Farm Information

County: Napa
Location: Oakville AVA
Slope: Flat
Irrigation system: Drip
Soil type: Clay loam, Silt loam
Soil detail: Clay loam, Silt loam
Special farming challenges: Some areas dry earlier than others.

• Cropping Systems Information
• Crop: winegrapes
  Acres of orchard or vineyard: 18

  Other crops: Small vegetable farm
  Acres of other crops: 1
  Organic management: 
  Certifications: Fish Friendly Farming
  Certifications notes: n/a
  Where using cover crops: Vineyard

• Grower Experience, Farm Priorities, and Cover Cropping Goals
• When started farming (yr): 1972
  Farm priorities: To produce the highest quality grapes as possible while being environmentally friendly.
  Years growing orchard or vineyard crop: 49 years
  Years growing cover crops: ~ 20 years. Since the late 90s but not every year since then.
  Initial transition to cover cropping: They started trying it in the entire vineyard some years and skipping others.
  Goals and benefits: Soil improvement, water infiltration/retention, nitrogen supplement, pollinator support, yield enhancement
  Benefits description: Nitrogen fixing, yield enhancing, support pollinators, erosion control, soil health/soil organic matter, soil water holding capacity
  Change in goals over time: Now they incorporate cover crops to address soil erosion, to reduce tillage, for weed control, and to remove moisture from the soil to control vine vigor.
  Reasons: They have just been using the cover crop in years when they think is needed and skipping the years when they don't think they need it.
• Cover Crop Details, Planting and Management Methods

• Block described here: Winegrapes
  Current cover crops: Legumes, grasses
  Species and mixes: Every other row: Blando brome, clover, fescue, barley, bell beans, magnus and dundale peas, and oats.
  Planting method: Drill seed
  Planting date (2020): Middle/end of October
  Was that optimal? "Ideally we seed a few days the first rains come."
  Pre-plant soil prep: Till
  Planting equipment: Drill seeder
  Seeding rate: 50lb/acre
  Seeding depth: 1 inch
  Did it germinate well? No, germinated okay but lack of rain prevented it from germinating properly
  Additional management and advice: n/a

• Cover Crop Termination Methods and Biomass Management

• Termination method: Mow
  Termination equipment and process: Mow with Clemens mulcher
  Termination date: Late March
  Was it optimal? No. "It happened earlier than I would have liked because we wanted to prevent water competition with the vines because lack of soil moisture."
  Biomass management: Mowed and left to cover the soil in some sections, cultivated others.

• Cover Cropping Challenges and Strategies to Address Them
• Challenges: Risk of frost, establishment difficulties, cost, labor availability, insect pests and sanitation or nematode issues
  Challenges description: Risk of frost damage to vines, water availability/difficulties irrigating cover crop, labor costs to manage, attracts insect pests or nematodes
  Strategies to address challenges: "We till every other row to mitigate frost damage."
  Was the cover crop worth it? Yes
  Least successful past cover crops: n/a