegar. It's a particularly rough type of rot. We really are getting some more challenging years with it past several years. So my program has really started to focus in on what we can do to try to keep it under control. Craig Macmillan 1:09 You know, I understand that part of the issue here. Is that sour rot is a disease complex. There's multiple actors involved in all of this. Can you tell us what some of those pieces are of that complex and how they interact to create sour rot? Hans C. Walter-Peterson 1:23 Yeah, it's probably the thing that makes sour rot a more difficult thing to manage than kind of the standard diseases, the regular diseases that most growers are used to dealing with like powdery mildew, downy mildew, because those are created those are developed by one type of microbe. So if you find the one thing that can control that one microbe, you've got a control measure. With sour rot it's a like you said it's a complex of multiple organisms that bring it about. So basically, there are yeasts, the yeasts get into the berries and take the sugar that's being developed in there, and they do exactly what we use yest for in winemaking takes the sugar and turns it into alcohol. So we'd get a fermentation starting within the berries out in the vineyard. The second part of it that happens then is that there a

Variety is the spice of life! It's crucial to keep this in mind when we look at monocrops like wine grape vineyards. The good news is, SIP Certified vineyards protect natural habitat and encourage biodiversity. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Monocrops put a damper on biodiversity. They can deplete soils and put native plant and animal species out of a home. The vineyard must be thought of as its own ecosystem inside of a larger ecosystem. That's why sustainable winegrowers emphasize biodiversity in their vineyards. They preserve open space and keep portions of the property un-cropped, use native plants that beneficial insects love in their cover crops and landscaping, and maintain short- and long-term conservation plans. Protecting and regenerating habitat ensures that future generations have a healthy, thriving planet to call home. Maverick Farming, a vineyard management company in Santa Barbara that manages several SIP Certified properties, made changes to their tillage practices and noticed several benefits to their habitat. Habitat at Maverick Farming By working with the natural environment, Maverick Farming has improved their soil health, increased the number of beneficial insects, established native grasses, and saved money. This helped to improve the habitat, and it freed up funds to spend on more sustainability projects. Chad Foster, Operations Manager of Maverick Farming, says that what originally began as a way to be more effective with their budgeting, reducing tillage practices and allowing native grasses to flourish as cover crops have promoted root growth and better vine health in the vineyards they manage. These reductions in tillage encourage beneficial soil microbes and insect populations to establish themselves in these vineyards. Chad notices an uptick in lacewing and ladybugs where the cover crops have been allowed to flourish. The highly regenerative nature of native grasses makes them an excellent cover crop, as they reseed themselves when they get mowed down. This is a great example of how working with an environment's natural ecosystem can support a cultivated agricultural system. In some blocks, disking and leveling are necessary due to vertebrate pests making grounds uneven, but Maverick decided to stop tilling just to till – their land didn't have much of a need, as there weren't many erosion issues. They no longer disc after harvest, and are able to take the money that was once spent on these efforts and either save it or move it to more pressing projects. Kudos to You! Your commitment to sustainability is something to be proud of. Your brand goes above and beyond to track its progress and make improvements over time, all in the name of protecting the people and the planet. Did you know that monitoring your progress toward a goal increases the likelihood of goal success? The effect is even larger when outcomes are made public, and when information is physically recorded (Harkin et al, 2016). That's exactly what you do when you document your practices year after year through. If you aren't tracking your practices and want to, you can use the award-winning SIP Certified program to officially certify your property or as a self-assessment at no cost. "What our General Manager and Winemaker have always liked about SIP Certified is that it's audited, documented, and it focuses on continual improvement. It's been a hallmark of how they do it and forms the basis for how they train their team." – John Gayley, Hospitality Team Member, Center of Effort Kudos to you for recognizing and celebrating your sustainable wins, finding areas where you can make improvements, and looking back in time and see how far you've come. We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Habitat: Maverick Farming Marketing Tips eNewsletter Maverick Farming Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

If you want science-backed earth, water, biological, and mapping data about your land, look no further than the United States Geological Survey. Geoffrey Cromwell, Geologists at USGS at the California Water Science Center shares what this nonregulatory agency can do for growers and delves into two studies on California water basins. The USGS's mission is to investigate Earth sciences and make all research data available to the public. Studies cover floods, climate, earthquakes, volcanos, species, and geology. The Adeladia Area Hydrological Study located in San Luis Obispo County California, aims to understand how water moves in this atypical basin. Researchers are using stream gauges and monitoring wells to better understand how water flow changes seasonally and if there are differences in areas included in the project. In Northern Santa Barbara County California, the San Antonio Creek Study is developing a holistic hydrological model to support the region's Sustainable Groundwater Management Plan (SGMA). Resources: Evaluation of Groundwater Resources in the Adelaida Area of San Luis Obispo County, California Hydrogeologic Characterization of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California San Antonio Creek Hydrogeology Studies Simulation of Groundwater and Surface-Water Resources of the San Antonio Creek Valley Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California United States Geological Survey Vineyard Team Library | Water References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Geoff Cromwell, he is geologist with the United States Geological Survey at the California Water Science Center. And today we're going to talk about you guessed it, water. Thanks for being on the podcast, Geoff. Geoffrey Cromwell 0:12 Absolutely happy to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:14 Before I met you, I thought that the US Geological Survey made maps that you buy on paper. I've had many of them. And turns out, there's a lot more going on with that group. First, what is the United States Geological Survey? Geoffrey Cromwell 0:23 I also had a very limited view of the USGS even when when I started working, I also have had to do some background on my own. And I've learned quite a lot, having been with the survey of what different people do and really that overlap, then at these different intersections of science. The USGS is one of the bureaus within the Department of Interior. And so this is under the executive branch. And what is unique about the USGS, among other bureaus within Department of Interior, is that the USGS has non regulatory. And so the USGS, really the mission is to investigate earth sciences, collect data, interpret the data, and then make all those data publicly available that then other agencies, the federal or state, or local or any other entity can then make decisions or action decisions. Based on the interpretive science that the USGS puts out. There's a quote that I pulled that USGS does Science in the Public Interest, the mission is to supply timely, relevant and useful information about the Earth and its processes. And so the earth and it's processing things very, you know, brought up to go. So not only do we do mapping, so topographic maps, geologic maps, there's just a whole swath of data collection and just digital map information available, but for water, floods, climate two, there's a whole breadth there, there are currently five science missionaries for the USGS. There's the mapping group, there's the biological arm focusing on Ecosystem Science. So there's a group in San Diego that studies a lot of frogs, the reptiles down there, energy and minerals. And so where are the mineral resources for the country? What are the economic and then natural environment impacts of identifying and extracting minerals? In my mind when I think of the USGS, even as I'm in the water world, is earthquakes and volcanoes. So there's the monitoring of natural hazards? And what are the effects of life and property that could occur from these natural and natural hazards? Lastly, is the Water Resources area and that's what I'm involved with. And what the California Water Science Center is a part of in this is to evaluate and monitor and interpret water resources of the nation so that we do monitor and collect data on streamflow, groundwater, water quality, water use and availabil

97% of people start their search for a local business online (Linkedin, 2019). When someone looks up your business, what do they find? Are your images and videos up to date? Do you show what makes your brand special? Does your imagery convince searchers to pay you a visit? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Now, if you are thinking that you do not love the photos that show up when you google your business, it may be time to update your imagery! Your property is booming with interesting visuals that will entice future customers. Here are 3 categories to inspire your imagery refresh. 1. Showcase Your Values 70% of consumers want to know what the brands they support are doing to address social and environmental issues (Certus, 2019). Show them how your brand protects the people and the planet! If you've completed your Sustainable Story worksheet, half of your work is done. Grab your worksheet and your camera to create a visual version of your story. Electronic Worksheet | Printable Worksheet Here's how to show your Sustainable Story: · Focus on one value per week. Share photos and videos throughout the week or compile them into one mega-post at the end of the week. This strategy gives you nearly two months of content for your social media, blog posts, and Wine Club communications. · People love animals. Snap pics or videos of your wildlife visitors: bees, owls, butterflies, grazing sheep, or cattle. Your audience will love to see the diversity of creatures that call your property home. · Feature your vineyard manager or winemaker. Ask them to explain what's sustainable about the task they're doing, and why it's important. Helping consumers understand specific sustainable practices and why they're important can increase their willingness to pay more for a wine (Kathleen Kelley, The Pennsylvania State University, 2021)! 2. Show Them a Good Time Have you ever visited your favorite business's website only to realize the photos are outdated, or don't sufficiently capture the atmosphere you know and love? Good imagery helps people to mentally put themselves in the space, and can ease anxieties they may have over entering a new environment. Here's how to replace outdated imagery to entice visitors: · Show off your romantic fireplace, mood lit cozy chairs, or a seating area overlooking the vineyard! Winetasting is an experience. A comfortable and inviting atmosphere makes all the difference. · Hosting an event? Guests wonder how to dress and if there will be seating. Share pictures of your guests having a good time at your next event to give valuable insights to future attendees! 3. Take Them Behind the Scenes A day in the wine industry may feel ordinary to you, but it is absolutely fascinating to the average consumer! "Food disconnect" is a term used to describe the average consumer's lack of knowledge about where their food comes from. When it comes to your brand, most people only see the finished product: what's in their glass. They don't know about all of the time and careful consideration that went into its production. Here's how to show them: · Walk your audience through the block-to-bottle process with photos and videos. Create a series that spans the year, and feature each process as it happens. · Give a glimpse into a day in the life! Show topping tanks, washing barrels, scouting for pests, a busy tasting room floor, and walking through the vines. Your audience will love a behind the scenes look at one of their favorite wine brands. SIP Tip! Include the whole team in this project! Ask everyone to take pictures and videos of the things they find most interesting. You'll have tons of fresh, unique media to feature. SIP Tip #2 (because it's too good not to share)! Share your customers' photos. User generated content is about as authentic as it gets. Sharing UGC has many benefits: it gives social proof to your audience, makes the creator feel part of your community, and gives you unique content! We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff

Cliff Ohmart, Principal of Ohmart Consulting Services reflects on his 40-year career in agriculture. Cliff seeded his career with a Ph.D. in Forest Entomology from Berkley University. He worked in forestry in Australia, as a Pest Control Advisor in Chico, with the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and at SureHarvest. Cliff shares his experiences with sustainable winegrowing innovations including cover cropping, drip irrigation, solar energy, biocontrol, healthy soils, autonomous devices, and farm data management. Plus, he shares his number one tip for growers continuing on their sustainable journey. Resources: 25: Under-Vine Cover Crops 27: 50 Years of IPM 130: The Biological Control of Vine Mealybug Using Mealybug Destroyers and Anagyrus Wasps Healthy Soils Playlist Sustainable Winegrowing Self-Assessment (SIP Certified) University of California Cooperative Extension Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship – Make a Gift SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Cliff Ohmart. He is principal with Ohmart consulting services. And today we're going to talk about a little bit of perspective on what's happened in the past. And what's looking forward to in the future in the realm of sustainable wine growing sustainable crops just kind of in general. Thanks for being on the podcast, Cliff. Cliff Ohmart 0:16 You're very welcome, Craig. It's nice to be with you. Craig Macmillan 0:19 Just as full disclosure, Cliff, and I've known each other a long time. It's been really fun to see the things that he's worked on over the years, and his insights into kind of what's worked and what hasn't. So again, thanks for being on the being on the program. You've been involved in a whole variety of different crops and led different capacities over the years with different projects I've been with you see, I believe, and then also in the private sector, but how did you first get involved in this kind of thing? How did you get involved in sustainable farming? Cliff Ohmart 0:45 Yeah, I love that question. Because it wasn't deliberate at all. I was very deliberate in my education, I wanted to be a professor of forest entmology. So I got a degree a bachelor's degree in Forestry and Forest entomology and a PhD in forest entomology. And so basically, since it wasn't delivered, but unbeknownst to me, I got a very comprehensive education especially as undergrad in biology ecology, to pretty intensive program at the College of Forestry, Syracuse, and then going to grad school, again, insect ecology, Plant Pathology, things like that. And then I wanted to be a research scientist at a university. So the only job going at the time I got out was actually in Australia. So I spent 13 years as a researcher in forest entomology and again, but don't to me, all of this was really giving me a very, very solid background to get into ag. My family and I, after living in Australia for 10 years, to make a difficult decision to want to come home. And so I had two fellows that I went to grad school with who started an IPM company in Chico, California. Going to Berkeley for a PhD get a very strong background in integrated pest management. So IPM people, and that's how I got into ag and I was a pest control advisor for seven years. It was a very unusual company in that three PhDs doing PCA work. Craig Macmillan 2:15 That is unusual. Cliff Ohmart 2:16 Yeah, working, especially in the 1980s, early 90s is when I worked with them. So we were really out there, independent PCA company. So we charge for our services, we didn't sell products, the thing was that they are very big IPM guys, we worked in orchard crops, and we are all entomology type. So both insects and disease management, especially in almonds, had a great IPM program for almonds. So then being there led to a contract with the Lodi Winegrape commission to help them write a grant. And then if they got the grant, we would administer the grant for them in helping them develop their integrated pest management program for winegrapes. So we got the money, and I ended up in charge of that project. Interestingly, being such having such a strong background in pest management, I quickly realized compared to the crops I've worked on wine grapes at the time really didn't have, which I would what I would consider challenging pest management issues. Of course there was powerdy mildew, which people in Lodi were managing very well made sulfu

