Three Growers Will Share Data and Insight During Upcoming Webinar
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (May 24, 2024) – As the climate impact conversation continues around the world, in Sonoma County, winegrape growers are leading the way as the first to achieve Climate Adaptation Certification through custom farm plans and third-party audits.
The California Land Stewardship Institute’s (CLSI) Climate Adaptation Certification program is for growers in Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma Counties who are interested in improving their sustainability and specifically focus on climate practices that reduce their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and sequesters carbon. Five years ago, Sonoma County Winegrowers became an exclusive pilot participant with CLSI in the Climate Adaptation Certification program marking the first-time participating growers could obtain certification for a comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration program. The success of their pilot program provided insights into the development of the new certification program including the best management practices for growers to provide the highest levels of carbon sequestration and the most efficient models to use in calculating GHG emissions and carbon sequestration. The certified climate plan defines carbon sequestered in soil, trees and hedgerows in relatable terms of car emission offsets.
The certified climate plans propose implementable changes such as planting cover crops; using limited tillage; installing hedgerows or trees; composting; and reducing nitrogen fertilizer. Over the past few years, CLSI has created customized local farm plans based on soil type, microclimate, elevation, history of the land and farming practices that meet the certification requirements. In partnership with the California Farm Bureau Federation’s scientific arm, 3,860 acres in the pilot program have been certified. An additional 9,000 acres are in the process of achieving certification later this year. The learning from the initial certifications demonstrates that there is no one answer or path to solving the climate crisis, but each grower can do their part by understanding the impact they can have on their vineyards and farms. We hope you can join us for this informative webinar.
Interested growers can participate in live webinar on Thursday, May 30th, at 9 a.m., where climate scientists and three Sonoma County winegrape growers will be discussing the Climate Adaptation Certification program and sharing their data and key learnings. To participate in the webinar, register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KWxYPtxXSsGzAVej8_P9qw.
