Organic Farming at Smith Vineyard
Benefits of Organic Farming
Organic Farming at Smith Vineyard has become a way of life. Earth Day was Tuesday, April 22nd. Yes, I’m a few days late in acknowledging, but I believe it is never too late to celebrate and care for this place we have been entrusted, our vineyard, our home.
You may ask, why do we farm organically? These pictures say it all…for the love of family and this place we call home. My father-in-law was a pioneer in his day. He began farming organically soon after he planted our vineyard in 1980. Our sons have all been a big part of the farming end of this business and knowing what they were applying to the vineyard was important to us.
Organic farming takes dedication and a conscious effort as it is more costly and more time-consuming than non organic farming. The time-consuming portion comes from NOT using sprays that kill the weeds, or what we call the cover crop, under the canopy. This is done by hand with weed eaters. Organic farming is more costly because the applications are more frequent and less severe. This is true in the sulfur application, necessary to keep powdery mildew out of the vineyard.
We truly believe great wines come from organic vines and organic farming. Cheers!