With heightened awareness of climate change, pollution, and environmental depletion, it's no surprise that nearly 6 in 10 consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impacts (IMB Institute for Business Value, 2020). Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Energy efficiency is about using less fuel and energy to perform the same tasks and get the same results. When a business makes energy-efficient changes, they combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. There are several ways a sustainable wine business can make energy-efficient improvements. Read on to learn how at Center of Effort, many small changes around the winery compounded to have a massive impact on their overall energy use. Energy Efficiency at Center of Effort The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Center of Effort sees this clearly when they look at the tremendous energy expense savings they have realized since making Energy Efficient improvements around their winery: · Energy time-of-use adjustments on their cooling system, wastewater aerators, and other heavy energy usage equipment. · Implementing night-air cooling of barrel rooms and case goods storage areas to minimize HVAC use. · Investing in a small chiller enabling them to bring tank temperatures down on select tanks rather than the entire plant down. · Installing a quickdraw door to address insulation loss. These are just a few of the areas in which they took action to reduce their energy demand. "A lot of the changes were pretty simple and had varying impact, but all together it compounded into very meaningful differences," says Kevin Bargetto, Associate Winemaker at Center of Effort. He continues, "With these changes, our entire winery facility, tasting room and offices are entirely solar-powered. In fact, we are running net negative, meaning we are even sending generated power back to the grid!" Their solar project went live back in 2016, and Nathan Carlson, Winemaker and General Manager, says that it "showed 100% ROI over 4 years, no problem." Your brand contributes to a higher standard of wine business through its sustainable practices. You can take pride in the way your brand protects the people and the planet. When you tell your customers what it takes to make a sustainable wine, they will share in that satisfaction. We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

Looking for a tool to help you make irrigation and Nitrogen application decisions? How about one that will not cost you anything? Michael Cahn, Farm Advisor, Irrigation and Water Resources at the University of California Cooperative Extension in Monterey County explains a valuable software for farmers – CropManage. This free software from the University of California combines a wide variety of data inputs to help growers make accurate and timely irrigation and fertilization decisions based on crop-specific models. The tool aggregates data from the University of California at Davis Soil Web, weather stations, evapotranspiration, and satellite imagery. Plus, it can be integrated with a farmer's existing software. CropManage has been ground-truthed in more than 30 field trials. While the product started in lettuce, it has expanded into vineyards. Your vineyard can be a beta tester to help improve this software for the wine industry. Resources: 115: Examining Plant Nutrient Mobility with SAP Analysis 116: Using Nudge Theory to Improve Irrigation Practices 139: Vineyard Irrigation Scheduling Adapting wine grape production to climate change through canopy architecture manipulation and irrigation in warm climates CropManage "CropManage CropManage Application for Vineyard Irrigation Decision Support." 73rd American Society of Enology and Viticulture National Conference, San Diego CA Michael Cahn's email Monterey County UC Cooperative Extension Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship – Make a Gift SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Michael Cahn. He is Farm Adviser in irrigation and water resources with UC Cooperative Extension Monterey County. But he also works in other counties as well, as I'm sure we'll talk about. And today we're going to talk about a system a decision assistance system for a whole variety of crops called CropManage, which is free and available online. And I've been following for quite a few years. In fact, he was a speaker at one of our Sustainable Ag Expos a few years back, and at the time, I was like, this is the coolest thing ever. And I can't wait to see how it develops. Welcome. Michael Cahn 0:29 Well, thank you for inviting me. Craig Macmillan 0:31 So first of all, what exactly is CropManage? Well, it Michael Cahn 0:35 is an online decision support tool that's sort of in a nutshell is how we describe it. It's essentially software that takes information from different sources, puts it through some crop models, and provide some recommendations on how long to irrigate your crops. It also for a number of crops, provides decision support on nitrogen management. Craig Macmillan 1:03 How did this all come about? This was a really interesting project, there's a lot that goes into it, what was the genesis, the idea behind this? Michael Cahn 1:09 The start of CropManage was in lettuce a number of years ago, we're trying to help growers be more efficient in nitrogen management. Nitrogen, as most of you know, in its mineral form, which would be mostly nitrate, is very mobile in the soil. So it seems like if we're going to manage nitrogen accurately, then we also have to manage water. So they go to hand in hand in hand. Of course, I work in irrigation water management. So I also had the interest in just using water efficiently on the Central Coast, because of our limited water supplies. You know, we could use nutrients more efficiently and water more efficiently if we had some sort of decision support tool. When I started working with the vegetable growers. I often asked them, you know, how are you making decisions on irrigation? How long to irrigate when to irrigate? And you get a variety of answers. But essentially, it came down to the experience of branch managers in irrigation farming, sort of passing that information down from one irrigator to another irrigator. One farm manager do another farm manager. And by the way, this happens at vineyards too, you know, so the question was, well, okay, are they you're getting efficiently. And so, as I started out as a farm advisor, my first question was, how do we measure how much water we apply, you have to remember back when I started, wasn't so easy. The flow meters we had available for these propeller meters, they're often inaccurate. And then to record derogations, there was no output, you couldn't hook them up to a little computer or data logger. So that came

It's here! The simple yet powerful tool to help you and your staff tell your Sustainable Story – the brand new, 30-minute online training course. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. When asked about the importance of sustainability in a variety of industries, over 80% of respondents said it's important in food and beverage, according to Morning Consult's 2022 Sustainability Report. Sustainability is being talked about more and more these days. We hear from our members that they don't always know how to communicate sustainability effectively. That is why we have created the Sustainable Story online course so that you can learn what it means to be sustainable, how sustainability adds value to your wine, and how you can use storytelling to sell more wine. At the end of this 30-minute course, you will have written 7 examples of sustainable practices unique to your band. These themes are based on SIP Certified's 7 values: Social Responsibility, Water Management, Safe Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, Habitat, Business and Always Evolving. To inspire you, we share a variety of examples of each value plus a story from a SIP Certified Member. Use your Sustainable Story during your tastings, sales calls and meetings, newsletters and Wine Club handouts, social media, and even during casual conversation when you're talking about where you work. We encourage you to complete this course as a team so bring together your viticulturalists, wine maker, general manager, sales, marketing, and tasting room staff. Knowing what makes your brand, specifically, sustainable, will help elevate your customer experience, and can even help increase your sales. Sign up for the course to learn how! Getting started is easy, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story in the show notes to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story! Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: *** Tell Your Sustainable Story Online Course *** Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards SIP Smart Training online course Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

RNA Interference, known as RNAi, is a biological process that leads to the silencing of gene expression. A lot of plant viruses are RNA viruses including grapevine leafroll-associated virus and grapevine red blotch virus. Yen-Wen Kuo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis is researching ways to induce RNAi in grapevines to target virus. Growers may have heard of double-stranded RNA sprays which are intended to initiate RNAi. The challenge has been that double-stranded RNA breaks down quickly in the elements. The Kou lab is working to improve this process and look for alternatives that will have little impact on the ecology. Resources: 71: New Techniques to Detect Grapevine Leafroll Disease 131: Virus Detection in Grapevines Abstract: Development of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Infiltration of Infectious Clones of Grapevine Geminivirus A Directly into Greenhouse-Grown Grapevine and Nicotiana benthamiana Plants Kuo Laboratory – Plant Virology Maher Al Rwahnih, Foundation plant services RNA-Based Vaccination of Plants for Control of Viruses Yen-wen Kuo's Google Scholar page Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing Education On-Demand (Western SARE) – Sign Up! Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Yen-Wen Kuo. And she is Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at UC Davis. I'm Craig Macmillan, your host, and I'm very excited to have Dr. Koh here with us today. Welcome. Yen-Wen Kuo 0:11 Thank you for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:13 So you've been doing some interesting work the lab on interference RNA, and also how it affects plant viruses and possibly insects in the future. Can you explain for those of us that did not take genetics like we were supposed to in college, what interference RNA is and how it works? Yen-Wen Kuo 0:29 Sure. So RNA interference is a biological process in which certain types of RNA RNAs can trigger RNA interference. And then once it's triggered, it will produce specifics more RNAs, that can regulate gene expression, by degrading or binding to the target RNAs containing a homologous sequence containing a similar sequence of those small RNAs. So this is a general concept of RNA interference, we also call it RNAi is very complicated the whole process. And there are different pathways and mechanisms included in the RNA interference. RNAi is a primary and effective antiviral defense in plants, but also found in some fungi and insects and lower eukaryotes. And because of all these different mechanisms, scientists and researchers, they they work on different aspects of this mechanism for either plants or animals. And they're also looking for different potential and better ways to use RNAi for different applications. Craig Macmillan 1:45 So if I understand correctly, you have cell and there is DNA in that cell, and there's genes that code for certain things. And so the RNA is was transmitting or was carrying information from that's encoded with the gene out into the world to do something, is that a fair explanation? Yen-Wen Kuo 2:05 So the genome there in plants or animals and human is their DNA genomes is DNA, and then the DNA will transcribed into RNA. And those RNA, some of the messenger RNAs can translate into proteins. So it's a how the central dogma from DNA makes RNA and then RNA makes protein. In the old days, we thought that oh, the protein is the important things because the protein can have different functional, different functions in different ways to to regulate everything in the body or in different organisms. But then afterwards, we found that actually RNAs they have many different forms and they can function at the RNA level. So it can interfere with gene expressions and many different things. Craig Macmillan 3:03 And how does this apply to plant viruses because you've done some really exciting work with Gemini viruses, I believe with grapevine virus a Tell me a little bit about that work and how that works. Yen-Wen Kuo 3:15 A lot of plant viruses, they are RNA viruses, a lot of those devastating viruses in grapevines, for example, grapevine leaf roll associated virus or grapevine red blotch virus they. So grapevine leaf roll associated viruses and RNA virus and grapevine red blotch is DNA virus. So there are different types of viruses. And so my work is trying to use different viruses making them into viral vectors to induce RNAi in Grapevine plants, to ta

The proportion of regular wine drinkers willing to pay more for sustainable wine has significantly increased in the past two years (IWSR, 2022). Your customers will only know that your wine was made sustainably if you tell them! Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Using storytelling to share with your customers the specific things your brand does that are sustainable and why they are important (i.e. telling your Sustainable Story) helps make it clear that yours is a business that truly walks the walk when it comes to caring for the people and the planet. It builds an emotional connection and fills gaps in consumer knowledge of sustainability. Plant and animal pests are a common issue for all winegrowers. Read on to learn how in an effort to conserve water and promote plant health, Jean-Pierre Wolff of Wolff Vineyards discovered a unique pest mitigation strategy! Safe Pest Management at Wolff Vineyards In 2017, Jean-Pierre Wolff decided that rather than replanting his vines on the same rootstocks, he would convert to drought-resistant rootstocks and plant them three feet into the ground. Deriving inspiration from an African palm farming technique, Jean-Pierre uses PVC pipes to deliver water and nutrients directly to the root zone. There is no wait time for the nutrients to be pushed to the roots, and no water is wasted through parts of the soil that contain no roots. Along with the tremendous water savings resulting from his deeply planted vines and subsurface irrigation technology, Wolff has discovered an "indirectly obvious" benefit - fewer weeds! Since water and fertilizer are applied through PVC pipes that lead directly to the root systems 3-feet underground, native and noxious weeds with shallow roots can't access these resources, and therefore can't thrive. Vertebrate pests have also had little success in establishing themselves in these areas since they don't typically dig to the depths at which the roots lie. Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Download the brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what like-minded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling P.S. We have a brand-new online course coming soon! In just a few weeks, you and your staff will have access to a free 30-minute Sustainable Story training that will teach you how to explain sustainability, coach you through writing your own Sustainable Story, and show you how talking about your good work can help sell more wine. Stay tuned. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, to see the consumer segment infographic, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Safe Pest Management: Wolff Vineyards Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

