Hook and
Ladder Winery has taken a number of steps not only to
preserve but also to promote the natural environment
of Sonoma County.
Soil Sterilization
Hook and Ladder Winery does not sterilize soil when developing
new vineyards. Soil is a very complex environment from which
vine roots obtain water and nutrients. It is only as a complete,
healthy, balanced ecosystem, that grapevine roots can effectively
use soil. This means we do not 'mess' with nature, we encourage
her.
Barn Owl Boxes
We construct barn owl boxes and place them in vineyards
with a gopher problem or young vineyards that will be at
risk from gophers. Barn owls are, fortunately, relatively
common residents of Sonoma County. They are very effective
predators at night, the time when gophers feel safe to come
above ground. We provide nesting choices by building nesting
boxes that are snake and rodent proof, suspending them from
living tree limbs close to and in our vineyards. This ensures
the population of barn owls will be able to find nesting
sites in a vineyard where there is plenty to eat. Thus, we
are cultivating a natural predator (barn owl) - prey (gopher)
relationship.
Raptor Perches
Hook and Ladder Winery construct raptor perches and erect
them in our vineyards that have a bird grape-feeding problem.
The perches are 3-inch diameter dowels at 12 feet height
positioned at the end of vine rows and within the rows. Perches
attract raptors (birds of prey) for their superior visibility.
They make vineyards a very desirable place to hunt. A vineyard
that is attracting raptors will be a very undesirable place
for small birds such as house finches and starlings that
can consume every grape berry on a vine.
Bird Netting
Another method of protecting the grapes from birds is the
use of bird netting over vine rows; which we call an exclusionary
practice. This is something we do to prevent small birds
in a flock. We choose this very expensive method of bird
prevention so that we do not need to use noisy propane cannons
or other noise producing devices to frighten the small birds.
Integrated Pest Management
We practice integrated pest management, which means we monitor
our vineyards' health and only spray chemicals when a pest,
disease or weed is determined to be economically damaging.
This means some vineyards will need a spray, others will
not or we may feel only part of a vineyard needs treatment.
We use only the most environmentally safe chemicals, those
that kill only the pest and do not affect any other life
form.
Oak Trees
Oak trees, particularly the grand, valley oak, are one of
Sonoma County's characteristics native beauties. We do not
cut down live, mature oak trees in order to replace this
beauty with grapevines. We simply make them a healthy part
of our vineyards.
We have been fortunate this year and with
previous years to be witnessing an acorn (oak seed) fertility
extravaganza. Cecil and Christine De Loach took advantage
of this event a number of years ago by starting an oak tree
nursery so that we have an in-house source of native oak
trees to be used in our environmental efforts.
The dominant trees in the oak woodland, include coast live
oak, black oak (Quercus kelloggii), blue oak (Q. douglasii)
and Oregon oak (Q. garryana). There are also Madrone and
Blue Elderberry. Unlike many parts of Sonoma County the oak
woodland on this property is regenerating well and includes
a range of size classes of oaks from seedlings through mature
trees.
Water
Our most important agricultural resource is water. We are
constantly vigilant of creek, stream, waterways, and their
ecosystem, which we call the riparian corridor. We manage
these corridors by not allowing the vineyard edge to impose
upon the natural flora and fauna of this very special ecosystem.
We are very careful not to contaminate waterways with soil,
sediment, or pesticides.
Good Neighbors
Hook and Ladder Vineyards and Winery farms in the Russian
River Valley along with many other winegrape growers in a
very diverse community including residential areas, schools,
businesses and nurseries. Often other members of our community
border our vineyards, so in addition to being excellent stewards
of this rich land, producing wonderful wines from the fruits
of the land, we also practice being good, conscientious neighbors.
Boundaries
We leave wildlife trails for deer and other mammals intact
fencing our vineyards only when neighbors require a clear
demarcation.
Back to Vineyards top |
