Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
flat or declining budgets. Together all these factors explain why this
commodity hosts six partnerships, more than any other, and four local
partnerships, also more than any other commodity.
The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group (NSWG) began in 1995
when half a dozen managers for progressive vineyards plus a local
resource conservation officer and the county agricultural commissioner
recognized that they had developed a significant amount of experience
with and knowledge of sustainable practices, but that no forums existed
for sharing it. The existing networks of knowledge had been geared
toward production or quality, but not sustainability issues. These initial
leaders realized that many of them individually had made progress
toward more ecologically rational practices, but they could be even more
effective if they worked together. One of these leaders described this ini-
tial group as “needing a peer group to achieve goals of being able to
identify, verify, understand, and promote sustainable practices.” The
Robert Mondavi Winery hosted initial and many subsequent meetings of
NSWG, and provided it early seed money.
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Other Napa wineries also
have supported this partnership.
NSWG appears to be the most independent and least structured
partnership in the state, which is likely a result of the personality and tra-
dition of innovation of this region. It does not have “a program,” or
demonstration vineyards, nor does it prescribe certain practices. It does
not formally enroll growers or vineyards. It has not applied for BIFS or
PMA or USEPA funding. It promotes a holistic understanding of sustain-
ability as a primary criterion for farming and conducts outreach to
support this. Leaders in this group describe the importance of being
guided by a sustainable farming philosophy more than other groups.
Partnership activities take two forms: regular monthly meetings and
quarterly outreach events. About a dozen growers and vineyard
managers participate regularly, discussing specific practices and farming
philosophy in a dialectical spirit. The group invests the majority of its
outreach effort into several large workshops each year. The titles of their
workshops reflect their ambitious, self-reflective vision: “Sustainable
Winegrowing in Napa County,” “Ecology for a New Millennium,”
“Water Use and Its Place in Sustainable Farming.” This partnership and
the Central Coast Vineyard Team are the only that use the term “agro-
ecology” in their outreach materials. Beyond these events, NSWG leaders