When it comes to labor and employment, the best thing that you can do is be proactive, says Anthony P. Raimondo, Attorney, and Founder of Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation. Anthony covers the importance of accurate, individualized timekeeping, not just a work schedule. Today, there is software that supports both employers and employees. Right from your tablet or smartphone, you can track clock ins and outs, verify that the employee received their breaks, and even provide telehealth. Anthony provides an update on current union laws, what you need to know whether you use a management company or farm labor contractor, and how growers of any size can stay up to date with recent laws. Resources: REGISTER: 7/14/2023 Pre-Harvest Safety: Train-the-Trainer Amendments to California Agricultural Bargaining Process Per Governor's Agreement with Unions California Alters Union Process for Agricultural Workers Raimondo Miller A Law Corporation References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And with us today is Anthony Raimondo, he is an attorney and founder of the law firm of Raimondo and Miller in Fresno, California. And we're going to talk about some legal and regulatory things that are affecting growers all over the nation in the west coast and local states. Thanks for being here, Anthony. Anthony Raimondo 0:15 Thank you for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:17 You've been interviewed and have written and have appeared widely and have had a number of interesting insights. And there are a couple of things that I picked up on from looking at when your interview is that I really for me, it spoke to me personally, because I was in the vineyard side of things for a long time. And that's the issue of timekeeping. I'd love to talk a little bit about the kind of exposure legal exposure that a grower might have around timekeeping, which on the surface sounds like a very simple thing and in the field turns out not to be a very simple thing. And also what kind of practices a grower might get into trouble for what some ways growers can protect themselves? What kind of what kind of experience do you have in this topic? Anthony Raimondo 0:49 It's something that we deal with quite a bit, we deal with both the compliance aspect of things kind of that front end planning of how do we do things to stay out of trouble. But we also deal with the defense side, a lot of the litigation that's going on right now is class action or collective action litigation, where you have one or a couple of workers who stand in for the entire workforce, over a period of years alleging a range of different wage and hour type violations. And a lot of those things really come down to timekeeping. Craig Macmillan 1:22 Gotcha. Now, what we used to do back in the day was people would show up, and the management would show up, and we had a clipboard with an eight and a half by 11 piece of paper. And we sign people in and check them off. And then we basically looked at our watches and said, Okay, we're starting at 9:05. And then everyone at work, then we check what time we came back for lunch, etc. It seems like that would work perfectly well. But we did have some issues with folks along the lines that that kind of disputed how accurate that was, or those are the kinds of things that get people kind of in trouble kind of backward, or what's the source of some of these complaints? Anthony Raimondo 1:56 Well, those things have for a long time been in place and have for a long time have been an issue and a lot of it comes down to accuracy. So when you have what we call a daily cruciate, which is very traditional way of keeping a field where like you say, on a clipboard or something similar, we have a list of people's names. And you know, maybe the upper right corner, we have a start time and a stop time and everybody's name gets filled in on that list, with the total number of hours. And if there's piecework what units they produced at, et cetera. Well, way back in time, one of the very first lawsuits I dealt with in my career in agriculture was in a table grape operation, where they had a similar method of timekeeping. But what they actually did is they would cut the bottom off of one of the grape boxes, and the former for the crew would flip that over and draw a grid on the back of it, write, everybody's name on it, and would write the in and out types, as well as grid information and the total hours for each worker.

Not all wine tasters are alike - a major understatement. As traffic ebbs and flows in tasting rooms, it's evident that interests, price points, and preferences differ. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. In the tasting room you get a wide variety of customers. There's the outgoing couple that wants to know all the details of wine production. There is the lone taster on vacation with a notebook who just makes his own tasting notes. And naturally, there's the group of friends who get a little boisterous and lose interest when the tasting room host talks about technical attributes of the wine. Wine Intelligence recently published a study outlining six distinct consumer segments in wine. It's important to know how to talk to each of them about sustainability. 1. Engaged Explorers: Young, fun, ready for adventure and super into trying new wines, regions, and producers. These are consumers who like to travel to wine regions and are likely to spend more. SIP Talk: Talk about sustainability vs. organic and biodynamic. They'll appreciate the knowledge! 2. Premium Brand Suburbans: These folks skew older, know what they like and know a lot about wine. They're usually not big spenders, but in wine country can be die-hard loyalists at any price. SIP Talk: Get technical and talk about how fruit quality is measured- Brix, pH, and TA. They'll dig the attention to detail! 3. Contented Treaters: They don't drink a ton, but when they do, they don't care how much it costs and are looking for an engaging origin story to tell at one of their fabulous cocktail parties. SIP Talk: Stick to casual cocktail talk and discuss fun elements of sustainable vineyards like using owls and other integrated pest management practices. 4. Social Newbies: They're young, new to wine and relying heavily upon recommendations and valued information. SIP Talk: Stick to the three Ps of sustainability- People Planet, Prosperity. They'll love this 360° approach and be able to pass it along with confidence. 5. Senior Bargain Hunters: The largest segment of wine drinkers in the USA, they appreciate value. SIP Talk: Value-driven sustainable initiatives like monitoring utility usage and recycling programs. 6. Kitchen Casuals: Very infrequent wine drinkers who rarely stray from what they know and are not as interested in wine as they are in other beers and spirits. SIP Talk: Stick to the basics of what sustainability is and how drinking SIP Certified wine is a win for the people and environment. Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Download the brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet. This simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what likeminded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling For those of you who are SIP Certified, check your mailbox. Just in time for the summer winetasting season, we have mailed you table signs featuring a graphic of the 7 Values of SIP Certified plus a QR code to "read this month's Sustainable Story". Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, too see the consumer segment infographic, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team Wine Customer Segments and How to Talk SIP With Them

As a wine producer, you owe it to yourself to talk about your sustainable practices as much as you can. Amanda Wittstrom Higgins, Principal at Full Cup Solutions explains that you never know what unique story about your brand will engage your next consumer, trade account, team member, or press writer. Use video and photos to capture specific practices including cover cropping, reusing barrels, and community donations. With a bank of digital collateral, you can easily bring practices to life online. Amanda shares simple and effective staff training tools, how to quickly build rapport with clients, and why sharing your story makes you stand out in the marketplace. Resources: 82: Getting to Know Your Wine Customer 104: How to Tell Your Story on Instagram 132: Are you Talking About your Sustainability Efforts? | Marketing Tip Monday 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 176: What's your Sustainable Story? | Marketing Tip Monday Amanda's Instagram Amanda's LinkedIn page Dream Big Darling - Amanda's non-profit Full Cup Solutions Full Cup Solutions Instagram Wine Speak Paso Seasons of Sustainability – SIP Certified SIP Certified Eco-Chart SIP Certified Marketing Tips e-Newsletter Sustainable Story Worksheet - Electronic | Print References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Today our guest is Amanda Wittstrom Higgins she is the Principal of Full of Cup Solutions. And we're gonna be talking about sustainability communication for wineries and vineyards. Thanks for being on the show, Amanda. Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:10 Oh, I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me, Craig. Craig Macmillan 0:13 First of all, tell us a little bit about what you do. What is Full Cup Solutions do? Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:16 Thanks for asking Craig Full Cup Solutions is a strategic advising company aimed at elevating agriculture and the beverage industry, I work with companies to help uncover their greatest gifts and tell their stories to customers and partners, all while making their company more efficient from an operational perspective is really just coming in and acting as an advisor. Craig Macmillan 0:39 So what roles do sustainability efforts play within a company and beyond considering resources? So you're coming in and you're helping people kind of find ways of kind of telling their story is kind of how I understand it. A lot of companies are doing things internally, what's the benefit? Or what are the roles of things to take it outside the company? Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 0:56 It's a great question. So sustainability is a really important element of most companies. And I think I've grown up as a farmer and worked in the wine and beverage industry for the last 15 years, both on a national scale as well as direct to consumer. And I think that there's a real opportunity for brands to stand out in the marketplace, through sharing their stories of sustainability, you can stand out in the marketplace, you can stand up to prospective employees, and really just stand out as a farming community, which I think is really, really important. You have to remember that close to 20% of wine consumers live in five metropolitan areas. So the majority of the world Craig Macmillan 1:42 Wow! Amanda Wittstrom Higgins 1:42 It's pretty crazy. And actually close to 50% live in 25. metropolitan areas. So it's really interesting when you think about it, from a consumer perspective how little most people know about farming. And when we talk sustainability, Craig, especially at the Vineyard Team, and for SIP, it's not just farming practices, you know, it's social responsibility, its economic viability, it's a very holistic approach, which I love, and I think is very encompassing of great business. Beyond simply conserving and those resources, I think that there's huge advantages for companies to talk about what they do, not only in the field, but within their own communities. And for the industry at large. I like to look at it as an overlap between social and environmental progress, and financial gain. It's a shared values opportunity, where you can do good things and still have a direct impact on your company, as well as the community. Craig Macmillan 2:43 I think you actually I've kind of already moved into this, but I know that you like to talk about the farming aspect of things you come from a farming background. And obviously, folks that live in these more urban metropolitan areas really do

While consumers name food and beverage as one of the most important industries when it comes to sustainability, more than 1 in 4 US adults said they don't know what makes a product sustainable (2022 Morning Consult, What Sustainability Means to Consumers). There is a need for consumer education on sustainability, and this is a great opportunity for your brand! Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. You can help educate your customers by sharing specific things that your brand does to be sustainable. Build a bond over your mutual care for the health of the people and the planet! Sharing your practices is easy. Just reference the Sustainable Story worksheet! The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Plus, we are inspiring you by sharing what likeminded brands are doing to care for the people and the planet. As a vineyard and winery on California's Central Coast, Shale Oak embraces Water Management as a top sustainability initiative. Here is just one of the things they do to help conserve water. Water Management at Shale Oak One of California's biggest sustainability concerns is water. In 2022, about 75% of California was declared to be in a severe drought. Shale Oak addresses this critical resource concern by using their tasting room and winery roof to capture rainwater. This water is stored in five 100k-gallon water cisterns atop their hill, and is used throughout the year to deficit irrigate their 5-acre vineyard and maintain landscaping during the drier months. Deficit irrigation is a water management strategy that helps limit water usage by being very meticulous with watering schedules. Shale Oak relies on mother nature to supply the vast majority of the water used at their operation, and they are able to give the vines supplemental irrigation at critical stages during their life cycle. Sustainability is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot these days, but what does it really mean? Shale Oak believes that true sustainability is implementing farming practices that can be passed down for generations to come – practices that will keep their great-great-grandchildren in business, too! Shale Oak helps to lessen the demand on California's water supply by reducing the amount of water they need to pump into their vineyard. Proudly telling their Sustainable Story surrounding Water Management practices helps their customers know that they are supporting a business that cares about protecting natural resources, and inspires their peers and future generations to follow suit! Does Your Team Know Your Sustainable Story? Need an easy way to help your team talk about your sustainable practices? Use the Our Sustainable Story worksheet! Go through the worksheet as a team and you will walk away with 7 specific sustainable practices to talk about during tastings and sales calls, use in your marketing and wine club material, and so much more! Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, read an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Shale Oak's story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Sustainable Story Worksheet | Print Sustainable Story Worksheet | Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team Water Management: Shale Oak

