Sustainable Farming
"We believe it is our responsibility to manage our vineyard and winery with the highest environmental and social standards."
-Mitch Wyss, Winegrower
Farming for the Future
Sustainability encompasses a whole-system approach and takes into heavy consideration the impact of all business operations on our generation and those to come. Organic methods are practiced when they incorporate well with our ultimate goal of sustainability; However, we also focus on energy, water and natural resource conservation, soil and plant health, community and employee relations, and of course, grape and wine quality. Through conservation efforts, best management practices, green building, and more, Halter Ranch continues to be an industry leader in sustainability. Since 2008, Halter Ranch has earned Sustainable Vineyard Certification. Our new winery facility is enrolled in PG&E's Savings by Design program and pursuing LEED Certification, an internationally recognized program through the U.S. Green Building Council.
Farming Practices
Biodiversity
Restore over 700 acres of oak woodlands
Maintain wildlife corridors and protect natural habitats
Integrated Pest Management
Benefticial insect gardens attract "good" buys that prey on vineyard pests
Owl boxes and raptor perches encourage natural vertebrate pest control
Relying on organic weed control methods wherever possible
Using only those pesticides that have no human or environmental impact (as listed by the EPA)
Water Conservation
Dry farming is used as much as possible, and only irrigate as a last resort
Maximize irrigation sessions by maintaining high irrigation system efficiencies
Recycle waste water from our winery and use for irrigating the vineyard and landscape (Fall 2011)
Soil and Plant Health
Apply compost annually to build soil nutrients
Plant only certified grapevines that are at low risk for disease and virus
Incorporate a winter cover crop to prevent erosion and add nurients to soil (green manure)
Layer stray on our steep vineyard roads to reduce soil loss from winter rains
Social Responsibility
Employ our core vineyard crew year-round
Teach English to our Spanish-speaking farmworkers in weekly lunchtime classes
Provide employee benefits to full-time vineyard employees
Involve ourselves in the local community
Further our knowledge through continuing education opportunities
Product Quality
Farm to the quality standards set by our winery and winery clients
Work closely with the winery and winery clients to provide the highest quality of winegrapes from our vineyard
Track physiological maturity to guaruntee optimum harvesting dates
Carefully harvest by hand and in the early morning to minimize impact on overall wine quality
Energy and Natural Resource Conservation
Biodiesel fuels our tractors and farm machinery
Solar panels power the new, state-of-the-art winery and administration facility