Organic Vineyard/Orchard Weed and Grass
Transcription
Organic Vineyard/Orchard Weed and Grass
O g i Vi Organic Vineyard/Orchard y d/O h d W Weed d and dG Grass M Management g tU Using i g Mi i t Miniature Sheep Sh p Deborah Walton ((Farmer/Rancher Grant Program) g ) P j tN Project Number: b FW04-028 FW04 028 Objj ti Objectives: Titl Title: t e: O Organic ga ic Vineyard/Orchard Vi V eya d/O cha d Weed W d and a d Grass G ass M Management a age e t Using U Usi g Miniature Mi iatu t e Sh S Sheep eep Principal Investigator : Deborah Walton C Canvas R Ranchh 755 Tomales T l R Roadd Petaluma CA 94952 Petaluma, (707) 766-7171 766 7171 info@canvasranch [email protected] @ com Technical h i l Advisor: d i Laura Mendes Director, Sustainable Ag Director, g Program g Santa S t R Rosa os Ju JJunior io Co C College llege 1501 Mendocino M d i A Avenue Santa Rosa Rosa, CA 95401 ((707)) 527-4649 527 4649 1 Analyze the cost benefits of using miniature sheep versus mechanical methods for 1. weed control in organic vineyards and orchards 2 Demonstrate 2. D t t a unique, i sustainable t i bl ffarming i practice ti th thatt may encourage more growers to use organic i methods h d A month month-old old Olde English Miniature Babydoll Southdown lamb. C Cooperators: Ann Thrupp, Thrupp Manager of Organic Development, Development David Koball Vineyard Manager Koball, Manager, Chad Boardman Boardman, Vineyard y Manager Manager, g , Fetzer Vineyards Vineyards, y , Hopland p Mi h l B Michael Brunson, A Assistant i t t Wi Winemaker, k Mi Michel Michel-Schlumberger h l Schlumberger S hl b Winery Winery, i Healdsburg ld b Glenn McCourty, McCourty Viticulture & Plant Science Advisor, Advisor UCCE-Mendocino UCCE Mendocino Countyy, Ukiah County, SARE Grant: G P Potential i l Benefits: B fi $7 472 $7,472 F Fetzer’s ’ B Bonterra Vi Vineyard y d iin H Hopland pl d at the h start off the study, study Feb. Feb 22, 22 2005. 2005 ElectroNet fencing on the vineyard perimeter.. perimeter Actions: A ti Tested 24 sheep in both low-density (3-4 sheep per acre) and high-density (7-8 sheep h per acre)) situations it ti on th the Fetzer F t Vineyards. Vi d St Study d bl block k di divided id d iinto t 6 sections using electric fencing, fencing with these measures: monthly clippings of weeds andd other h plants; l plant l composition; ii compaction; i N N, P P, K K; and d economics, i includingg costs of leasing g and owningg sheep p Tested 12 sheep in the Michel Schlumberger Vineyards Vineyards, a hillside vineyard of approximately i t l 4 acres, where h th the steepness t makes k mechanical h i l weed d managementt difficult difficult. 11.The Th sheep h p maintain i t i the th vineyard i y d fl floor,, kkeeping pi g th the weeds d and d ggrasses clipped lipp d to within 1 or 2 inches inches. They also ate the unwanted vine suckers, suckers eliminating another th costly tl and d llabor-intensive labor b intensive i t i jjob. b 2 The manure theyy deposit 2.The p offers an additional benefit byy improving p g soil nitrogen nitrogen. i 3 Smaller hooves and the weight 3.Smaller g of the miniature sheep p kept p the vineyard y floor from being compacted as it would have been by mechanical weed management. g t 4 The little sheep in the fields created a tremendous draw for workers and 4.The visitors i it and d resulted lt d in i goodwill d ill for f the th winery. i 5 Economically it makes sense if the sheep are purchased rather than leased 5.Economically, leased, although lh h leasing l i affords ff d the h vineyard i d a chance h to assess success without ih sheep h upkeep p p costs. costs Outreach W Walton lt spoke p k to t 100 winegrowers i g att the th UCCE Organic O g i Winegrowing Wi g i g Short Sh t Course in November 2003 Canvas C Ranch R h was featured f t d in i a program aired i d nationally ti ll on HGTV titled titl d 50 Ways y to Save the Planet hosted byy Nell Newman of Newman’s Newman s Organic g The Th sheep h were featured f d in i JJuly l 2004 articles i l iin Gourmet G and d Fortune F magazines g A March 2005 article featured Walton and her sheep in the Santa Rosa Press D Democrat t In August 2005, 2005 Canvas Ranch was featured in an eight-page article in a national ti l magazine, i $1,000,000 $1 000 000 Blueprint Bl i t Walton Walton’s l ’s work k with i h the h miniature i i sheep h andd the h publicity bli i surrounding di iit hhave pprompted p queries q from nearly y 100 vineyards vineyards. y Because of Walton’s work and the publicity it has generated generated, Babydoll Southdown sheep are being used in at l t 25 vineyards least i y d to t date, d t , including i l di g a 1,000-hectare 1,000 h t vineyard i y d iin N New Zealand. Z l d Parsley mugs for the camera camera. Situation: Suppressing S pp i g weeds d andd tilling tilli g cover crops p iin organic g i vineyards i y d iis challenging h ll gi g and d costly costly. l U Using i an heirloom h il bbreed d off miniature i i sheep, sheep h Olde Old English E li h Babydoll B b d ll Miniature Mi i Southdowns to maintain vineyard and orchard floors is a sustainable approach to this Southdowns, pproblem and has been shown to be more cost effective than other more labor labori t i weed/grass intensive d/g management g t methods. th d Th These miniature i i S Southdown hd sheep h are 24 iinches h or less l at the h shoulder h ld without ih wool, wooll so they can’t can t easily reach the canopy of most grapes. grapes They have also been used to sucker and hedge g vines, vines and the manure they y add is another bonus bonus. R lt Results: A Thrupp, Ann Th manager off organic i development d l t for f Fetzer, F t takes grass-clipping samples.. samples On the Fetzer Vineyards Vineyards, the sheep did their job beautifully beautifully, keeping the vineyard floor ggrasses and weeds well maintained maintained. During g bud break break, the sheep p tasted the buds and d were removed. d Th owners off th The the Michel Mi h l Schlumberger S hl b Vineyards Vi d were very satisfied ti fi d with ith th the sheep h performance performance, f though h h they h notedd the h iimportance off getting i them h iin early l and d then h out before bud break break. Before grazing grazing, at left left, and the finely ‘mowed’ mowed grass after grazing, at right. Sheep enter the vineyard. ine ard Deborah D b h Walton W lt ffeeds d hher Southdowns at Canvas Ranch west oof Petaluma. e a u a.