The three pillars of regenerative farming are soil health, animal welfare, and social wellness. This podcast brings together interviews with two farmers who are exploring regenerative agriculture practices: Caine Thompson, Managing Director at Robert Hall Winery and Sustainability Lead at O'Neill Vintners and Distillers plus Clint Nelson, Director of Vineyard Operations and Grower Relations at Bonterra Organic Estates. Caine and Clint explore the challenges and benefits of going nearly no-till from under vine weed cultivation to using rubber skids to reduce compaction to improve soil health. They also share the many benefits of our favorite living lawnmowers, sheep. Not only do these animals aid with weed management and fertilization, but they are also critical to fire suppression. Listen in to hear both their experienced farmer's advice on how to bring more regenerative practices into your operation. Resources: REGISTER | Investigating Regenerative Practices in a Production Vineyard | June 16, 2023 92: Regenerative Agriculture 107: How Grazing Sheep Can Benefit Your Vineyard 114: Designing a Vineyard for Year-Round Sheep Grazing 163: Onsite Compost Production Using Vineyard Waste Bonterra Bonterra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Bonterra Estate Chardonnay 2021 Caine Thompson's LinkedIn Profile Caine Thompson interviews biodynamic consultant Philippe Armenier (26-minute YouTube video) ROA Website Sustainability Initiatives at O'Neill Vintners and Distillers References: Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Caine Thompson 0:00 Our guest today is Clint Nelson. He's director of vineyard operations and grower relations for Bonterra organic estates. And we're gonna talk about regenerative organic agriculture today, and the certificate, the rock, the ROC. Thanks for being on the show, Clint. Clint Nelson 0:12 Hey, Greg, happy to be here. Looking forward to talking some organics with you. Caine Thompson 0:16 Here with me today is Caine Thompson. He is managing director Robert Hall Winery and sustainability lead. With O'Neill, vintners and distillers. Welcome to the podcast. Caine. Thank you. Great to be here. Let's just start with some basics. What is regenerative organic agriculture? Clint Nelson 0:33 Great question. I would say it's very similar to our traditional CCOF certificate or the organic certificate that we we now consider our stay. But the one of the biggest differences between going from traditional organics to regenerative organics is a few changes in animal welfare. So we're looking out for the animals that were hurding and grazing on our vineyards. And that's one of the pillars in the certificate. In addition to that, there's a social equity component, where we're looking at the well being of not just our internal employees and how they're treated and making sure that they have fair compensation for the work and also a nice work life balance, but also the region as a whole or the community as a whole, I should say and how our farming operations are impacting the area that we work with. That's really the additions to this certificate program compared to CCOF from a pillar aspect like something that's new, different. When you look at the farming side of this certificate program compared to traditional organic certificates, the biggest change or one of the most drastic changes depending on your farming techniques, is going from tillage to non till and looking at soil health, and doing infield soil tests to check the porosity or the drainage or the organic matter and things like that. And so that can be a challenge for a lot of traditional farmers that are used to tilling either every row or every other row for weed management or irrigation, conservation and their ideas. But for us, it's something that we've we've taken on and we're excited about what we're seeing anecdotally increases and things like organic matter and overall soil health. And also reduction in cover cropping. You know, once you go from tilling to non till your seed can start to reseed itself. And so you have less passes and your cover crop applications and, and all kinds of neat benefits that we're happy to take advantage of. Craig Macmillan 0:35 So no till I talked to people all the time about this is a very important topic. And when I talk to the scientists, they're like, man, do not till your setting to set the system back to zero, you're feeding microbes that are there, and then they die because there'

Your website is the hub for your brand's core information: location, history, shop, and more. It's where people come to learn more about what you have to offer and why they should support your business. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. By highlighting your dedication to sustainability you create a deeper connection with your website visitors. When your visitors read about the conscious care that goes into producing your wines, they can feel good about supporting a system of winemaking that helps protect the people and the planet. Here are two easy places to share your Sustainable Story on your website. Dedicate a Page to Sustainability Put your commitment to sustainability front and center by dedicating an entire page to your certification! Here are three great examples of how brands have included sustainably no their website. 1) WaterFire has added SIP Certified right to their main navigation on their home page. This page exhibits a colorful infographic, and tells visitors what their certification means. 2) Cambria looks at sustainability not as a checklist, but as a way of being. Their Keeping it Real – 100% Certified Sustainable page offers six specific sustainable metrics so visitors know what sustainability really looks like. 3) Laetitia Vineyard & Winery goes a step further by embedding a video on their Sustainability page. During his 2-minute narration, Eric Hickey, Senior Winemaker and General Manager, tells visitors a quick story about the history of the vineyard, and gives a few examples of sustainable practices that are used today. Blog Posts 1) Ancient Peaks has created an easy to find category for all things Sustainability on their extensive blog page. Complete with a downloadable Sustainability in Practice at Ancient Peaks Winery sheet, this post gives a sampling of six sustainability initiatives that embody their love for the land. 2) Just Enough Wines recently made a blog post highlighting how they source grapes grown through Sustainable Winegrowing Practices. When readers see Just Enough Wines on the shelf, they'll remember that sustainability is one of their core values. 3) Hope Family Wines uses their blog to help educate visitors on what sustainability means. A read through their blog post, Sustainable Wine vs Organic Wine, explains how both programs support a system of winegrowing that helps the planet. They're coming! Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members Ready for some Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified members? In the next Marketing Tip, learn what Shale Oak Winery does to address one of California's biggest sustainability concerns through their responsible Water Management practices. Use the Sustainable Story worksheet to help you identify the ways your brand embodies the 7 sustainable values: Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Vina Robles' story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Sustainable Story Worksheet for Print Sustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Social Responsibility: Vina Robles Vineyard Team

The health of a grapevine starts at ground level – literally in the soil. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is helping farmers improve the quality of their soils through the Healthy Soils Initiative. Taylor Jones, Ph.D., Director of Viticulture at Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards used his funding as an opportunity to study the effects of compost. After completing two three-year trials in six different soil types in two American Viticulture Areas, Taylor found that compost additions significantly increased organic matter, Reduced Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium usage by 35 percent, and decreased water use dramatically. Listen in to hear the only downside to increasing the use of compost on your vineyard. References: 149: Fair Market Trade: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Grapevines 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 163: Onsite Compost Production Using Vineyard Waste 165: Become a Microbe Farmer: Make Compost 167: Use Biochar to Combat Climate Change California Department of Food and Agriculture's Healthy Soils Initiative Compost Benefits and Quality for Viticultural Soils Compost use in premium vineyard development Dierberg Vineyard Taylor Jones LinkedIn Tyler Jones: [email protected] Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - DONATE SIP Certified Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Here with me today is Taylor Jones. He's Director of Viticulture at Star Lane in Dierberg Vineyards. And we're gonna talk about some soil health projects that he's got going. Thanks for being on the podcast. Taylor Jones 0:10 Yeah. Thanks for having me. Craig Macmillan 0:12 I just learned about this recently, and you talked about a little bit in the vineyard team tailgate meeting that got me interested, you have more than one thing going on? Is that right? Yeah, yeah, we do. And these projects are funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils program. Is that right? Taylor Jones 0:25 Yes, that's correct. Craig Macmillan 0:27 We'd love to chat about that part of it a little bit later. But right now, I really want to know what you're doing. How many projects, what are they about? What are you trying to find out? Taylor Jones 0:33 We have two projects, we were awarded two different grants, one for each of our vineyard properties that we have. So we have one healthy soils project over in Santa Rita Hills that started in 2018. And it's a three year program. And then we have another project that's healthy soils program at our Star Lane Vineyard in Happy Canyon, AVA and over their three year project also. And that one started in 2020, I believe. So we just hit our final year, this this last year. So yeah, to two different projects. And essentially, we're the states paying us to put compost down and improve our soil health. So we're jumping on that and trying to see what actually happens in the vineyard after compost has been applied. Since we're getting all of this compost from CDFA. It's we're going to use the money that we're saving on the compost to kind of do some some studies and see what's actually being impacted in our vineyard soils. Craig Macmillan 1:30 So talking about the Star Rita AVA, project. Taylor Jones 1:33 Over at Santa Rita hills, we have Drum Canyon vineyard, and over there we were awarded, it was 35 acres of compost applications, we had six tons per acre. For three years, over the three year span, we had 18 tons per acre put down down over there what we did, we tried to, as best we could make an experiment, you know, it's kind of hard to make a proper randomized trial. In a field when you're doing compost applications with your normal operations, we try to apply compost in all the areas that we could in our vineyard and while leaving a few barrier rows that we could do tests. And so we had, for example, we'd have 10 rows applied with compost, and then a few rows, no compost so that we could test those rows separately see what's going on. Are there changes in organic matter? Are we seeing changes in compaction, all the good stuff that comes with soil, so testing soils for nutrition, microbial populations, and then also water, I think water is the big thing. So that's how we set everything up on the property, we have five or six different soil types that we apply conference to and in each soil type, we did our own measurements there. And we were able to have soil moisture probes in most areas so that we could utilize those to help with some data. We really saw a lot of benefits from putting the compost down. I mean, we're in you're entering our sixth year af

While telling your sustainable story serves a practical purpose in educating consumers about the real-world impact of your sustainable practices, it also goes deeper than that: it builds meaningful emotional connections. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. The brand-new Sustainable Story worksheet is a simple yet powerful free tool that helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. Simply download the worksheet linked in the show notes, complete it with your whole team, and keep following along with this podcast series to learn how to incorporate your story into every aspect of your marketing and sales. Today we share why messaging around social equity is important to your customers and you'll hear how Vina Robles embodies social responsibility. About 70% of the decisions we make are based on emotional factors (Gallup 2022). Build emotional connections over shared values with your customers by telling your sustainable story. When you do this, you are reminding your customers that at the same time that they are appreciating a great glass of wine, they are also supporting a system of winemaking that cares for the people and the planet. Social Responsibility at Vina Robles Did you know that planting a tree can be as easy as enjoying a bottle of wine? It can be when you buy a bottle of Vina Robles' the Arborist! In their partnership with One Tree Planted and the Arbor Day Foundation, Vina Robles dedicates a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of the Arborist that is sold to plant trees. Since the program began in the year 2000, nearly 33,000 trees have been planted thanks to these organizations and every person who purchases a bottle of the Arborist. This partnership is a natural extension of the winery's passion for trees and sustainable viticulture. The oak tree depicted on the bottle of this red blend represents the Legacy Oak – a 300+-year-old oak tree rooted on the estate Jardine Vineyard. The wine is dedicated to Vina Robles' founder, Hans Nef, and named for the arborist who saved the tree from its declining health in 2014. This initiative is a tremendous display of Social Responsibility by Vina Robles. Giving back to the community and environment that they call home is just one of the ways they embody the 7 SIP Certified Values. Tell Your Sustainable Story Many people know that there is a higher value in products that are made sustainably, but they don't really know what sustainability means in day-to-day operations. That's why we encourage you to identify specific sustainable practices that your brand uses and create a narrative that is easy to share and incorporate into daily conversations. Use the Sustainable Story worksheet to help you identify the ways your brand embodies the 7 sustainable values: Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, to share the blog post about Vina Robles' story, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Sustainable Story Worksheet for Print Sustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Social Responsibility: Vina Robles Vineyard Team

