Cover crops surrounding vines help maintain healthy soils.
Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to consider how we treat our precious planet, beginning with its soils. Did you know the Earth’s topsoil supports 95% of all food production? Yet, nearly half of the world’s farmable land has disappeared in the last four decades, largely due to conventional farming and its use of harmful synthetic chemicals in the soil.
Healthy soils lay the foundation for a healthy vineyard. Soil provides water and nutrients to vines and is a living medium. Healthy soils are biodiverse, meaning they are full of organisms that interact to provide a wide variety of ecosystem services, from decomposing organic matter to providing minerals to vine roots. They also control pests, diseases, and weeds, improving the soil’s capacity to retain water and nutrients.
Fortunately, many wine growers and producers are on a mission to revitalize our damaged soils and ecosystems, leading to cleaner air, water, and food (including wine!).
Troon Vineyard, located in Southwest Oregon’s Applegate Valley, is one of them. This winery and farm of nearly 100 acres is certified Organic, Demeter Biodynamic, and Regenerative Organic Certified. By gaining these certifications, Troon Vineyard shows a strong commitment to improving the environment.
However, Troon Vineyards acknowledges that it is a small piece of the puzzle. “What we do on our 100-acre farm will not change the world unless we convince other farmers and winemakers to adopt that same mission,” says Craig Camp, General Manager
This Article was originally published on The Wine Chef
