Some local wineries are going the extra mile in their work toward sustainability by becoming Regenerative Organic Certified farms.
“We should be very proud that in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, there are a few other regenerative agriculture operations,” said Chelsea Sprague, Brand Manager at Booker Winery. “In the world, globally, I think for vineyards at least, there are probably less than 20 to 25.”
Booker Winery and Hope Family Wines are two of the few wineries that are farming regeneratively.
“Basically, what it boils down to is our farming philosophy is that we try to farm with as gentle of a touch as we possibly can,” said John Howell, Associate Manager at Booker Winery.
He says there are three pillars to the certification: soil health and land management, animal health, and worker fairness and equity.
Vineyards that practice Regenerative Organic Farming tend to practice sustainability by eliminating herbicides, doing minimal tilling, and increasing organic matter.
Booker and Hope Family bring these practices to life by bringing in sheep to graze their properties.
Stasi Seay, Director of Hope Family Wines, says that they use the sheep as an alternative to tractors and as a natural fertilizer.
She says there are a few other Central Coast vineyards that currently practice Regenerative Organic Farming, and they’re proud to be among them.