One way that growers can farm sustainably for the future is through vineyard fleet management. Marc Di Pietra, Regional Service Maintenance Manager for Treasury Americas, a subsidiary of global wine company Treasury Wine Estates, is doing just that by exploring alternative fuel sources and automation. Electric and hybrid vehicles reduce carbon emissions and lower the cost of fuel. The use of remote-operated equipment improves safety for operators, upscales the workforce, improves efficiencies, and has the potential to passively gather valuable data. The challenge is the existing infrastructure needed to support these tools. Learn what equipment Marc and his team are trialing as they work towards a goal to use 100% renewable energy. References: May 12, 2023 Integrating Mechanization Tailgate Meeting - REGISTER 77: Vineyard Pruning Technology 173: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Lightweight Wine Bottles Agtonomy Guss Monarch Tractor Polaris Robotics Plus Marc Di Pietra email Marc Di Pietra LinkedIn Stavros Vougioukas, Ph.D, Professor and Department Vice Chair, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis Treasury Wines Estates Treasury Wine Estates 2022 Sustainability Report Treasury Wine Estates on LinkedIn Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - DONATE SIP Certified – Join to protect natural and human resource with us Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And our guest today is Marc Di Pietra. He's Regional Service Maintenance Manager for Treasury America's part of Treasury Wine Estates. And thanks for being on the podcast. Marc Di Pietra 0:09 Thank you, Craig, I really appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today, especially about some of the things we're working on. We're really excited, quick background on me. I joined Treasury wWine Estates in mid 2018, then transitioned into vineyard operations around 2019. And then since then, I've been focused on our equipment, sleep management in the vineyard with an eye on what farming of the future looks like. Craig Macmillan 0:28 Farming of the future. That's a really interesting topic and a really big question, what that is going to look like, what kinds of things are you doing? What kinds of things do you do as part of this position as part of this project? Marc Di Pietra 0:40 It's a great question, because every day it changes, right. But two of the biggest areas of opportunities that we see, we see alternative fuel types, fully electric, hybrid hydrogen or alternative fuel sources, and then also automation or remote operated mechanization. And so for alternative fuels, two of the major points here are obviously the rising cost of fuel, and then also how to lower our carbon emissions. So Treasury as a whole and supportive lowering emissions, we've been implemented two key goals in our journey. And that starts with a target of 100% renewable energy by 2024. That's the first step. And then the second step of that is net zero for scopes, one and two by 2030. So pretty big, lofty goals there. But that's why we're starting that path now. Craig Macmillan 1:24 So Marc, can you kind of explain what scope one and scope two are in the world of carbon accounting? Marc Di Pietra 1:30 Yeah, sure. So scope. One, emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions that occur from sources controlled or owned by an organization. So an example like fuel combustion, boiler, furnace vehicles, things like that. Scope, two emissions, or indirect greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of electricity, Steam, heat, or cooling. And then lastly, scope three, which is much bigger than that as activities from assets not owned or controlled by the organization, but indirectly affected value, like shipping supply chain, gas bottles, things like that. Craig Macmillan 2:00 Yeah. And there's a lot of folks that are getting interested in that part of my job with Niner Wine Estates is who I work for. We're trying to figure out what's the carbon footprint of the glass we use, and many other people are looking at that same thing. Because when you stop and think about it, you go, Hey, wait a second, this came from France. And it weighs X, huh. You know, and so it's that kind of scope three stuff is really interesting to a lot of people. Marc Di Pietra 2:23 Treasury on the background has done a lot of work on that to understand that big picture. Craig Macmillan 2:26 And we have an episode that mentions that. Marc Di Pietra 2:28 And the second big piece, which I hadn't hinted on was automation, also a key initiative because it allows us to help improve like our operator safety, upscale our existing work

Employees who are regularly trained and educated report higher levels of motivation, performance, company loyalty, and more. Yet, almost 52% of employees in the food and beverage industry only receive training when they join their organization. Of those that do receive regular training, only 4.5% receive training about their company's mission and values (TalentLMS, 2019). Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. In this week's Marketing Tip, we are sharing how the brand-new, Our Sustainable Story series is the perfect tool to use to train your tasting room, sales, and marketing teams. If you aren't regularly providing training and education for your staff, especially on your company's mission and values, you're missing out on opportunities to create a stronger, more dedicated workforce! One way tasting room managers can educate their staff on the company's mission and values is to have continual conversations about what your brand is up to behind the scenes, i.e., your sustainability efforts. The latest tool for your team Our Sustainable Story is the latest addition to our arsenal of tools to help empower your staff. We created this tool to help you identify and communicate 7 sustainable practices that are specific to your company. Complete the worksheet as a training and conversational exercise for your team at your next staff meeting. We highly encourage you to invite your farmer so they can describe what sustainability looks like out in the vineyard. Worksheet for Print | Worksheet for Electronic Filling SIP Tip: see an example from Niner Wine Estates! Share your Sustainable Story Regular training for your staff leads to more skilled, informed, and satisfied employees. Plus, after completing this exercise, your staff will be geared up with several unique sustainable stories to share with clients during tastings (a practice that we know can lead to more wine sales!). They're coming! Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified Members Ready for some Sustainable Stories from SIP Certified members? The next Marking Tip will share how Vina Robles displays tremendous Social Responsibility by giving back to the community and environment they call home. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes to download and complete your own Sustainable Story Worksheet, an example from Niner Wine Estates, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Our Sustainable Story Worksheet for Print Our Sustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling What's your Sustainable Story? SIP Certified Vineyard Team

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, commonly abbreviated to AMF, coevolved with plants from 500 million to one billion years ago. Fossil evidence shows AMF in existence back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Paul Schreiner, Research Plant Pathologist at USDA-ARS in Corvallis Oregon explains that grapes are a very receptive host for AMF and their symbiotic relationship benefits both organisms. AMF helps plants obtain nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. The plant provides AMF with sugars and fatty acids. AMF lives both inside and outside of the plant. Inside the plant, they form arbuscules inside the root cell. These structures look like little trees and increase surface contact dramatically. Outside the plant, AMF mines for nutrients, likely releases carbon, and prevents soil erosion with its root hair-like structure. Listen in to learn the practices you want to use, and not use to increase AMF populations. References: 149: Fair Market Trade: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Grapevines 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 165: Become a Microbe Farmer: Make Compost Article Abstract: The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi amplified from grapevine roots (Vitis vinifera L.) in Oregon vineyards is seasonally stable and influenced by soil and vine age Paul Schreiner, Oregon State University Courtesy Appointment Paul Schreiner on ResearchGate USDA-Agricultural Research Service Publications Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - DONATE SIP Certified Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Paul Schreiner. He is a research plant physiologist with USDA ARS in Corvallis, Oregon. And today we're going to talk about our arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Thanks for being on the program. Paul Schreiner 0:11 Thank you for having me, Craig, happy to be here and talk about one of my favorite subjects. Craig Macmillan 0:17 Obviously, can we just go with AMF, we'll just jump right to that. Yes. Because if I have to arbuscular too many times today, I'm gonna, I'm gonna crash. Paul Schreiner 0:27 It's a tough one. And it's back in the old days, it used to be called vesicular, arbuscular mycorrhiza. So it was even harder. Craig Macmillan 0:34 Yeah, it was even hard. We're not in the old days. Whenever a bunch of scientists were sitting around and going, like, you know, what the V this just too much. Can we get into three words, you know, was that big national meeting of mycologist. All right. So let's just go for you studied EMF for a long time. And you have stayed in the field. So you've studied vineyards? Let's start the very beginning. So what are AMF? And what kinds of roles do they play in the soil and interacting with plants? Speaker 2 1:00 AMF are, as you said, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. So there are a group of fungi that evolved a really long time ago, estimates are from at least 500 million to a billion years ago. Craig Macmillan 1:15 Wow. Speaker 2 1:16 Yeah, that the billion number comes from some molecular clock kind of work, which, you know, is based on mutations in DNA that might be slightly overestimated, but there's fossil evidence that shows them at 450 million years ago. That's a really long time. You know, that's, that's what dinosaurs were around. Craig Macmillan 1:35 Early dinosaurs if we had time later. I want to know how paleo Micology where I How do you find fungi, but we don't have time for that right now. But if we can come back to that, that's mind blowing. Unknown Speaker 1:48 Yeah, we can. Craig Macmillan 1:49 Go ahead. Paul Schreiner 1:50 Yeah. So one thing I should say I think that's helpful is there's more than one kind of mycorrhizal fungi group, basically, right? The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are this older group, or they evolved a very long time ago, and there's been a long period of coevolution with plants. And what's happened is the arbuscular mycorrhiza, which is the kind that grapevines form. Most of our crop plants also form arbuscular mycorrhizal that mycorrhizal group can no longer grow or complete their lifecycle by themselves on their own, they require a host plant to get carbon to survive, there's a whole bunch of other kinds of mycorrhizal fungi. The most important besides the arbuscular would be what we typically call Ecto mycorrhizal fungi and the Ecto are typically on forest trees, especially in temperate and boreal regions. Interestingly enough, a lot of the trees in the tropics are am or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. So, it is important to just think about that, because some people, when they hear Mycorrhizal, they automatically assume one or the other Ecto

It's here! The tool that you need to tell your Sustainable Story. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. In this week's Marketing Tip we are launching the brand new, Our Sustainable Story series. Research shows that the demand for sustainable products keeps growing so we developed this series just for you! By following along with this series, you will be able to incorporate your message of sustainability into your whole business. Here is how to start telling your customers how you take care of the people and the planet today. Get Started Download the "Our Sustainable Story" fillable PDF (print version and electronic filling version) Complete the PDF with your unique stories alongside your whole team (viticulturist, winemaker, tasting room, sales, marketing). Share your stories in all of your marketing channels (we're here to help – see below!) Want an example? Read how Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet by embodying the 7 values of SIP Certified. Stay Tuned Because telling your sustainable story can help you sell more wine, we have created a 7-month series to help you incorporate your good work into every aspect of your messaging. Throughout the rest of the year, we will share easy-to-implement training, branding, and sales strategies that will positively impact your business. Plus, we will share SIP Certified members' Sustainable Stories to further inspire you. Stay tuned, here is what's coming up: Continuous onboarding: a training strategy. The "why"s and "how"s of featuring sustainability on your website. New SIP Certified tools for consumer education. Re-vamped SIP Smart online course for your staff. How to update your photography on any budget. Featuring sustainability via social media. Self-guided QR tours for your visitors. Newsletter tips for your audiences. Download the new Our Sustainable Stories worksheet to easily highlight 7 things your brand does sustainably! Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Marketing Tips eNewsletter Niner Wines Estates protects the people and the planet Our Sustainable Story Worksheet for Print Our Sustainable Story Worksheet for Electronic Filling SIP Certified Vineyard Team

Vineyard farmers manage numerous pests but the invasive species can be some of the most troublesome. Kyle McAbee, President of McAbee Ag Consulting, PCA and CCA sustainability specialist shares what growers need to know to manage pests currently in their area, like Vine Mealybug, and prepare for ones that could come in the future, like Spotted Lantern Fly. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is critical. Sustainable and conventional growers should rotate chemistries, scout to track location, time of year, and mating events, look at how other areas manage the pest, control host species, and be ready to do something about the issue. Most importantly, growers should talk with their Ag Commissioner, Farm Advisor, and each other. References: 26: Controlling Mealybug Vectors of Grapevine Viruses 49: Stopping the Spread of Red Leaf Viruses 96: Spotted Lanternfly - Threat to California Kyle McAbee email McAbee Ag Consulting FaceBook page Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly StopSLF.org UC IPM: Vine Mealybug Vineyard Team Programs: April 12, 2023 Neighborhood Vine Mealy Bug Management Meeting - REGISTER Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - DONATE SIP Certified Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Kyle McAbee. He is president of McAbee Ag Consulting. He is a licensed pest control advisor, and certified crop advisor with a certification in sustainability specialization. And we're going to talk about pests. Thanks for being thanks for being on podcast Kyle. Kyle McAbee 0:18 Yeah, good to be with you Craig. Craig Macmillan 0:20 So you and I were just chatting. And I also been thinking about this a lot recently. And one of the big challenges for sustainability in agriculture in general was pest management, obviously. And I've been looking back into the past and kind of watching things. And I've been wondering if you see something similar to this, have you seen changes in pest pressure, different kinds of pressure, particular pest in different regions? In the last seven or eight years? Kyle McAbee 0:46 Yes, absolutely. Definitely seen, you know, fluctuations in pest pressure, with certain pests, likely an average overtime average, slow increase, but that said, you know, it's it's year to year, some years, you know, we're looking for certain pests in places that we've seen them for years in and years out and can't find them. I'll give you an example. Last year, the mite population, in particular Paso Robles, but I think in a wider area, you know, I speak with a lot of different PCAs in the local industry, and we're all scratching our heads wondering, you know, hey, we've had Pacific Mite these blocks for the last six, seven years in, we can't find one this year. It just depends on the season and what pest we're talking about, of course, too. Craig Macmillan 1:29 And that's a really interesting one to me, because that suggests that biological control is working, right? Because you're not treating for mites unless you're seeing mites. So it's not a question of a prophylactic set of sprays, necessarily, they've knocked on the population, one would think, or maybe it's some kind of changing climate reason. Kyle McAbee 1:48 When we're looking at any of these populations, whether it be pest or whether it be a beneficial insect. It is absolutely environmentally based, whether, you know, we had a warm winter, and it didn't knock back the overwintering populations as normal, or we had an extremely cold winter, which, you know, could further give us some over over winter kill on the overwintering populations, depending on what pest we're talking about, obviously, but yeah, environmental chemicals that are being used, and well, not even chemicals. You know, of course, cultural practices, you know, what folks are doing for dust control for mites? For example, you know, there's just so many factors. But yes, I do think environment and warm winters, and obviously, warm spring and summer have played a big part in increased pest pressure, and particularly mealybug. Craig Macmillan 2:34 Yeah, so with mites, we just talked about a decline. And when we're talking about vine mealybug, I've been hearing the same thing. And it seemed like, well, back in the 90s, when it showed up, it was just a disaster. I mean, it was really, really bad, you know, and it's never gonna go away. But then things seem like they kind of settled down. I mean, he still had to deal with it. But it wasn't the kind of incredible devastation that we saw in the late 90s. Now you're seeing these things start to these populations and the damage start to come back up, right? Kyle McAbee 3:02

