[Scpg] [CVF] Greening Wineries, read about Bynum's Vineyard in Sonoma County which we visited

[scpg-admin at arashi.com]

>Hi Everyone
         Here is an article about Bynum's  Winery outside Santa Rosa Ca 
which we visited  on the Roadtrip to the Permaculture's Teachers Course in 
June . Bynum's is using Permaculture Principles and Design to slowly change 
the vineyard. Putting in swales for water catchment , inter planting fruit 
trees like olive plum and more , planting corridors with native plants. All 
this to set up animal, micro and bird habitat and lot's of room for nature 
to come alive. Such a magic place is unfolding
                                         wes


>congatulations to Benziger, Bynum, and GreenActivist Tom Lamphar (Cal EPA
>and resident of 40 Oaks community) for helping to move ag practices in a
>healthy direction!
>SH
>
>State EPA praises Benziger, Bynum
>
>
>Wineries selected for pilot
>environmental program
>
>July 9, 2001
>
>By TIM TESCONI
>THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
>
>
>The Benziger family has dubbed the long driveway through their vineyards and
>winery The Bug Highway because of the abundant insect life humming in the
>border of trees and shrubs on both sides of the paved road.
>
>The Benzigers have eliminated the use of all chemical pesticides on their
>Glen Ellen wine estate as they encourage good bugs to devour the vineyard
>pests once killed with chemicals.
>
>Beneficial insects also are used at Healdsburg's Davis Bynum Winery, where
>vine clippings and waste cardboard are shredded for compost and spread in a
>3-acre Mediterranean food forest, the centerpiece of the vineyard's organic
>farming system.
>
>This abiding respect for nature got the attention of the California
>Environmental Protection Agency, which has tapped Benziger Family Winery and
>Davis Bynum Winery to serve as models of environmental awareness for other
>California wineries.
>
>The two Sonoma County wineries -- selected from more than 900 wineries in
>California -- are part of a pilot project called Environmental Management
>Systems. The goal is to move California to a more sustainable society, a
>culture that better utilizes resources, recycles waste and conserves energy
>and water.
>
>"We want to determine if environmental management systems provide greater
>environmental protection than the current regulatory system," said Tom
>Lanphar, a hazardous substance scientist with CAL-EPA and manager of the EMS
>project.
>
>The project also includes a study of environmental management practices at
>mainstream businesses, with Lockheed, IBM and Anheuser Busch among the
>companies participating in the program.
>
>The two-year winery project will be completed this year when a final report
>is issued.
>
>Lanphar said Davis Bynum and Benziger are charting new ground by
>meticulously tracking what they do so a comprehensive management model or
>template can be developed for use by other wineries. The template includes
>everything from the use of native plants for winery landscaping to the
>number of wood pallets used for storing and shipping cases of wine.
>
>"A preliminary analysis shows that an environmental management system can be
>successful but it depends on the level of commitment of whoever is doing
>it," Lanphar said.
>
>The commitment to environmental protection is strong at Davis Bynum and
>Benziger Family Winery.
>
>Both of the family-owned wineries have worked for years to make their grape
>growing and winemaking operations more sustainable. The two Sonoma County
>wineries are certified by the Bay Area Green Business Program.
>
>"The environmental management system fits right in with our environmental
>goals and our business goals. It ties the two together with our overall goal
>of 'Stay responsible, be profitable,'" said Chris Benziger, who administers
>the program at his family's winery and vineyards on London Ranch Road near
>Glen Ellen.
>
>Indeed, the whole concept of the environmental management system is to
>become more efficient, use fewer resources and, at the same time, improve
>the business's bottom line, said Hampton Bynum, general manager of the
>winery founded by his father, Davis Bynum.
>
>By num believes businesses must be proactive in environmental management,
>doing their part to reduce pollution and conserve water, energy and other
>resources.
>
>"Everyone should be concerned because we are on a collision course with
>natural resources that threatens the survival of the earth," Bynum said.
>
>Rather than using synthetic fertilizers, Davis Bynum and Benziger both use
>compost to enrich soils in the vineyards. The rich compost concoction
>includes aged cow manure recycled from neighboring dairy farms.
>
>The wineries conduct energy audits to establish a baseline for reducing
>electrical use in the winery and for the pumps to irrigate vineyards. Davis
>Bynum has cut electrical use by 50 percent. Benziger has cut usage by 30
>percent.
>
>Water use is carefully monitored and wastewater from the winery is reused.
>
>The whole approach is based on mixing the latest technology with time-proven
>methods.
>
>"The EMS program involves a continuous cycle of planning, implementation and
>reviewing. You are always improving on what you've done and always have a
>goal you are working to accomplish," said Matt Atkinson, ranch manager at
>Benziger Family Farms.
>
>Atkinson said Benziger Family Winery keeps records of costs so other growers
>and winemakers will be able to determine the actual cost of a specific
>practice, such as burning weeds as compared to using a chemical herbicide
>
>You can reach Staff Writer Tim Tesconi at 521-5289 or e-mail
>ttesconi at pressdemocrat.com.
>
>
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>
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