We know our SIP Certified members are generous donors in the community. Last week, we shared the exciting news about the expansion of our Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. In the same spirit of giving back, this week, we want to acknowledge some of the ways SIP Certified brands give back. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Get ready for a feel-good episode about generous brands in the wine industry. And get inspired about ways that you can give back. Vina Robles' the Arborist Did you know that planting a tree can be as easy as enjoying a bottle of wine? It can be when you buy a bottle of Vina Robles' the Arborist! Vina Robles partners with non-profit environmental conservation organizations to plant trees with a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of the Arborist that is sold. Since the program started in the year 2000, nearly 33,000 trees have been planted. When you purchase a bottle of the Arborist, you are joining them in supporting this great cause. Two Funds by Talley Vineyards Talley Vineyards has two charitable funds that benefit SLO County agriculture workers and students of Arroyo Grande High School. The first to be established by the Talleys was the Fund for Vineyard and Farmworkers, created in 2004. This fund supports the Farm Worker Community in San Luis Obispo County by awarding grants to local nonprofit organizations that serve agriculture workers and their families. Talley also supports the youth of the community through the Marianne Talley Foundation, named in honor of Brian Talley's sister who passed away in 1993. This is a scholarship fund that supports the children of farm workers who attend Arroyo Grande High School with scholarships to support their pursuit of higher education. Niner Wine Estate's Buck-a-Bottle November is Buck-a-Bottle month for Niner Wine Estates. Every year, they donate $1 to a local charity fund for every bottle that is sold in their tasting room and online during the month of November. Their 2022 fundraiser generously benefited Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. Niner Wine Estates has been supporting the scholarship for years and has hosted the past few annual Scholarship Recipient Award Ceremonies at the Vineyard Team Member BBQ, where scholarship recipients, their families, and Vineyard Team members get together to enjoy great company, wine, and a meal crafted with fresh ingredients from Chef's Garden. Thank you, Niner Wine Estates, for helping children of vineyard and winery workers achieve their dreams of higher education through your support of the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship! Sustainable funding for education opportunities If you missed our past Marketing Tip Monday, the Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship is our way of giving back to the community and contributing to a prosperous future of educated and determined professionals. This funding supports students and their families in achieving their dreams of successful graduation to pursue a professional career. The majority of awardees are first-generation college students, who have more barriers when it comes to attaining higher education. This isn't designed to be a one-time award. Starting in 2023, we will award two- and four-year scholarships, complete with a graduation bonus to help them launch into the next phase of life. The total will end up being in the range of $6k to $20k per student. We've also invested in a program mentor, Alex Gonzalez, who will be a resource to the students. This upgraded scholarship is possible because the local non-profit, Must! Charities, recognized the importance of this program and has created a matching funds program for us. You can help the program flourish To receive the gifted money from Must! Charities, we need to raise matching funds each year. In the true spirit of sustainability, we want to create a program that has long-lasting funds so that we can continue to better the lives of our industry's children for decades. Use the link in the show notes to make a donation to the program, and share this podcast with those you think could benefit from learning more about the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for links to the scholarship flyers, paycheck inserts, application, to donate, to read stories from our incredible scholars and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Apply for th

Did you know that standard wine packaging, including the bottle and the process, is 42% of the wine's total carbon footprint? That statistic is exactly what inspires Erica Landin-Lofving, Chief Sustainability Officer at Vintage Wine Estates to explore alternative packaging. Lightweight bottling positively impacts the full circle sustainability of wine from saving money on glass and transportation to the quality of work for the people lifting cases to less wear and tear on equipment. Erica covers challenges and solutions related to all types of alternative packaging (wine in a bag, wine in a box tetra pak, lightweight glass) including choosing the best packaging for your brand, quality signaling, getting leadership to buy in, what changes will be most sustainable, and educating consumers. References: 171: How to Farm Wine Grapes for Climate Change Alloy Wine Works How Climate Changes will Change the Wine Climate Is Wine in Cans Your New Favorite Format? SIP Certified The Changing Landscape Of Sustainability (Video) Vineyard Team – Become a Member Vintage Wine Estates What does a sustainable water strategy look like in the wine industry? Why is sustainability now not a choice but a necessity? What does it mean for wine businesses? Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 My guest today is Erica Lofving. She is Chief Sustainability Officer with Vintage Wine Estates. And we're going to talk about sustainable wine packaging today. Welcome to the podcast. Erica. Erica Landin-Lofving 0:09 Thank you happy to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:10 You have done a lot of work on sustainable packaging. It's obviously an area that not only you're interested to, but there's a major component to the work that you do with with Vintage Wine Estate. How did you get into it? What is your interest? What kinds of things you've worked on recently? Erica Landin-Lofving 0:24 Well, I first got into sustainable packaging, maybe six, seven years. Back when I was still living in Sweden, I'm Swedish. I was consulting for the Swedish wine monopolies, Systembolaget. They are possibly the biggest buyer of wine in the world. And they have sustainability as a core issue. And they started lifting the packaging, and did lifecycle analysis together with the other Scandinavian monopolies and saw that packaging bottling and the process of doing it was up to 42% of the total carbon footprint of a wine, which is huge. Of course, they started focusing on on that because of course being big buyers, they can require changes in packaging of their buyers. So they launched projects on lightweighting bottles and alternative packaging, which they are still very strong and probably leading in the world. So that's that's when I got interested at that time, there was almost no discussion about packaging as part of sustainability and wine. We talked vineyards, vineyards, vineyards, maybe a little bit of winemaking, but packaging got ignored most of the sustainability certifications around the world don't even mention packaging, or didn't at least at that time. Actually, that was my project for the monopoly. I went through basically all the sustainability certifications around the world. Comlpex job. Let me tell you that. Craig Macmillan 1:39 Yeah, I guess. Erica Landin-Lofving 1:41 So of course, when I started at Vintage, I, you know, packaging was one of my key topics that I want to bring up. It was also really interesting to see we did a survey last year when we set our strategy I've been with Vintage for a year and a half. So one of my first things was to start collecting the information called a materiality analysis, basically pinpointing which areas are key sustainability areas. And as part of that, we did a survey in house and a lot of our staff were also interested in packaging, primary secondary packaging, and then of course, the waste of incoming packaging. So that that became one of our core core topics, and a very exciting one to be to be working on. Craig Macmillan 2:22 For those of us who don't know what to what kind of companies of Vintage Wine Estates, what do they do? Erica Landin-Lofving 2:28 Oh, yeah, Vintage Wine Estaes is a group we own 13 wineries, I believe and have 50 brands on top. Plus we do contract production for for external brands. We went public. Last June, June 20. June 22. It or is it 20 this year? Craig Macmillan 2:47 Yeah. Oh, that's right. No, that's right. No, I do. Yeah. That was kind of a big deal. Erica Landin-Lofving 2:53 It was a big deal. There aren't. Yeah, there aren't that many public public companies. So year and a half ago, we went public. Yeah, I know. That was that was part of the goal of

Of the 3 Ps of Sustainability (People, Planet, and Prosperity), People is no doubt the most important one. Without the supporters, partners, and cherished friends in our community, who would be here to enjoy the prosperous planet we are all striving toward? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. This week's Marketing Tip is a bit different than previous tips. We want to share how the parent non-profit organization of the SIP Certified program, Vineyard Team, helps children of vineyard and winery workers achieve their dreams of higher education. Applications for the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship are open through March 31st, 2023. If you work in California's wine industry, you probably know several people who are eligible to apply for the scholarship! Investing in future generations Vineyard Team's Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship is our way of giving back to the community and contributing to a prosperous future of educated and determined professionals. This funding supports students and their families in achieving their dreams of successful graduation to pursue a professional career. The majority of awardees are first-generation college students, who have more barriers when it comes to attaining higher education. This isn't designed to be a one-time award. Starting in 2023 we will award two- and four-year scholarships, complete with a graduation bonus to help them launch into the next phase of life. The total will end up being in the range of $6k to $20k per student. We've also invested in a program mentor, Alex Gonzalez, who will be a resource to the students. This upgraded scholarship is possible because of the local non-profit Must! Charities recognized the importance of this program and have created a matching funds program for us. Share this scholarship opportunity! Applications for the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship are open March 1st – 31st. Please share this opportunity with your team by posting and electronically sharing the flyer (available in English and Spanish), and sharing the paycheck inserts with your payroll facilitator so they can reach the families of your operation's workers/employees -- who are likely eligible for this opportunity! You can help the program flourish To receive the gifted money from Must! Charities, we need to raise matching funds each year. In the true spirit of sustainability, we want to create a program that has long-lasting funds so that we can continue to better the lives of our industry's children for decades. Use the link in the show notes to make a donation to the program, and share this podcast with those you think could benefit from learning more about the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for links to the scholarship flyers, paycheck inserts, application, to donate, to read stories from our incredible scholars, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course Apply for the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Donate to the Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship Pintables Flyer (English & Spanish) Paycheck Insert (English) Paycheck Insert (Spanish) Scholar Stories Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Certified Vineyard Team

Amid extreme weather events, many grape growers ask themselves what they can do to adapt their vineyard for climate change. Chris Chen, Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties at the University of California Cooperative Extension is exploring solutions to this question. Mediterranean climates like California, with hot and dry summers and cold wet winters, are particularly sensitive. Researchers expect temperature maximums will be higher and the minims will be lower in years to come. Chris explains a few tactics growers can use to continue farming successfully amid climate changes including rootstocks, canopy management, new scions, and most importantly trialing. References: REGISTER: 3/10/23 Canopy Management: Trellising, Sunburn, & Mechanization Tailgate Meeting | Paso Robles, CA 67: Impacts of Climate Change on Wine Production A New World of Wine: How the Viticultural Map is Changing | Greg Jones | International Masters of Wine Symposium (Video) Andy Walker, Emeritus Louise Rossi Endowed Chair in Viticulture and Enology Chen Lab Chris Chen Twitter Climate, Grapes, and Wine | Greg Jones | TEDx Roseburg (Video) Out of Sync: Vine Responses to Changing Conditions SIP Certified UCCE North Coast Viticulture UCCE Sonoma County Viticulture UCCE Viticulture Newsletters Online - North Coast Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 My guest today is Chris Chen. He's integrated vineyard systems advisor for Sonoma Mendocino and Lake counties with the University of California Cooperative Extension. And I think we're gonna have a very interesting conversation today, Chris has done some pretty interesting work and some pretty interesting ideas. So welcome to the podcast, Chris. Chris Chen 0:14 Thanks, Craig. Appreciate it. Looking forward to it. Craig Macmillan 0:16 Doing a little bit of background on you. Would you say that there's a particular thread or what the thread is that runs through your research and extension work? Because it seems like there is one to me. Chris Chen 0:25 A lot of my work is focused on adaptation to climate change and vineyards. And it's something that goes back to when I was in grad school, you know, the, the whole climate change thing became really big and something to focus on when I entered grad school. And as I went through grad school, it became what I did. The thread here is kind of how do we adapt viticulture, to changing climates? How do we predict what a climate today is going to be in 510 years, the thread is to see how can we adapt to these changing conditions, and still keep viticulture, thriving and successful. Craig Macmillan 0:57 What is the prediction right now, in terms of let's start with California, but we can talk about the West Coast, we can also talk about New York, and we can talk about Europe. But you work in California, what is the current picture in terms of long term climate change that might affect grapes? Unknown Speaker 1:15 It's not really easy to say this will happen that will happen. But what we expect to see in California, it's a Mediterranean climate right now, these are very sensitive climate types, typically classified as regions with really hot, dry summers, cold, wet winters, right. And they're kind of fringe ecosystems, fringe climates. So they're on the border of, of an inland climate in a coastal climate, that means they're the most sensitive to climate change. So what we're expecting to see in California, and what a lot of researchers, climate researchers are planning on is, you know, increased temperatures, the maximums are going to be higher, the minimums are going to be lower, and those swings are going to be more drastic in between. So the diurnal temperature shift is going to be huge. You know, that is something that everyone kind of expects with climate change. It gets hotter, it gets colder, the extremes are more extreme, but what we're not really sure about is how precipitation is going to change. And in California, rainfall is such a huge thing. It's variable year to year, we have droughts for three years at a time and then one relief year, what we're really confused about is how is the rain pattern gonna change where we are today are we going to get the same rainfall and we're going to be able to support viticulture here anymore? Craig Macmillan 2:33 Now that brings up an interesting question. I'm going to bring up Andy Walker here, Dr. Andy Walker, the very famous plant breeder and I attended a seminar that he did on rootstocks, which he's done a ton of work and many rootstocks are out as a result of his lab. And he started off the whole thing

We hope that the previous Marketing Tips' strategies to build a strong brand and practices to maintain consumer trust have been helpful in planning or reviewing your branding strategy. But branding isn't something you can set and forget. Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. This week we'll go over ways you can manage the brand strategies you have already put in place. Ensure Consistency with a Style Guide Consistent imagery and language help to provide the voice and visual presence of your brand. A style guide is a document that provides guidelines for the ways in which you communicate through and about your brand. Style guides typically include your logo and any variations of it, your color palette, typography details, and design standards (think minimalist, modern, etc). Having all of this standardized and readily available for reference will help to give direction and provide cohesion for all of your visual communications. SIP Tip: check out our Style Guide! Bring in the Team It's important that your entire team is on the same page when it comes to branding efforts. Start your next team meeting with an overview of your branding strategy so that everyone is aware of your brand's communication style and messaging. And be open to their feedback! Every team member has a different experience when it comes to interacting with your brand. They can provide valuable insights into how the brand is being perceived, what efforts seem to be working, and which ones can use improvement. Continually Share Your Story Whether it's in the tasting room, on your website, in your sales calls, or in casual conversations, telling your brand's story in an open and authentic way is key to a consistent brand identity that people will recall and trust. Did you know that talking about your specific sustainability efforts can boost wine sales? In her recent research, Kathy Kelley Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Retail Business Management at Penn State University found that when brands shared stories about their sustainable practices and why they used them, consumers were willing to pay $1 - $4 more for a bottle of wine! Listen to her 22-minute interview with Craig Macmillan to learn more about her findings, and how you can experience these benefits. More SIP tips to come! Searches for sustainable goods have increased by 71% since 2016 making it more important than ever to share your message of sustainability. Continue to tell your customers how your brand protects the health of the people and the planet. It lets them know that by purchasing your wine they are supporting a brand that shares their values. Stay tuned for more ways to communicate your good work. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for links to our latest tips to help you build your brand strategy and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 3 Ways to Build a Strong Brand Did you know...? Do consumers trust your brand? Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Certified

The study of whole vine physiology does not isolate one variable in grape growing. It looks at many factors at once including data collection in the plant, in the environment and in fruit. In her research, Patty Skinkis, Viticulture Extension Specialist and Professor in the Horticulture Department at Oregon State University helps growers improve their farming practices by evaluating the plant growth stage, shoot growth, pruning weights, yield, cluster weight, berry size, and fruit chemistry. Patti shares her surprising results from a 10-year trial on crop load management. Grower trials found there was very little difference with crop thinning in both fruit and wine quality. References: 145: New Class of Compounds Linked to Smoke Taint in Wines 2/15/2023 Managing Grapevine Trunk Disease Webinar | REGISTER Elizabeth Tomasino, Associate Professor, Oregon State University Patty Skinkis Patty Skinkis Google Scholar Page Patty Skinkis on Instagram SIP Certified Vineyard Team – Become a Member Yield Management Video Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 And our guest today is Dr. Patti Skinkis. She is viticulture extension specialist and professor in the Horticulture Department at Oregon State University. And really excited to have you here tonight. Welcome Patti. Patti Skinkis 0:10 Thank you. It's great to be here. Craig Macmillan 0:12 So there's a concept that's kind of out there. I'm familiar with the words, but I'm not entirely familiar with what it means. What is whole vine physiology? Patti Skinkis 0:21 Whole vine physiology is really looking at the study of how the vine is responding to its environment. And it's not looking at just one component, it's looking at how the entire vine is responding. A lot of times, whole plant physiologists are more applied plant physiologist, rather than more fundamental in that they're looking at exactly how that plant is responding to its environment. And sometimes that environment is things that we do to it, such as the studies that we do and in crop management, as well as fine tuning, looking at some aspects and and trying to understand how it links to other aspects of how that plant is responding to its environment. But we're taking the plant as a whole. Craig Macmillan 0:59 That sounds kind of difficult. It sounds like there's a lot of variables there. How do you do you identify a couple of variables? And say, we're going to look at these? And if so, how many might you be able to handle at a time? You know, I've done a lot of research and statistics. And every time you add something the whole system gets exponentially more complex. As an example, what kinds of things might you look at with a plant, you're going to modify one variable in the environment? But then what other kinds of responses might you look at? Patti Skinkis 1:23 Well, doing whole plant physiology work is difficult in it's the nature of the beast, when you're looking at the entirety and taking it in as a whole. I like to address this question from a standpoint of what it is not. And partly because I work with a lot of other scientists who work in biochemistry or fruit chemistry. And they always want to isolate the one thing or two things that can explain what we might be seeing in fruit chemistry, or in plant nutrition. But the reality is, we have to accept that we can't explain at all that it's a whole package. It's not one specific mechanism. As a result of that we look at a lot of things, we try to understand how one piece will influence another piece. So a lot of times in the studies that I'm doing, we tend to do a lot of data collection on the plant as well as in the environment. And then the fruit, it means that we do a lot of data collection, maybe more so than other scientists would if they are just looking at pathology or insects or some other aspect, we monitor the vines phonology. So the growth stage, we monitor shoot growth early season, and then we switch to leaf area, we do pruning weight. So all of those are giving us an idea of the plant size, how much it grows. And then of course, we look at yield, and then yield components, which takes it through looking at cluster weight and rakus, length and very size. And all of those just take a lot of time. And then of course we get into the root chemistry. And it's not just you know basic ripeness at harvest, we then go into global analyses of key compounds like nitrogen and the phenomics. We do collect a lot of data and ultimately, what refines what we're looking at is kind of we always write our research questions to say, Okay, here's what we're going to target. But then a lot of times, we end up coming back to

We are exposed to an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements per day. Branding and advertising are crucial to the success of businesses, but the trust that your brand builds with consumers carries a heavy load when it comes to the success of your efforts. Do consumers trust your brand? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Today we share how to build brand trust. Building Brand Trust Create an experience People don't buy products, they purchase experiences. Poeple are emotional beings, and often make decisions to fulfill an emotional need, whether it's to relax and unwind, have a lively social experience, find entertainment, or ease a heavy heart. You must know the kind of experience you want to create in order to sell it. People like consistency and familiarity. Returning customers come back because they enjoyed a previous experience. Identifying the kind of experiences you want to create for your customers allows you to consistently deliver an experience worth coming back to. 6 steps to creating an awesome brand experience: Discover your purpose Focus on storytelling Be consistent Find opportunities for engagement Put experiences over sales Adapt and evolve Connect on a personal level Humans thrive on emotional, personal connections -- and these aren't limited to human-to-human relationships. An article in Foundr points out that, "Consumers crave personal relationships with brands..." How can you foster these personal relationships? Sharing your common values is a great place to start. Consumers today are growing increasingly environmentally conscious. Through her research at Penn State University, Kathy Kelley, Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Retail Business Management, found that building stronger connections with your customers can be as simple as talking with them about the specific things your company does in regard to sustainability and why those practices are important. This can even increase the willingness to pay more for wine (listen to the podcast)! Be open and authentic The Internet has become an integral part of our lives and can be a wonderful tool for showing transparency and authenticity. Use your online channels (website, social media, eNewsletter) to connect, not just to market. We often pull up the Internet to fulfill emotional needs like decompressing, catching up with others, and exploring our interests. Use the creative platforms available to you to welcome your followers to learn more about your business -- things that a one-time visitor may not have the opportunity to learn. This will help your followers to form a stronger, more personal connection with your brand. More branding tips In our last Marketing Tip, we shared 3 ways you can strengthen your brand. Building brand trust is a crucial step in creating loyal supporters. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's specific sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for a links to the Eco-Awkening and Full Glass consumer purchasing research, this article, research on consumer preferences, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 3 Ways to Build a Strong Brand Did you know...? Identifying wine consumers interested in environmentally sustainable production practices Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Certified What Sustainability Means to Consumers by Morning Consult

Wood burns twice. The first burn takes wood to charcoal. The second phase takes charcoal to ash. Unless you remove oxygen. Josiah Hunt, Founder and CEO of Pacific Biochar Befit Corporation explains that Biochar is made at a high temperature in an oxygen-limited environment. Organic waste is taken through the first burn phase and by limiting the oxygen, remains charcoal. The final product is buried in the soil where it improves water retention and fertility. And you can do this at your own ranch. Listen in to hear Josiah's tips on how to make and incorporate Biochar into your vineyard. References: 56: Conservation Burning and Biochar Agricultural Benefits of Biochar Biochar in Viticulture Webinar (featuring Doug Beck, Monterey Pacific Inc.) Conservation Burning and Biochar Pacific Biochar Monterey Pacific SIP Certified "The Conservation Burn Technique" | Vineyard Team Technical Article Vineyard Field Trial with Biochar and Compost Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Today is Josiah Hunt, who is founder and CEO of Pacific Biochar Benefit Corporation. And we're going to talk about guess what biochar. Josiah thanks for being on the podcast. Josiah Hunt 0:09 Thank you. Craig Macmillan 0:11 Let's just get right into it. And let's start with some basics. What exactly is biochar? Josiah Hunt 0:15 Biochar is a funny word. First. biochar in its most basic terms is biomass charcoal, which is redundant because charcoal is from biomass and the generation like where the word came from is even funnier in my opinion, the word biochar was born out of the word Agra-char. But in the world first Agra-char conference in 2007, a company came forward and said, Sorry, we've already trademarked that back to the drawing board. And they came up with biochar. That's that's the origin story that I've heard. I think one of the really interesting questions is, why did we have to come up with a new word for charcoal, and the reason for that is climate change. So I think the key differentiator from where the word biochar came from is part of an idea, rather than a simple material. And that idea is wrapped up in waste organic material used to create biochar, a biomass charcoal, which is then buried in agricultural soils, where it serves two important purposes, carbon dioxide removal by sequestering that stable carbon into the ground and long term soil fertility. So this helping address climate change mitigation by removing carbon and climate change adaptation by facilitating food security. So it's a lot packed into that concept. So the word charcoal just couldn't hold it anymore. Craig Macmillan 1:39 Just couldn't hold it off. We're talking about charcoal, which people have been making for millennia, essentially. So how is biochar made and are there multiple ways of this different materials, etc.? Josiah Hunt 1:51 High temperature in an oxygen limited environment. So you're you're basically reaching these combustion temperatures, but you do so with an oxygen limited environment. So a woodchip brought up to 500 degrees Celsius would become a glowing ember. Its molecules so excited, they're shooting off photons. Now, if that woodchip came up to five degrees Celsius, and there's sufficient oxygen, you would have complete combustion first, that woodchip would volatilize off the gases become a chunk of charcoal, and then the oxygen would come in and destroy that charcoal, releasing all of its energy, and leaving only the ash mineral residue. If you have limited oxygen, that first part occurs pyrolysis part where you go from woodchip to charcoal, but that second phase of burning from charcoal to ash can only occur with the presence of oxygen, and thus, the limiting of oxygen is the key component to making the material. Craig Macmillan 2:48 And then second phase is where the carbon is leaving into the environment? Josiah Hunt 2:52 A better way to put this is that wood burns twice the first phase of combustion and the first phase of burning would be from woodchip to charcoal. And the second phase is from charcoal to ash. And that second phase can only occur in the presence of oxygen. Therefore, if you can limit the oxygen, you control, whether you're generating charcoal or ash. Craig Macmillan 3:16 So controlling the oxygen is important. If you have a way of stopping that process midway. That's obviously the key to this, you have to be able to stop at the end of the process step not going any further. Is that right? Josiah Hunt 3:29 That's correct. Craig Macmillan 3:29 How do people do that? Josiah Hunt 3:32 There's two kind of main ways one would be we're working with continuous f

Did you know… that searches for sustainable goods have increased globally by 71% since 2016? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Today we share two ways you can build a strong brand so that your customers will remember you. Products carrying a sustainability claim have continued growing through the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing a 17% market share during the first half of 2020! Sheila Bonini, senior vice president of private sector engagement at WWF US states: "Sustainable and planet-friendly products used to be a niche market. Today, that's no longer the case. The research backs up what we've seen anecdotally over the years -- demand is there." Tell the Trade You are Sustainable According to research from Wine Intelligence and Full Glass Research in 2019, 73% of buyers in the trade feel that the demand for sustainably produced products has increased over the past five to 10 years, and 76% think it will increase in the next five to 10 years. "Clear and highly visible labeling" on wine packages is one of the best ways to differentiate your product on the market, so buyers will know your wine was produced sustainably when you can't be there to tell them. SIP Tip: read Is Wine Certification Worth It? Tell Your Buyers You are Sustainable Selling grapes or wine? Tell your buyers they are purchasing sustainable fruit so they too can differentiate their product in the marketplace! If you are SIP Certified we are here to help you with: Wine certification. Retail signage and materials. Marketing tips. Virtual training. SIP Tip: you can add your grapes to our Classifieds page! Click here to learn how. Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's specific sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for a links to the Eco-Awkening and Full Glass consumer purchasing research, this article, research on consumer preferences, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 3 Ways to Build a Strong Brand Did you know...? Identifying wine consumers interested in environmentally sustainable production practices Marketing Tips eNewsletter SIP Certified What Sustainability Means to Consumers by Morning Consult

Composting is taking diverse organic material and making a habitat for the microbes that will process the material. Jean Bonhotal, Director of Cornell Waste Management Institute in the Department of Soils and Crop Sciences explains that there are three necessary ingredients to make a great compost. First, the pile should start with carbon-like woodchips to help move air through. Second, add in wet waste like food or pomace. And third, top the pile with carbon. The most important factor in making compost is temperature. In fact, you do not need to turn piles. The organisms that break down compost generate temperatures that are about 90 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. A great example of this is seen in mortality composting, used for livestock. These piles are created by layering 24 inches of woodchips, followed by the animal, and top with another 24 inches of wood chips. The animal will liquefy and then everything starts to mix as the microbes work. In 12 to 24 hours the pile will reach the desired 130 degrees Fahrenheit. While compost is not technically a fertilizer it has numerous benefits including imparting nutrients, pest resistance, helping with erosion control, and improving water holding capacity because it works like a sponge. Listen in to hear Jean's best advice on how to create great compost. References: 1/20/2023 REGISTER: Improving Soil Health with Compost & Vermiculture Tailgate 53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration 106: What? Bury Charcoal in the Vineyard? 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 153: The Role of Nematodes in Soil Health Aerated Compost Tea Composting Handbook Compost Use for Improved Soil Poster Series Improving and Maintaining Compost Quality Niner Wine Estates SIP Certified Testing Composts Tipsheet: Compost Vineyard Team – Become a Member What Is Animal Mortality Composting? Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 My guest today is Jean Bonhotal. She is Director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute. And he's also a Senior Extension Associate in the Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Science Section at Cornell University. And we're talking about compost today. Thanks for being here, Jean. Jean Bonhotal 0:13 Thank you. Craig Macmillan 0:14 I like to start with basics when we're talking about a topic. And sometimes it seems kind of silly, but it oftentimes shapes what we talk about. Let's start with a very basic definition. What exactly is compost. Unknown Speaker 0:26 So I'm going to start with a definition before I get into composting, and that is what is organic, what is organic? When I'm using the term organic, this is what it will mean something that was once alive and is now dead, and needs to be managed. That comes with all different types of quality. But we are usually looking for clean feedstocks, that are organic in origin. So we don't want glass and plastic and other materials that really don't break down and have put a lot of plastic into our environment, because they break down into little tiny pieces, and they're still there. So I'll start with that. Composting is basically taking organic material, all different diverse, organic materials, preferably, and making a habitat for microbes, the microbes that are going to process these materials. When we're composting, we can do all of the work mechanically. But it doesn't really work that well because composting is a process. And if we set it up so that we have our carbon and nitrogen ratios, well balanced. And those are browns and greens, wet and dry materials. So those are the things that we need to balance, then we will have a proper habitat for the microbes to work in and they will thrive. The microbes are what make the heat in a compost. When we're composting very small volumes, we don't always have heat. And that's because we don't have the volume that we need for that composting to happen in commercial scale, we generally will have enough volume. So as long as we balance that carbon and nitrogen, we will have a very good compost that will actually work mostly by itself. Craig Macmillan 2:29 So you need different kinds of microbes for taking action on different types of materials, whether they be high nitrogen or high carbon or whatever. Where did those bacteria and fungi, where do those come from? Jean Bonhotal 2:40 They come from everywhere. They come from us breathing on the medium that we're putting in there they come from the air, their bio aerosolized is what we consider. So these things blow in, and we really don't have to inoculate most composts. The only reason we might need to inoculate a compost is because we've shut it down. Either we've put so

Did you know that telling your sustainability story can help you sell more wine? Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values. Today we share three ways you can build a strong brand so that your customers will remember you. Kathy Kelly, Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Retail Business Management at Penn State University found that describing specific practices and why there are important not only sets you apart from the competition but helps to create an emotional connection with your customers. It can even increase their willingness to pay more for a bottle of sustainable wine! Elements of a brand "Brand identity" is the personality of your business -- it's what people think about when they think of your brand. "Brand awareness" refers to general familiarity with your brand. Both concepts should be taken into consideration when creating a branding strategy. By cultivating recognition and understanding of your brand through design, messaging, and more, you can make your business and your customer experience more memorable. Your brand's name, logo or symbol, tagline, colors, imagery, voice, and more -- this is how your brand is presented to the outside world. Maximize your brand experience by dialing in these key brand features. 3 ways to build a strong brand What makes you so special? Every wine brand has its unique story. Whether it's a business passed down the generations of a family, a hobby that grew into a booming business, what started out as a weekend project for a couple of friends, or a drive to fill a hole in the industry, identifying what makes your brand different from the rest and including elements of this story into your communications and imagery is a great way create a more personal connection with your customers. Understand your supporters Define your target audience to help dial in the kind of messaging you want to send through your branding efforts. Do you want to create a playful feel with your brand? Are you after a more sophisticated and elegant aura? Talk to your clients and return customers about why they support your business and what keeps them coming back. Pay attention to the type of messages that seem to resonate most with your audience and clients through engagement and sales activity. Consistency is key Create a consistent experience each time a customer interacts with your product or service. This will help to reinforce the personal connection to your brand and maintain a sense of familiarity. Communication channels to consider include your website, tasting room, email newsletters, social media, and packaging. The tone and spirit of your messaging should be consistent to keep your channels harmonized. New year, new opportunities People want to support brands that share their values. Does your brand's messaging and imagery provide a clear sense of what your brand stands for and the kind of experience it wants to provide your clients? The start of the new year gives us an opportunity to come back from the holidays with a refreshed perspective. It's a good idea to take some time to assess your brand's identity and be sure your messaging is in line with the impression you want to make. This can help you prepare for all of the opportunities in the year ahead to connect with new and returning customers! Stay tuned for more Marketing Tip Mondays, where we will help you explore ways of incorporating your brand's specific sustainable practices into your messaging. Check out the show notes for a link to the interview with Kathy Kelley, links to this article, research on consumer purchasing preferences, to download the seasons of sustainability PDF, and to sign up for our biweekly Marketing Tips newsletter. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team. References: **SIP Smart Training online course 161: Use Storytelling to Sell More Wine 3 Ways to Build a Strong Brand Cover crops make vineyards more sustainable; strategy can be marketing tool Kathy Kelley Identifying wine consumers interested in environmentally sustainable production practices Marketing Tips eNewsletter Penn State Extension Wine Business Management and Marketing Seasons of Sustainability SIP Certified What Sustainability Means to Consumers by Morning Consult Wine consumers' willingness to adopt environmentally friendly packaging practices at tasting rooms: An ECHAID analysis

Like with many projects on a sustainable farm, composting at Niner Wines Estates began with a problem; what could be done with all the pumice from the winemaking operations. Patrick Muran Winemaker at Niner Wine Estates started experimenting with thermal aerobic composting in 2016. With a 200-acre property, the farm has a diverse array of plant material coming from the restaurant garden, cover crops, and vineyards. Patrick explains how they turned a waste stream product into a valuable commodity including what temperature a compost pile must reach, what plant material to include, how to inoculate a new pile, and how long it takes to make top quality compost. References: 1/20/2023 REGISTER: Improving Soil Health with Compost & Vermiculture Tailgate 53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration 106: What? Bury Charcoal in the Vineyard? 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 153: The Role of Nematodes in Soil Health Aerated Compost Tea Composting Handbook Compost Use for Improved Soil Poster Series Improving and Maintaining Compost Quality Niner Wine Estates SIP Certified Testing Composts Tipsheet: Compost Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan 0:00 Our guest today is Patrick Moran, winemaker at Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles, California. And today we're going to talk about composting. Welcome, Patrick. Patrick Muran 0:07 Thank you, Craig. Happy to be here. And to talk about some compost today. Craig Macmillan 0:11 Yes, we are. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I want to let everybody know that Patrick and I work together. So this is not the first time that we've talked about this. So I know about what we do. But we're gonna try to get into the details here and try not to forget anything. It's a really cool project that you, you kind of you founded. Correct. You kind of got this whole thing going, right? Patrick Muran 0:31 Yeah, it was birthed out of a problem of what do we do with all this pumice waste and ruin to kind of a passion project of figuring out how to unlock the keys and composting all this waste that we had? Craig Macmillan 0:49 So when did it start? How long have you been doing this? Patrick Muran 0:52 So this started late 2016, early 2017, we start building piles, Gosh, 5, 6 years now? Craig Macmillan 1:01 Yeah, in a minute. So the idea here was that you had a lot of waste that was coming in, or grape material that was coming in and you wanted to do something with it. What were you doing with it prior to accomplishing with it? Patrick Muran 1:12 I mean, I've been at this now, gosh, almost 24 years, you know, when I started, we had our big 40 yard roll off dumpsters getting dropped off and are filling them up with grape waste and pumice and stems and all that kind of stuff. But you know, we're scheduling trucks and paying for these trucks to be on the road and do all this material and material is getting stinky out there in the yard, flies are starting to fester, we had, you know, a similar problem here. Here I'm paying for a truck to come drop off this dumpster that's going to kind of make a mess and in our yard for weeks on end. And then pay to have that material removed. It was a kind of an, I love elegant solutions in this was elegant solution to a problem where we can turn a waste stream product into you know, a valuable commodity. Craig Macmillan 2:04 Did you have an experience with composting prior to that? Patrick Muran 2:07 No, not to the degree of what we're doing now. My notion of composting was probably like most people's it's like, oh, just chuck it in a in a black container or something in the yard and forget about it for six months and then come back later. And all of a sudden, it's it's all done. That was more or less my notion of what composting was. But when you're talking thermoaerobic composting, to the NOP like organic standards, it's a little bit of a different feel. Craig Macmillan 2:36 How did you educate yourself about this? This is interesting to me this is you went from zero to now 100. Patrick Muran 2:41 Yeah. With Cal Poly, actually Cal Poly had an extension program. And they brought in Dr. Elaine Ingham, and she did a seminar on composting, thermalaerobic composting in particular. And it just blew my mind like because I'm I'm microbiologist by by schooling, you know, I spent my year in college studying microbiology, and she was talking my jam, like she was talking all the biology in the soils. And in this compost that was promoting plant growth. So she she really kicked me off on this path. And, and so I just started educating myself on how to do it properly, and how to the biology and t